Tom Hanks is set to address the graduates of Harvard University this Spring.
The Academy Award-winning actor has been named the speaker at this year’s commencement ceremony.
“A true master of his craft, Tom Hanks has given life to some of the most compelling, beloved, and iconic characters on the screen,” said Harvard President Larry Bacow. “Over five decades, he has entertained, enlightened, and befriended us. He has made us laugh, cry, question, and think. In addition to his brilliance as an actor, Tom has demonstrated both an innate empathy and a deep understanding of the human condition. He has contributed to our national culture and expanded our ability to appreciate stories and histories that have been previously unexamined. I very much look forward to his address in May.”
Hanks will also receive an honorary degree from the Ivy League college.
The “Elvis” star studied theater at Chabot College in the San Francisco Bay Area before graduating from California State University Sacramento.
He joins a list of recent Harvard Commencement speakers like former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, late U.S. Representative and civil rights activist John Lewis, Steven Spielberg and President Emerita of Brown, Smith, and Prairie View A&M University Ruth Simmons.
The Commencement is set to take place on May 25.