Every Malady Tom Hanks Has Played Onscreen

Voting Rules
Vote up the illnesses Hanks best handled on screen with his inimitable acting prowess.

Poor Tom Hanks. Every time he graces the silver screen, he seems to come down with an ailment. He should start drinking more orange juice or something. These various Tom Hanks maladies range from full blown AIDS in Philadelphia to the urinary tract infection he suffers in The Green Mile. Why do directors love to see him suffer so? Is it just a case of Hanks being Hanks? Or are these Tom Hanks onscreen illnesses a key to something happening in his life, or even the world at large?

The list of Tom Hanks characters medical problems is devastatingly severe once you realize the amount of time the beloved actor spends on set. He pretends to be sick almost as much as he gets to be healthy in real life. But don’t get too worried reading about Tom Hanks health problems. He’s got a loving family and a wonderful Hollywood support system backing him up, so if his Wilsonism flairs up again while he’s rehearsing for another stint on Saturday Night Live, someone will be there to dab his head with a warm towel and rock him gently to sleep.

Vote up the afflictions Tom Hanks handled with the most aplomb, and if you can remember any other illnesses that he had, add them in the comments. 

Photo: Universal Studios
Ranked by
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
    1
    78 votes

    Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    Saving Private Ryan

  • AIDS
    2
    89 votes

    AIDS

    Philadelphia

  • Medically Diagnosed Stupidity
    3
    103 votes

    Medically Diagnosed Stupidity

    Forrest Gump

  • Wilsonism
    4
    85 votes

    Wilsonism

    Cast Away

  • Abnormally Large Bone Syndrome
    5
    63 votes

    Abnormally Large Bone Syndrome

    Big

  • Alcoholism
    6
    66 votes

    Alcoholism

    A League of Their Own