Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg Attend D-Day Memorial Event for 80th Anniversary

Hanks and Spielberg attended the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer on Thursday, June 6

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were pictured commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings on Thursday, June 6.

Hanks, 67, and the veteran filmmaker, 77, were snapped having a conversation at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, which overlooks Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.

Spielberg and the Hollywood actor appeared in relaxed spirits as they wore suits and shades to cover their eyes.

They were also pictured standing with other event attendees at the ceremony, which honored the American soldiers who died in Europe during World War II.

The event - which marks the massive military operation that saw 156,000 men, 7,000 ships and 10,000 vehicles attack German forces in Normandy on June 6, 1944 - was also attended by first lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden, who met with American veterans of D-Day, per AP News.

Related: 102-Year-Old WWII Veteran Who Saw Flag Raised at Iwo Jima Dies on Way to D-Day Event in France

The ceremony in honor of D-Day, which saw thousands of troops from countries such as the United States, Britain, France and Canada invade Nazi-occupied northwest Europe in 1944, was also attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla, who went to the Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s event at the beachfront British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer.

According to AP News, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded eleven U.S. WWII veterans with France’s highest distinction, the Legion of Honor.

Meanwhile, during Thursday’s event, Hanks was pictured with former United States Secretary of State John Kerry. The duo displayed smiles on their faces as they gathered for a photo.

Related: Prince William Joins Royals and World Leaders as He Stands in for King Charles at D-Day Event

D-Day has remained close to the hearts of both Hanks and Spielberg.

In 1998, the pair collaborated on the movie, Saving Private Ryan, which told the story of the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.

The Spielberg-directed film saw the director win the Academy Award for Best Director.

“If we pulled this off in the right way — and it stood the test of time — this was going to stand in, in some small way, for what those kids experienced at 6:30 in the morning on June 6, 1944,” Spielberg told NBC News on the movie’s 21st anniversary in 2019.

“If we ever forget that it was a bunch of individuals that went over, and they all had names like Ernie, and Buck and Robert — that’s when we’ve done a bad job of being citizens of the world, I think,” Hanks, who played the role of Captain Miller in the critically-acclaimed film, added.

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