1. Tom Hanks - From Screwball Comedies To Back-To-Back Acting Oscars
Who would have thought that an actor so tirelessly committed to screwball comedies would end up becoming one of just a handful of actors to win back-to-back acting Oscars? Hanks spent the better part of a decade starring in sporadically entertaining movies such as Splash, Bachelor Party, The Money Pit, Dragnet, The 'Burbs, Turner & Hooch, Joe Versus the Volcano and Bonfire of the Vanities - with the odd gem such as Big sneaking its way in - before completely taking a left turn and starring as the AIDS-afflicted Andrew Beckett in the highly acclaimed drama Philadelphia. Hanks won an Oscar for the role, and followed it right up with Forrest Gump, which won him his second consecutive Oscar the next year, cementing the man as an acting lion and opening him up to a wide variety of roles, including his acclaimed work in Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Cast Away and Road to Perdition. Though Hanks did receive an Oscar nomination for Big, I doubt few could have expected that he would turn so suddenly towards serious acting. Which unexpected career path surprises you the most? Let us know in the comments below.