{"id":132595,"date":"2025-08-09T20:29:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T20:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/132595\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T20:29:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T20:29:16","slug":"tom-hanks-honors-jim-lovell-apollo-13-astronaut-he-played","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/132595\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Hanks Honors Jim Lovell, ‘Apollo 13’ Astronaut He Played"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tTom Hanks<\/a> has shared a tribute to James A. Lovell, the astronaut he portrayed in the 1995 feature \u201cApollo 13<\/a>.\u201d Lovell died Thursday at the age of 97. The film, directed by Ron Howard<\/a>, starred Hanks as Lovell and dramatized the Apollo 13 lunar mission, which faced an explosion after launching and forced NASA scientists to improvise solutions to return its crew safely to Earth.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThere are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the place we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell<\/a>, 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,\u201d Hanks wrote in a tribute<\/a> shared on his social media platforms. \u201cHis 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 \u2014\u00a0and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cOn this night of a full Moon, he passes on \u2014\u00a0to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. God speed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell,\u201d the statement finishes.<\/p>\n

\n\tHoward also shared a statement honoring Lovell, as did his \u201cApollo 13\u201d producer Brian Grazer.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cRest in peace, Commander Lovell. Navy test pilot, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and, of course, Apollo 13,\u201d Howard wrote. \u201cSimply 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\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJim Lovell was a true American hero whose courage, intellect, and grace under pressure inspired a nation,\u201d Grazer wrote. \u201cHe was not only a legend in space exploration, but also an incredibly generous, kind and inspiring man. Thank you, Commander Lovell, for showing us the best of what we can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLovell died Thursday in Illinois. He was 97. Along with Apollo 13, he was a veteran of three other spaceflights: Gemini VII, Gemini XII and Apollo 8.<\/p>\n

\n\tReleased by Universal in June 1995 as a summer tentpole, \u201cApollo 13\u201d drew critical acclaim for its recreation of the nearly tragic mission and the nose-to-the-grindstone labor that saved lives. The film earned $355 million globally against a $52 million production budget, ranking as the third-highest-grossing global release of its year. It earned nine Academy Award nominations, including in best picture, and won two prizes, in best film editing and best sound. To commemorate its 30th anniversary, \u201cApollo 13\u201d is re-releasing to Imax theaters on Sept. 19.<\/p>\n