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Tom Hanks named America's favorite movie star

The actor ranked No. 5 in the Harris poll last year.

By Annie Martin
Tom Hanks at the Serious Fun Children's Network "An Evening of SeriousFun Celebrating the Legacy of Paul Newman" on March 2, 2015. The actor was named America's favorite movie star in a new Harris poll. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 5 | Tom Hanks at the Serious Fun Children's Network "An Evening of SeriousFun Celebrating the Legacy of Paul Newman" on March 2, 2015. The actor was named America's favorite movie star in a new Harris poll. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

NEW YORK, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Tom Hanks was named America's favorite movie star in a new Harris poll Thursday.

The 59-year-old actor topped the company's annual poll, which was conducted between Dec. 9 and 14 of 2,252 adults. Hanks previously ranked No. 1 in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2013, and came in at No. 5 in 2015.

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Hanks was followed by Johnny Depp, who ranked No. 4 last year, Denzel Washington, who topped the 2015 list, late actor John Wayne, who previously ranked No. 2, and Harrison Ford, who previously ranked No. 9.

Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lawrence, Clint Eastwood and Brad Pitt/Julia Roberts rounded out the top 10, despite Eastwood having not starred in nor directed any movies in 2015. The 85-year-old actor and director came in at No. 8 last year.

Harris cited Hanks' perfect Nielsen talent score and popularity among baby boomers for his No. 1 rank. The actor was the respondents' third-favorite choice among men, second among both Republicans and Democrats and first in suburban areas.

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Hanks is known for several romantic comedies, including Splash, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, in addition to the dramas Philadelphia, Saving Private Ryan and Captain Phillips. His films have grossed more than $4.3 billion in North America.

"The most uncomfortable you can be making a movie, I swear to God, is if you have to shoot a wedding scene for two weeks," Hanks told The Talks in 2014. "I'd rather do a thing where I get beaten up for a couple hours every day. It's a more realistic experience."

Hanks last appeared in the 2015 film Bridge of Spies, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and co-starred Mark Rylance. The actor is slated for a number of upcoming films, including The Circle with Emma Watson and Inferno with Felicity Jones.

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