Top 10 Surprising Facts About Tom Hanks

Who doesn't love Tom Hanks? Not only is he a great actor, he's also charming and funny off-screen, and he seems like a good father and husband. Who wouldn't want to hang out with him? However, did you know these surprising facts about Tom Hanks?

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1. He Inspired "In and Out" - Hanks helped fund renovations for the newly renamed Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater at his alma mater, Skyline High School in Oakland, California, in 2002.

2. He Wanted to Boldly Go Where No Man Had Gone - Tom's such a massive "Trek" fan that he talked Patrick Stewart's hair off about "The Next Generation" when they first met.

3. He's Related to Honest Abe - Tom and the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, share an ancestor, John Hanks (1680-1740), who was Honest Abe's great-great-grandfather and Tom's great-great-great-great-grandfather.

4. He Gets Physical for His Roles - Hanks takes his craft seriously, adapting to every physical alteration required for a role.

5. He's Been Decorated - The actor received the distinction "Distinguished Public Service Award" for his role in the film "Saving Private Ryan."

6. He's a World Record Holder - In 2006 he entered the "Guinness Book of World Records" as the "Actor With The Most Consecutive $100-Million Grossing Movies".

7. He's Not Always Mr. Nice Guy In 1985, Hanks had been married to Samantha Lewes for seven years, and they had two children together. Then he went off to make a film called "Volunteers." He never expected to fall in love with fellow castmember Rita Wilson. Hanks has since admitted to having an affair with the actress while still legally hitched to Lewes.

8. His Brother's in the Act - Tom's younger brother, Jim, played the titular hero's cross-country run. The siblings' resemblance was striking, and thanks to a mountain-man beard, it was impossible to tell the difference.

9. He's Behind "Mamma Mia!" - The ABBA jukebox musical "Mamma Mia!" first hit London's West End in 1999. That's where Hanks and wife Rita Wilson first saw it and realized its big-screen potential.

10. He Collects Typewriters - Tom collects vintage typewriters. He has over 100 manual models dating from the 1930s until the last machines were manufactured.

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