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Dear Tom,

I don’t know why I feel like I will meet you someday. You have been such an inspiration for me. I have started honing my performing skills. But, I think I am still far behind. 

You have shined in every frame. It does not matter if it is comedy like Big (1988) and Splash (1984). It also applies to romantic films like Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You’ve Got Mail (1998). In the soul-touching drama of Forrest Gump (1994) and Philadelphia (1993), you have shined in every emotion. You have shined in every heartbeat of your characters.

You remind us that life is nothing but learning. It is learning to grow, learning to hold on, and learning to survive. Films like Cast Away (2000) show that strength is sometimes just the will to keep breathing. These days when someone speaks about something deep, I feel like they are trying to decode life itself. Maybe that instinct came from The Da Vinci Code (2006). In that film, you made mystery feel like a language of the soul.

You are such a versatile actor. Even in the animated world of Toy Story, you filled a wooden cowboy with warmth, loyalty, and life. You step into intricate roles so effortlessly. In one moment, you are hugging a teddy bear with pure innocence. In the next moment, you are embracing the chaos of war in Saving Private Ryan (1998). You are also walking through the cold shadow of history in Bridge of Spies (2015).

And maybe that’s why you inspire me:

You show that a single human heart can hold many emotions. It can encompass comedy, romance, fear, courage, innocence, curiosity, and war
all at once.

Just like life does.
Just like we do.

Isn’t it Tom?