Tom Hanks to receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at Golden Globes

Tom Hanks became one of Hollywood's beloved actors through an array of likable roles, from "Big" to "Forrest Gump," and now his decorated career has earned him one of the highest honors at the Golden Globes next year.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced Hanks will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5. The actor has won praise for a string of compelling characters in movies including "Saving Private Ryan," the "Toy Story" films, and the Golden Globe-winning "Cast Away," for which he lost 55 pounds to play a man stranded on a desert island.

The DeMille Award is given annually to an "individual who has made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment."

Past recipients include Jeff Bridges, Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier and Lucille Ball.