Hollywood has given us thousands of extraordinary films that have launched so many talented actors into eternal fame and influence. The 1990s was an especially impactful era for film, producing some of the most iconic projects and developing the biggest names in the industry that still resonate with fans today.
Good Will Hunting (1997) showed us a new side to the iconic and hilarious Robin Williams, who showed off his dramatic skills in the role of Dr. Sean Maguire. The already-respected Tom Cruise had an especially successful 10 years in the ’90s, with projects such as Magnolia (1999) that really allowed him to shine and solidify his legacy as one of the greats.
But in Collider‘s list of the 10 Biggest Movie Stars of the 1990s, the actor taking home the prestigious No. 1 spot is Tom Hanks, beating out the aforementioned stars as well as others like Demi Moore, Winona Ryder and Samuel L. Jackson.
“Hanks wasn’t just a reliable everyman; the man had range and wasn’t afraid to show it,” Collider wrote in their analysis of Hanks’ work in the ’90s. “Whether it was delivering a legendary voice performance in the first fully CG-animated feature ever in Toy Story (1995), proving himself a rom-com icon in films like Sleepless in Seattle (1993), leading one of the greatest war films ever in Saving Private Ryan (1998), or even achieving the rare feat of winning two back-to-back Oscars for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994), Tom Hanks could do it all, and he gave some truly exceptional films and performances doing so. He was versatile, endearing, and always careful with his star image, ensuring that pretty much no one disliked him during the peak of his popularity.”
Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images
Perhaps Hanks’ most iconic roles of the ’90s (and of his entire career) has to be the titular character in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis, which follows the life of a disabled Alabama man as he navigates war, love, heartbreak and self-fulfillment. The film is considered to be one of the most enduring landmark movies in cinema history, being preserved in the Library of Congress in 2011 and helping Hanks win his second Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
It was also in Forrest Gump (1994) where Hanks delivered possible the most iconic movie quotes in cinema history during a scene where Gump shares his mother’s wisdom with a stranger as he waits at a bus stop with her:
The film has multiple iconic, quotable lines throughout the movie, but its this quote specifically that has resonated with audiences over 30 years since it was first delivered. It packages the unpredictability of life with a beautiful metaphor and an earnest sense of optimism, even in the darkest of times. And in a time where many are finding it difficult to have a hopeful outlook on life, it seems that this quote feels the most relevant today.
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