[5][6][7] After their parents divorced, Jim went to Red Bluff, California with his mother while older siblings Tom, Larry, and Sandra remained with their father.
While producers noted his "resemblance to Tom Hanks", he won the role based on his own comedic and acting skills and his relationship to his brother was not revealed until paperwork was completed.
[17] In the 1998 film adaptation of O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief", Hanks played the role of the mailman who was the town gossip.
He has appeared on stage, including playing "Lennie Small" in Theatrical Arts International's production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.
In November 2016, Hanks guest-starred in a web series called Gary CK Needs Work, a parody of the FX show Louie.