Tom Hanks Pays Poignant Tribute To Apollo 13 Astronaut James Lovell After His Death At 97

Beloved American astronaut James A. Lovell died this week at the age of 97.

He was known for his lengthy, ambitious NASA career, including an orbit of the moon in 1968 and his heroic efforts, navigation, and leadership on Apollo 13 in 1970, which was later commemorated in the film Apollo 13.

Forest Gump and A Man Called Otto actor Tom Hanks had the honor of portraying Lovell in the film, alongside Kevin Bacon and Ed Harris.

Hanks also had the pleasure of meeting Lovell to hear more about him and to study his mannerisms for the film. Lovell appeared in a cameo role, standing among the servicemen that Hanks's character greets outside the vessel.

Upon learning the news of Lovell's passing, Hanks wrote a tribute on Instagram, honoring the late astronaut as someone who was faced with great obstacles and someone who had the moral fiber to face them.

Hanks wrote:

"There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own."

"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."

"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."

"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."

You can see the Instagram post here:

Some were touched, in retrospect, by the connection Hanks had on the set of Apollo 13 when Lovell made an appearance.

Others were touched by Hanks' tribute to the late astronaut.

Millennials and Gen-Xers who were especially interested in science, astronomy, and space travel in the 1990s and early 2000s watched and loved Apollo 13, Deep Impact, and other similar films, celebrating the stories of astronauts like James A. Lovell, who broke the barrier and beat the odds.

Lovell led an admirable life with incredible stories to tell, and he will be deeply missed.