Tom Hanks addresses Harvard University fresh graduates with a rousing speech, urges them to fight for truth

Actor Tom Hanks was the guest of honour at Harvard University's commencement on Thursday. As the principal speaker of the event, Hanks urged the class of 2023 to fight for truth and to stand up to those who oppose it.

Hanks addressed the school's newest graduates as the principal speaker at Harvard Yard's Tercentenary Theatre. Hanks said society has changed the way it views truth and claimed some people no longer see its value.

"Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made, the same option for all grown-ups to make: to be one of three types of Americans — those who embrace liberty for all, those who won’t, or those who are indifferent," Hanks said.
He added, "Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union."

The actor used multiple superhero references in his speech to suggest it is up to ordinary people to act extraordinary.

"We are all in a cage match, mixed martial arts battle royale with agents of intolerance and braying incompetence, the malevolent equals to Imperial stormtroopers, Lex Luther, and Loki. And we could use a superhero right now," Hanks said, the Harvard Gazette reported.

"There ain’t no Superman, nor anyone else in his Justice League," he added. "In the never-ending battle, you have all officially joined as of today, the difference is in how truly you believe, in how vociferously you promote, in how tightly you hold onto the truth that is self-evident: that of course we are all created equally yet differently, and of course, we are all in this together."

Hanks reminded the fresh graduates that the fight over truth was 'not fair'.

"We all get to complain about The Man, and we all have debts we gotta pay, and we’re all entitled to a day off to lay about. But the work that is called for is the construction of our ‘more perfect union,’" he said, per the Gazette. "That job will never, ever be completed, one that requires rigorous attention and unfading wherewithal and all hands. The work is the keeping of the promises of our promised land, the practice of decency, the protection of freedom, and the promotion of liberty for all, with no exceptions. That takes a lot of work done on multiple job sites every single day, and you can call each of them a battle for Truth, Justice, and the American Way."

Hanks has been given an honorary arts doctorate from the school a few years back. In his speech, the actor also made references to fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon who he portrayed in three movies in The Da Vinci Code series.

Hanks said, "Now, without having done a lick of work, without having spent any time in class, without once walking into that library — in order to have anything to do with the graduating class of Harvard, its faculty, or its distinguished alumni — I make a damn good living playing someone who did."

Hanks starred in three films based on Dan Brown’s books- The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons and Inferno.

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