Tom Hanks Played A Short (But Very Special) Role Opposite Michael J. Fox On Family Ties

Before he became the ultimate American Everyman and an Academy Award-winning prestige star, Tom Hanks guest appeared in the NBC sitcom "Family Ties." "Family Ties" centers on liberal, former hippie parents Steven and Elyse Keaton (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter) — one of the all-time best sitcom couples — raising their conservative, Reagan-era son, Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox), alongside their children Mallory and Jennifer (Justine Bateman and Tina Yothers). It's a funny, heartwarming sitcom about political disagreement that could never be made today.

Tom Hanks plays Ned Donnelly, Elyse Keaton's little brother who visits the Keaton family. Despite appearing for only three episodes throughout the series, his role is memorable because it breaks from the sitcom's typical lighthearted fare. While the first two seasons of "Family Ties" aren't without intense episodes — such as "Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss," where Mallory is hit on by her father's co-worker, or "Have Gun, Will Unravel," where the Keatons consider purchasing a gun — Ned's storyline addresses the serious issues of alcoholism and even domestic abuse.

In Season 1, Episodes 14 and 15, Ned appears in a two-parter, "The Fugitive: Part 1" and "Part 2." He's on the run from the FBI after pulling a Robin Hood-like move by embezzling $4.5 million from his company to stop a fraudulent merger and pay the thousands of colleagues who were going to be fired. In Season 2, Episode 14, "Say Uncle," we see Ned after turning himself in to the FBI. He is spiraling from losing his home and job, and turns to alcohol.

Tom Hanks is one of the many Oscar winners who got their start on television. Although he appears on other sitcoms, such as "Happy Days," "The Love Boat" (which led him to turn down an appearance on "Fantasy Island"), and "Taxi," his guest role on "Family Ties" is special because it offers a preview of the dramatic actor he would later become. During "Say Uncle," Alex finds Ned in the kitchen in the middle of the night, and he's flabbergasted as Ned downs a bottle of vanilla extract. Ned pushes Alex during an intense argument in front of the entire Keaton family, yelling, "Leave me alone!" and hitting him. 

Both Tom Hanks and Michael J. Fox got their starts in comedic roles and became known for their natural charisma and boy-next-door personas. Their warmth and inherent likability bounce well off each other in their sweeter moments as uncle and nephew, making the episode's shift into darkness more emotionally charged.

Although they never directly worked together again after "Family Ties," they did find a shared connection to Robert Zemeckis that helped shape the trajectory of their careers. Michael J. Fox had blockbuster success in the rollicking time-travel adventure "Back to the Future," famously filmed at the same time as Season 3 of "Family Ties," while Tom Hanks went on to star in "Forrest Gump" (which earned him the Oscar), the survival drama "Cast Away," and multiple roles in the CGI-driven "The Polar Express."