WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oscar and Golden Globe winning actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks has won the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's (HFPA) coveted Cecil B. deMille Award.
The highly acclaimed star of such legendary films as Big, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away will be honored at Hollywood's Party of the Year on January 5, 2020.
The Cecil B. deMille Award is given annually to a talented individual who has made a lasting impact on the film industry.
The eight-time Golden Globe winner joins the ranks of Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, and Barbra Streisand.
'For more than three decades, he's captivated audiences with rich and playful characters that we've grown to love and admire,' said HFPA President Lorenzo Soria.
Hanks' complex and moving performances have earned him the honor of being one of only two actors in history to win back-to-back Best Actor Academy Awards.
He won it first in 1994 for his moving portrayal of AIDS-stricken lawyer Andrew Beckett in 'Philadelphia'. The next year, he took home his second Oscar for his unforgettable performance in the title role of 'Forrest Gump'. He also won the Golden Globe Award for both films.
Hanks' latest movie, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, is set for release on November 22.
The 63-year-old billionaire actor portrays U.S. children's television host Fred Rogers in Marielle Heller's biopic.
Winner of many top prizes in the film industry, he is known for his comedic and dramatic roles in dozens of films.
A known critic of President Donald Trump, Hanks is a supporter of NASA's manned space program, and once said he originally wanted to be an astronaut.
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