My Tom Hanks Fan Page and Ovine Support Club
Not many people know this, but Tom Hanks is actually a sheep. Well, mostly sheep. He's part homo sapien, and part ovine. This article is my tribute to the remarkable bravery of a man who went to Hollywood a shaggy-coated Cotswold, and came back a man.
Tom's enduring popularity offers a ray of hope to other sheep trying to break into the 'biz'. Tom has managed to transform the stigma of growing up as a woolly four-legged creature in a two-legged world into a positive experience, and expand his comedic and dramatic skills in the process.
His filmography spans many years, encompassing films we all know and love, and he has even directed and written songs for movies. Few have overcome Congenital Ovine Disease (COD) so nobly.
Tom had tried to break into acting while still bearing the woolly coat and four legs characteristic of a farm animal, but found that he was being typecast in roles requiring the ability to 'baaaaaa' and look picturesque.
As Tom grew older, his unusual half-human/half-sheep looks became more noticeable, as seen in this early studio portrait. While many fine roles are available to a sheep with persistence, the physical symptoms of his COD tended to limit his choices to low-budget commercials and made-for-tv movies.
Tom faced a difficult choice when he followed his dream to Hollywood, and it is a credit to him that he still makes an effort to keep in contact with those ovine friends who stood by him in the lean years. Thanks to his decision to undergo plastic surgery, Tom was able to pass as human to all but the close observer. The only real traces of his sheep-origins remain in his woolly hair, and his often mutton-like expressions. Rumour has it that Tom went back for more surgery after hitting it 'Big', and photographic evidence seems to bear this out - his face and hair seem remarkably more ovine in the period up to and immediately after his fabulous performance in 'Big'.
One almost wonders if his background gives him an advantage over other actors - sheep are constantly on the lookout for predators, and perhaps this has contributed to his wonderful comic timing. The influence of his ovine childhood can certainly be seen in roles such as 'Forrest Gump' - industry observers say that it would have been hard for Tom to find a slow-witted, drawling idiot to use a role model for his 'Gump' character in Hollywood. Tom's years in the pens with his herd enabled him to practice the observance of human (and ovine) behaviour that gives his acting that touch of greatness.
Tom's courage in overcoming his early difficulties is admired by all who know him personally. Some cruel critics suggest that years of chewing cud have impaired Tom's ability to play characters other than those closely related to his own or impart any kind of dramatic range, while the rare Australians in Hollywood sometimes refer to him as a 'dag' and fall about laughing, but remarkably for a town such as Hollywood, such detractors are few and far between.
I often wonder how much Tom was affected by his early years as a sheep - personally, he's warm, absorbent and shrinks if washed in hot water; but beyond that, I would dare suggest that his years of moving with the herd, foraging for fresh fodder in areas long since stripped of any real fertility provided a rich tapestry of memories for him to draw upon, and a strong basis for his Hollywood career.
Tom, you are my hero, and your struggles with Congenital Ovine Disease show that God works in every life, in every way. I used to worry about my grades in school, getting ahead in my job, and my relationship with my loved ones, but realising the challenges you face in your life has made this all meaningless.
I call on all my readers to show Tom their support! It's important that his detractors realise that Tom's fans love him for who he is and that we don't care about his COD. Send us your comments and we'll pass them onto those Hollywood studio-types. Right on!