Jim Hanks

Jim Hanks (born June 15, 1961 in Shasta, California) is an American film and television actor, and voice-over artist.

Background
Jim Hanks is the youngest brother of Tom Hanks, but they were not raised together. After their parents Amos and Janet Hanks divorced in 1961, Jim went to Red Bluff, California with his mother, while older siblings Tom, Larry, and Sandra remained with their father. After college Jim lived in Sacramento worked as a waiter. , and in 1988 moved to Los Angeles. The agent who employed his actress wife Karen Praxel as a receptionist encouraged Jim to get into acting. Jim took acting lessons, and began his career with roles in B-movies and commercial voice-overs.

He also works with Los Angeles based "Feet First Films", a production company that provides actor demos as well as production support for short films. Jim and his wife have one son and currently reside in Venice, California.

Career
Jim Hanks' first lead role was as Jeeter Buford in the film Buford's Beach Bunnies. Wishing to earn the role based upon his own abilities, he had audtioned as "Jim Matthews", using just his first and a modification of his middle name. While production noted his "resemblance to Tom Hanks", he won the role based upon his own comedic and acting skills and his true relationship to Tom was not revealed until paperwork was completed.

In 1995 A Current Affair revealed that Tom Hanks had created the mannerisms for the character of Forrest Gump in the film of the same name based upon the simpleton mannerisms earlier created by Jim for the role of Jeeter in 1993, including Forrest's "now-famous jerky run". Jim's physical resemblance to Tom allowed him to act as body-double in scenes in Forrest Gump, and due to his voice similarity, Jim often substitutes for Tom in the role of Woody in various Toy Story video games and spin-offs.

Hanks has been the voice of Geoffrey the Giraffe in the Toys "R" Us commercials since 2001, and is also the voice of Rudy from the Red Robin Gourmet Burgers commercials.

He guest-starred in an episode of Scrubs, appearing as a "Dr. Turner", partnered with a doctor called "Hooch" (in reference to one of his brother's films, Turner and Hooch).

In the 1996 film adaptation of O. Henry's The Ransom of Red Chief Jim Hanks played the role of the mailman who was the town gossip.

Hanks has also appeared on stage, including playing "Lennie Small" in Theatrical Arts Internationals production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

Partial filmography

 * As actor
 * Prison Planet (1992)
 * Homefront (1 episode, 1992) (TV)
 * Buford's Beach Bunnies (1993)
 * The Clinic (1995)
 * Portrait in Red (1995)
 * Xtro 3: Watch the Skies (1995)
 * Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1 episode, 1996) (TV)
 * Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1 episode, 1996) (TV)
 * Psycho Sushi (1997)
 * Night Man NightMan (1 episode, 1997) (TV)
 * The Ransom of Red Chief (1998) (TV)
 * Blood Type (1999)
 * Smart Guy (1 episode, 1999) (TV)
 * Baby Geniuses (1999)
 * JAG (2 episodes, 1998-1999) (TV)
 * Inferno Desert Heat (1999)
 * Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (1999) (TV series)
 * Blood on the Backlot (2000)
 * Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane (1 episode, 2000) (TV)
 * Cahoots (2001)
 * Spirit Rising (2001)
 * Swing (2003)
 * Purgatory House (2004)
 * Scrubs (1 episode, 2005) (TV)
 * Dexter (1 episode, 2007) (TV)
 * Shark Swarm (2008) (TV)
 * Deadwater (2008)
 * Road to the Altar (2009)
 * Goofyfoot (2010)
 * Acts of Violence (2010)
 * Odd Brodsky (2010)
 * As voice artist
 * Sunset Beach (2 episodes, 1998) (TV) (voice)
 * Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000) (V)
 * Video game voice
 * Toy Story (1996)
 * Toy Story Racer (2001)
 * Extreme Skate Adventure (2003)
 * The Polar Express (2004)
 * Toy Story 3: The Video Game (2010)
 * As director/cinematographer
 * Wish (2008)
 * The Floor (2008)