the actor Tom Hanks Harvard University’s commencement class of 2023 has been named the university’s spokesperson announce.
Hanks, 66, will be the keynote speaker at Harvard’s 372nd Graduation Ceremony, which will be held at the Tercentenary Theater on May 25.
The Academy Award-winning actor joins a newly distinguished list of Harvard Commencement speakers that includes former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, director and frequent Hanks collaborator Steven Spielberg, and the late civil rights activist and U.S. President Donald Trump. Actor, John Lewis.
The school said Hanks would also be awarded an honorary degree.
Hanks has been nominated for an Academy Award six times, winning Best Actor for “Philadelphia” in 1993 and “Forrest Gump” the following year.
His other accolades include a Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2014. President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Harvard University President Larry Backo has called Hanks “a true guru of his craft.”
“For five decades we have entertained, enlightened and befriended. It has made us laugh, cry, wonder and think,” Paco said in a statement. In addition to his brilliance as an actor, Tom has shown an innate empathy and deep understanding of the human condition.
“It has contributed to our national culture and expanded our ability to appreciate previously unexamined stories and histories,” Paco added. I’m very much looking forward to his speech in May.”
Thanks for reading CBS News.
Create your free account or login
for more features.
[ad_2]
