TOM HANKS - HANKS : SPIELBERG CONVINCED ME TO BE FEARLESS

OSCAR-winning actor TOM HANKS has emotionally thanked legendary director STEVEN SPIELBERG for forcing him to overcome his fear of playing action heroes.

The 47-year-old star confesses he was petrified of accepting the role of courageous CAPTAIN JOHN MILLER in war epic SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, but Spielberg insisted he could do anything as an actor.

Hanks explains, "Steven Spielberg convinced me to be fearless. When Saving Private Ryan came around, I told Steven I never thought that anyone would buy a guy like me being in that position because they're supposed to be muscle-bound heroes showing no fear and all that. But the whole point of the movie was, no, those guys were just like you and me."