Veteran actor Tom Hanks honored the late Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell in a heartfelt social media post.

Lovell’s daughter-in-law confirmed the news that he died on Thursday to The New York Times. Lovell was 97.

Tom Hanks, 69, portrayed astronaut Jim Lovell in the 1995 film Apollo 13. Directed by Ron Howard, the gripping docudrama recounts the harrowing true story of the 1970 lunar mission commanded by Lovell, which overcame critical failures to return safely to Earth.

“There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own,” the Saving Private Ryan actor wrote on Instagram. “Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person on our planet, was that kind of guy.”

“His many voyages around Earth

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