Harvard awards honorary doctor of arts to Tom Hanks
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks is now a Harvard graduate! The 66-year-old actor was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Harvard University. On Thursday, actor Forrest Gump appeared at the prestigious university to give an opening address to graduating students in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The actor-director-screenwriter-producer used metaphors from America’s superhero-obsessed culture in his opening remarks. He said, “There’s no Superman, or anyone else in his Justice League.”
He urged members of the Class of 2023 to keep “the promise of our promised land,” warning them against indifference that kills the truth, jeopardizes the fight for equality, and which he called worse than lies, ignorance and intolerance.
#Harvard23 Beginning speaker Tom Hanks pic.twitter.com/rEM8pSIDsi
– Harvard University (@Harvard) May 25, 2023
Based on Harvard GazetteThe Oscar-winning actor was the keynote speaker at Harvard’s 372th Graduation Ceremony, held Thursday at Harvard Yard’s Tercentenary Theatre.
“Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there’s a choice being made, the same choice for all adults: to be one of three types of Americans – those who embrace freedom for everyone, who won’t, or who is indifferent – and only the first people do the job of creating a perfect union,” Hanks said. “In the never-ending battle, all of you have officially joined as of today, the difference is in how much you really believe, in how much you promote, in how you cling to the obvious truth: that’s for sure. we’re all created equal but different, and of course we’re all in it together.”
The Ivy League school awarded the actor an honorary doctorate of arts when he joked that he received the degree “without doing a bit of work, no time in class, not a single step.” into that library.”
When Hanks showed up at college, Harvard presented him with a Harvard-branded volleyball of his 2000 film Cast Away.
