10 Greatest Ever Tom Hanks Movie Performances

Given the Oscars tendency to snub comedic performances, Johnny Depp's Best Actor nomination for Captain Jack Sparrow being the only example of a purely comedic performance in this category this century, Hanks' Oscar nomination for 1988's Big is extraordinary.

An unashamedly physical and overtly joyful performance, Hanks excels playing a 12-year-old boy trapped in a grown man's body. In one of the most successful high concept films - a film based around a what-if premise, in this case what if a boy was transported into a man's body - this box office hit proved Hanks was a bankable star.

However, admist the flailing arms and famous keyboard sequence, there are hints of genuine sadness as the 12-year-old child struggles to comprehend a life he is not ready for. It was this attempt to bring humanity to the performance which pricked up the Academy's ears and would see him break out the comedy genre. Without such a nuanced performance we would not have seen Hanks allowed to play more serious roles such as Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, a role he was cast in just five years after Big.