Janet Marylyn Frager: Facts About Tom Hanks’ Mother

Tom Hanks has established himself as one of the best in the film industry. He is known for his comedic and dramatic roles. Tom Hanks is also credited as one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide and is regarded as an American cultural icon. You might have an idea of who Tom Hanks is but how about Tom Hanks’ mother? Do you know who Tom Hanks’ mother is? how much do you know about Janet Marylyn Frager?

Janet Marylyn Frager: Bio Summary

American actor and filmmaker Thomas Jeffrey Hanks also known as Tom Hanks’ mother is Janet Marylyn Frager. Janet was welcomed into the world on the 18th of January 1932. She was born in Alameda County, California, United States. Her parents are Clarence P. Frager and Elexia Norrine Rose.

Janet Marylyn Frager was of Portuguese descent, her family’s surname was originally Fraga. Janet Marylyn got married to Amos Mefford Hanks. Her ex-husband Amos Mefford Hanks- Tom Hanks’ father– had English ancestry and he worked as an itinerant cook. Janet and Amos fell in love and got married.

Janet Marylyn Frager and Amos stayed married until 1960. They produced four children namely; Tom Hanks, Larry Hanks, Jim Hanks, and Sandra Hanks. Their children Tom Hanks and Jim Hanks became actors and filmmakers. Sandra Hanks later became Sandra Hanks Benoiton and she worked as a writer.

Larry Hanks on the other hand became an entomologist and Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Janet Marylyn Frager was a hospital worker.

Did Janet Marylyn Frager Remarry?

Janet Marylyn Frager did not remarry. After her divorce from Amos Mefford Hanks, it is unknown if she got married or not but according to sources she didn’t. Her ex-husband Amos Mefford Hanks, was the one that remarried.

Amos Mefford Hanks got married to Frances Wong in 1965. Frances Wong was a San Francisco native of Chinese descent and she had three children.

Also Read: Amos Mefford Hanks: Facts About Tom Hanks’ Father

Janet Marylyn Frager’s Son, Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks was born Thomas Jeffrey Hanks on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, USA. He grew up in what he has called a “fractured” family. He moved around a great deal after his parents got divorced. By the age of 10, he had lived in 10 different houses. He acted in school plays, including South Pacific, while attending Skyline High School in Oakland, California.

Tom Hanks went to Chabot College in Hayward, California, where he studied theater and transferred to California State University, Sacramento after two years. He met Vincent Dowling, head of the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio and he became an intern at the festival.

Tom Hanks moved to New York City, where he made his film debut in the low-budget slasher film He Knows You’re Alone (1980) and landed a starring role in the television movie Mazes and Monsters. He had his breakthrough with leading roles in a series of comedy films that received positive media attention.

Tom Hanks appeared in Splash (1984), Bachelor Party (1984), Big (1988), and A League of Their Own (1992). He played a role in Philadelphia (1993) and got a title character in Forrest Gump (1994). He collaborated with film director Steven Spielberg on five films: Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Catch Me If You Can (2002).

The Terminal (2004), Bridge of Spies (2015), and The Post (2017), as well as the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers, which launched him as a director, producer, and screenwriter. His other films include the romantic comedies Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You’ve Got Mail (1998); the dramas Apollo 13 (1995), The Green Mile (1999), and Cast Away (2000).

Tom Hanks appeared in Road to Perdition (2002), and Cloud Atlas (2012); and the biographical dramas Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), Captain Phillips (2013), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Sully (2016), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), News of the World (2020), and Elvis (2022). He has also appeared as the title character in the Robert Langdon film series and voiced Sheriff Woody in the Toy Story film series (1995–present).

The Death Of Janet Marylyn Frager

Janet Marylyn Frager died on the 12th of July 2016. She was 84 years old when she took her final breath. The cause of her death is still unknown. Her ex-husband Amos Mefford Hanks died on the 31st of January 1992, in Alameda, California, United States. He died at the age of 67 years.