Is Tom Hanks The Tim Duncan Of Hollywood?

Fact: Tom Hanks is 60-years-old. In Hollywood years, the guy might as well be Betty White’s shuffleboard partner. Yet the man is somehow still a real movie star who remains a more coveted commodity than fellow baby boomers Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Liam Neeson and Kevin Costner. So how has he managed to stay relevant after all of this time?

It’s simple; Hanks borrowed a page from San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan. The future NBA Hall of Famer played 20 years in the league before retiring on Monday. Instead of railing against old age like Kobe Bryant, Duncan embraced the transition and turned it into a weapon during the latter stages of his playing days by changing the way he played and relying on his teammates more. This ensured a longer and richer career.

Back in 2011, Hanks said, “In this business, careers are based upon longevity.” The two-time Academy Award winner has always angled for a Duncan-like arc and has set himself up accordingly to extend his career.

As Hanks has gotten older, so too have his roles. Like Leo embracing the Dad Bod, Hanks has embraced the Dad character. He’s no longer the lovable simpleton, the naïve young man or the romantic love interest; he’s something more mature and distinguished.

If you take a peek at his recent filmography, you’ll notice a trend in which Hanks plays middle-aged men who exude leadership and serve as calming influences to those around him (much like Duncan). And if you’ve taken a look at the news lately, you can probably see why these roles are so in demand right now. The world is going to hell and in response, Hanks has become everyone’s grey haired nurturing father, gently telling us it’s all going to be okay. It’s something of a meta move, with Hanks representing the stability we all yearn for. There’s an underlying understanding there between himself and the audience. Sure, he’s essentially playing the same role every time. But it’s like Duncan hitting that bank shot over and over. If ain’t broke…

But you need more than just a clever hook to stay relevant well into old age. Like Duncan, you need a strong supporting cast. In just this decade alone, Hanks has made some savvy moves in that regard.

He’s re-upped with Pixar — the best “sure thing” studio in the game — for arguably the company’s most impressive offering (“Toy Story 3”). He’s appeared in two Best Picture contenders (“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “Captain Phillips”). He’s taken on the literal face of Disney (“Saving Mr. Banks”) and worked with Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies”) and Clint Eastwood (September’s “Sully”). He’s been nominated for one Golden Globe and produced a handful of solid mid-level box office hits. That’s the type of twilight consistency that the Big Fundamental can relate to.

You can debate the quality of these projects all you want, but you can’t debate that in each instance there was sound logic behind Hanks’ choice. Whether it is a crowd-friendly premise, a lay-up role or an experienced director with name power, Hanks has consistently put himself in positions to succeed by adapting his game and relying on others. It’s genius in its simplicity.

And his name still carries weight with younger audiences, unlike countless other aging stars. I mean, you don’t get a video like this made about you unless you’re kind of cool, right?

Hanks may not be as fiery in his middle age as Bryant or a Dwayne Wade, but he’s still knocking out consistent winners just like Tim Duncan did. Not bad for a 60-year-old movie star.