Photo by Dick Thomas Johnson via Wikimedia Commons

What does multi-awarded actor Tom Hanks do when not acting?  He writes.

Hanks could be considered America’s sweetheart -- if he was a pretty young actress -- for playing memorable characters that people love or root for in such films as Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, The Green Mile, Cast Away, Big, Splash, and Saving Private Ryan.

Now, Hanks can add a new feather to his cap for Uncommon Type, a collection of short stories he had written over many years in the downtime between movies. It turns out that the 61-year-old actor has a collection of vintage typewriters, hence the title.

In an interview by Emma Brockes of The Guardian in Los Angeles, Hanks downplays his latest project.

“I’m a famous guy and I wrote a book and all that, but the reality is, how much does a collection of short stories really warrant attention?”

Typically, Hanks -- the actor and the man -- has survived all these years in Hollywood with nary a breath of scandal or a rant from an enemy.

Hanks’ appeal is definitely unlike other famous Hollywood actors.  He may not possess head-turning good looks but everyone agrees he is Mr. Good Guy personified.

He seems to come out as a sincere person on-screen and off so the 17 stories that comprise Uncommon Type would make for an interesting read.

Families disintegrating or coming together, mismatched couples, immigrants looking for their space in New York, people at the point of crisis who tack more towards humor than gloom are just some of the characters in Hanks’ book.

One notable story in the collection is A Special Weekend, which chronicles 48 hours in the life of a boy called Kenny who shuttles between his divorced parents.  Hanks could have written this on a personal level as his own parents split up when he was very young. Hanks was raised mainly by his father, a cook who hates cooking, and a series of stepmothers.

Most of the stories “ends up being the need for connectedness,” Hanks said. “Again and again, we’re searching for that person who’s a magic key for us, makes us feel connected, secure, part of something bigger than ourselves. Without it, the world ain’t any fun.”

For Hanks, that person would be actress Rita Wilson, his wife for the past 30 years and with whom he has two children.  The actor has two older children from a previous marriage.

There have been rare times when Hanks chose not to be the nice guy.  He admits to encountering obnoxious people on the set. “I learned a long time ago that you don’t have to like the people you work with,” he says, “but you have to respect their process." 

“If you being a dick means you’re going to encroach upon my process, there’ll be a slugfest in the parking lot. There will be words exchanged. And I’ve worked with men and women where I’m like, ‘Are we going to have to go through this again?’ And, well, yes, because that’s what’s called for. On rare occasions, people are insane – but those are really rare.”

It is hard to imagine Hanks losing his temper. “When I get pissed off, it’s emotional. I can get pretty complainy. And then syntax is of major importance."