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- Tom Hanks Remembers Late Astronaut James Lovell, Who He Played in "Apollo 13"</p>
<p>Jack SmartAugust 8, 2025 at 5:37 PM</p>
<p>getty; Universal/courtesy Everett Collection</p>
<p>Tom Hanks posted a tribute on social media to James Lovell, who died on Aug. 7</p>
<p>Lovell was a NASA astronaut known for commanding the troubled Apollo 13 mission</p>
<p>That mission was turned into a hit 1995 film starring Hanks as Lovell</p>
<p>Tom Hanks is honoring astronaut James Lovell, who died on Thursday, Aug. 7 at age 97. Lovell's daughter-in-law confirmed the news to The New York Times.</p>
<p>Hanks, 69, played Lovell in the 1995 movie Apollo 13. That Ron Howard-directed docudrama retold the real-life 1970 lunar mission that Lovell commanded which endured critical failures before returning safely to Earth.</p>
<p>"There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own," said the Oscar-winning actor in a statement shared on Instagram. "Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy."</p>
<p>Hanks continued, "His many voyages around Earth and on to so-very-close to the moon were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive — and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages."</p>
<p>The actor concluded, "On this night of a full moon, he passes on — to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. God speed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell."</p>
<p>Ron Howard, who directed Apollo 13, also shared a tribute for Lovell on Instagram. The filmmaker shared a carousel of photos and clips of the astronaut, as well as side-by-side photos from real life and the film, and wrote, "RIP #CommanderLovell. Navy test pilot, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and, of course, Apollo 13."</p>
<p>Howard added, "Simply knowing Jim has been a tremendous honor. His combination of intellect, courage and commitment to duty made him one of the most remarkable individuals I've ever met. His support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways.Thank you, sir, for your service to our country and to humankind."</p>
<p>Universal/courtesy Everett</p>
<p>Known as Jim, the Cleveland, Ohio-born NASA commander and former Navy test pilot flew four space missions. In 2010, he described the Apollo 13 mission as a "successful failure" in an interview with Reuters. Its outcome was "a great success in the ability of people to take an almost-certain catastrophe and turn it into a successful recovery."</p>
<p>In 2023, Hanks narrated The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks, an immersive exhibit at London's Lightroom. At the time, he told The Telegraph that he'd love to participate in a lunar mission. "I would like to be the guy in charge of serving food and making jokes to and from the moon," he quipped. "If there was room, I would be the guy that cleans up, makes jokes, tells stories and keeps everybody entertained."</p>
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<p>Bob Levey/WireImage</p>
<p>This year, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Apollo 13, the movie will be re-released in IMAX theaters starting Sept. 19. The movie was adapted by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert from Lost Moon, the 1994 non-fiction book by Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. The Oscar-winning movie costarred Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan.</p>
<p>on People</p>
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