2. Philadelphia, “Andrew Beckett” (1993)
Image Source: IMDb
The role that won Hanks his first Oscar for Best Actor, truly shows the range and depth that we really had not seen from the star. He lost more than 30 pounds for his portrayal of a Philadelphia lawyer and AIDS patient suing his firm for discrimination after being unjustly fired. Hanks magnificently portrays a character who is scared, yet confident, while fighting with what little strength he has left in the face of his impending death.