Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg honor 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day and the Normandy landings on Thursday.

The "Saving Private Ryan" star and director visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France this week, at an event honoring American soldiers who died in Europe during World War II.

D-Day was the largest land, sea and air invasion ever attempted, in Nazi-held Europe on June 6, 1944, and marked Allied forces turning the tide in WWII.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were also in attendance and met with veterans ahead of the ceremony.

From 'Saving Private Ryan' to 'The Longest Day,' D-Day films to watch on 80th anniversary

Tom Hanks says he has 'absolute, 100% faith in the American people'

Speaking to CNN in Normandy, Hanks, 67, reflected on the anniversary and America's eventual entrance into the war.

"I have absolute, 100% faith in the American people, in the concept of what is right and what is wrong," the self-proclaimed lay historian said.

Recalling filming his 1998 war movie, Hanks said the "glamourous" part of filmmaking did fall away.

"There is a moment when, of course, as actors, we're just pretending. But there comes a moment where the reason we're there is to capture the truth ... and to be cold, wet, scared and have it be awfully noisy for an awful long time," he said. "It's also our job as lay historians because, for good or for bad, that movie is a document that has to accurately reflect the tenor of that day. And I'd like to think that we did."

A look back at D-Day: Why the World War II invasion remains important on its 80th anniversary

Hanks later reflected on the state of U.S. democracy and the country's commitment to becoming a "more perfect union."

"I think there's always a reason to be worried about the short term, but I look at the longer term," he said. "We inevitably make progress towards, I think, that more perfect union."

He continued: "I will always have faith in the United States of America."

Hanks and Spielberg stopped to take photos with Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday, who shared a photo of him and the "Forrest Gump" actor.

"Ran into Steven Spielberg & ?@tomhanks, two master story-tellers who have done a beautiful job chronicling the incredible heroism of the Greatest Generation," Cruz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Hanks has been a fervent supporter of Biden in the past, narrating an ad for him in 2022 and appearing at his inauguration in 2021.

Contributing: Mike Snider

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Hanks reflects on D-Day anniversary, 'Saving Private Ryan' impact