Tom Hanks Honors the Real Person Who Inspired His Famous Role originally appeared on Parade.
Tom Hanksis honoring the legacy of Jim Lovell, the legendary Apollo 13 commander he portrayed in the acclaimed 1995 film Apollo 13.
Lovell, a decorated astronaut, died on Thursday, August 7 at the age of 97. Just hours after the news broke, Hanks, 69, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. “There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy,” he wrote.
The actor reflected on Lovell’s historic missions in a text post, noting that “his many voyages around Earth and on to so-very-close to the moon were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive – and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages.” Hanks concluded, “On this night of a full Moon, he passes on – to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. God speed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell.” The post, per usual, had the comments turned off.
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TheRon Howard–directed Apollo 13 brought Lovell’s story to the big screen, depicting the harrowing 1970 NASA mission when an oxygen tank explosion forced the crew to abort their planned moon landing and fight for survival. The film earned $355 million worldwide and won two Academy Awards, cementing its place as one of the most celebrated space dramas in cinema. Hanks starred in the film alongside Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon.
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Hanks and Lovell met several times over the years, including at the White House in 1995 when President Bill Clinton awarded Lovell the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The two also reunited at the 2010 ceremony where Lovell received the Lincoln Leadership Prize.
Universal Pictures is set to re-release Apollo 13 in IMAX on September 19 in honor of its 30th anniversary.
Tom Hanks Honors the Real Person Who Inspired His Famous Role first appeared on Parade on Aug 9, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
