Tom Hanks admitted he hopes his films will "continue to mean something for folks" as he gave his winner’s acceptance speech at the 43rd annual People’s Choice Awards on Wednesday night (18.01.17).
The ‘Sully: Miracle on the Hudson’ star was named Favourite Dramatic Movie Actor at the ceremony, where all the prizes are voted for by fans, and as he stepped on stage he told the audience and TV viewers at home that he was touched that people still cared so much about his movies.
Hanks – who made his big screen debut in 1980 – said: "You know you make movies and you wonder if people are going to care, if people are going to see them. If it’s going to matter to anybody. This is a special honour. I’ve been doing this for a long time."
The 60-year-old Hollywood legend’s filmography is littered with beloved movies such as ‘Splash’, ‘Big’, ‘Dragnet’ and the ‘Toy Story’ series as well as critically acclaimed masterpieces like ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Philadelphia’, ‘The Green Mile’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’.
And Hanks hopes that even after he is long gone people will still search out his work and enjoy his contribution to cinema.
He said: " I love my job and I leave little bits and pieces of my existence on the screen every time. I hope further down the line, [my films] will continue to mean something for folks who search them out."
Hanks has previously won eight People’s Choice Awards and is a two-time Best Actor Oscar winner.
Elsewhere on the night, Ryan Reynolds was named Favourite Movie Actor, Jennifer Lawrence took home the Favourite Movie Actress gong and Johnny Depp put a turbulent few months behind him to accept the Favourite Movie Icon accolade which he dedicated to all the fans who had supported him through his messy divorce from Amber Heard.