By Lauren Rearick

During the 2020 Golden Globe Awards, Tom Hanks was recognized for his illustrious Hollywood career. But in true Hanks fashion, his acceptance of the honor didn’t come without a life lesson to those watching at home.

The recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an annual Golden Globe Award that recognizes outstanding achievements in the world of entertainment, revealed how he managed to become one of the biggest entertainers in the world. Hanks detailed the importance of turning to others for inspiration and shared that he’s often admired Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, and others.

Hanks joked that you have to be a “dope” not to steal tactics and inspiration from others and admitted that he’s been made better by watching those he admires.

The Forrest Gump star manages to make his on-screen appearances look completely effortless, but he said that it’s perfectly normal — even as one of the most recognized actors in the world — to worry about the quality of your work. He pointed out that movies are reliant on every member of the cast from the makeup artist to the actor, and “you just have to somehow put it all together, have faith in the processes, and go there.”

Before he was starring in Disney movies and taking on the role of Mr. Rogers, Hanks said that he was learning the ropes and shared the one life lesson he’s never forgotten. The actor explained that when he was first starting out, he was once admonished by a director for repeatedly showing up late to set. According to Hanks, he was screamed at, and the director said, “You’ve got to show up on time, you’ve got to know the text, and you’ve got to have a head full of ideas. Otherwise, I can’t do my job.”

The Toy Story star said that the lesson forever changed him and how he approached his job. “Showing up on time is one of the most liberating acts you can give yourself in a movie,” he said of his adherence to timeliness. He also reminded those at home to never give up on sharing their ideas, even the ones that may go unused.