Tom Hanks says voice actors can win Oscars, just not in own category

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks says the Academy Awards already have a path for recognizing voice performances, they just don’t need a dedicated lane for it.

Speaking with Gold Derby while promoting “Toy Story 5,” Mr. Hanks argued that voice actors are eligible to compete for existing acting honors.

“I think they have enough categories,” he said. “The truth is, a voice actor can win Best Actor. The judgment is, ’any performance that moved you.’”

Mr. Hanks pointed to Andy Serkis, known for motion-capture roles in the “Lord of the Rings” and “Planet of the Apes” franchises, as the kind of performer who could be recognized without appearing on camera.

“Even though he does not appear as Andy Serkis, he gives all the raw material for it,” Mr. Hanks said. “There’s been people who have been close to being nominated that do not appear on camera. That could happen to a pure-vocal actor.”

Mr. Hanks reprises his role as Woody in “Toy Story 5,” set for a June 19 theatrical release more than 30 years after the original debuted in 1995, according to Deadline.

No voice-only performance has ever been nominated in one of the four acting categories since the Academy Awards were first held in 1929. The Academy added Best Animated Feature in 2002, and Best Animated Short Film goes back to 1932. In recent years, the organization has expanded its categories to include Best Casting — won this year by Cassandra Kulukundis for “One Battle After Another” — and Achievement in Stunt Design, set to debut at the 2027 ceremony.