Tom Hanks Pays Tribute to Late Astronaut Jim Lovell After Playing Him in ‘Apollo 13’

Tom Hanks paid tribute to Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell in a touching Instagram post following the space explorer’s death at age 97.

The astronaut, who Hanks portrayed in the 1996 film, Apollo 13, died on Thursday, August 7. The actor reflected on Lovell’s achievements via the social media post.

“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,” Hanks, 69, wrote.

He added, “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.”

Hanks concluded the post, “God speed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell.”

Lovell was famous for being the commander in the Apollo 13 space mission, which almost turned fatal during an attempt to land on the moon in 1970. After an oxygen tank exploded en route, Lovell and his crewmates, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, were forced to abandon their moon mission and focus their efforts on the difficult task of returning to earth safely.

Their harrowing journey became the inspiration behind the Ron Howard-directed movie which starred Hanks as well as Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton.

Lovell’s family confirmed via a statement on Friday that the astronaut died in Illinois earlier this week.

“We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved father, USN Captain James A. ‘Jim’ Lovell, a Navy pilot and officer, astronaut, leader, and space explorer,” Lovell’s family said in the statement shared with multiple outlets. “We are enormously proud of his amazing life and career accomplishments, highlighted by his legendary leadership in pioneering human space flight.”

The statement continued, “But, to all of us, he was dad, granddad, and the leader of our family. Most importantly, he was our hero. We will miss his unshakeable optimism, his sense of humor, and the way he made each of us feel we could do the impossible. He was truly one of a kind.”