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Tom Hanks named Harvard’s 2023 commencement speaker

"A true master of his craft, Tom Hanks has given life to some of the most compelling, beloved, and iconic characters on the screen."

"Actor, writer, filmmaker, humanitarian, and typewriter enthusiast" Tom Hanks will give Harvard's 372nd commencement address, the university announced Tuesday. Chris Pizzello / AP

By Clara McCourt

March 21, 2023

Harvard announced some “Big” news Tuesday morning: Actor Tom Hanks will serve as the university’s 2023 commencement speaker.

Hanks will deliver the principal address at the university’s 372nd graduation ceremony on May 25, the Ivy League school said.

“A true master of his craft, Tom Hanks has given life to some of the most compelling, beloved, and iconic characters on the screen,” Harvard President Larry Bacow said in a statement. “In addition to his brilliance as an actor, Tom has demonstrated both an innate empathy and a deep understanding of the human condition. He has contributed to our national culture and expanded our ability to appreciate stories and histories that have been previously unexamined.”

Harvard announced Hanks’s address with a movie trailer-style video highlighting props from his spate of well-known films: a Woody doll from “Toy Story,” Wilson the volleyball from “Cast Away,” a rocket from “Apollo 13,” and even Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates.

A six-time Academy Award nominee, Hanks is credited for roles in almost 100 films, including “Big,” “Philadelphia,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “The Green Mile.”

Hanks joins the ranks of well-known recent speakers, including Merrick Garland, Jacinda Ardern, Marty Baron, and Angela Merkel. Hanks is the first actor to deliver the address since John Lithgow in 2005.