Tom Hanks Addresses Nepotism Criticism, Says “It Doesn’t Matter What Our Last Names Are”

Tom Hanks insisted that his children were simply carrying on the “family business”.

In light of the recent social media debate surrounding nepotism in the film industry, actor Tom Hanks addressed the casting of his son Truman in his latest movie ‘A Man Called Otto’. In the newly released film, Mr Hanks stars with his youngest son, Truman, who plays a younger version of his father’s character. Rita Wilson, Mr Hanks’ wife, produced the movie and performed an original song for it. 

Now, defending his children – including sons Colin and Chet and daughter Elizabeth Ann, who all have acted professionally – Mr Hanks dismissed the “nepo babies” debate and insisted that his children were simply carrying on the “family business”. Speaking to Reuters, the ‘Forrest Gump’ actor stated that all of his kids are “very creative” and “involved in some brand of storytelling”. 

“Look, this is the family business. This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in,” Mr Hanks said of his showbiz family, as per The Independent. He added, “If we were a plumbing supply business or if we ran the florist shop down the street, the whole family would be putting in time at some point, even if it was just, you know, inventory at the end of the year.” 

Also Read | Man Arrested After Breaking Into Billie Eilish’s Family Home In US

He continued, “The thing that doesn’t change, no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not. I mean, that’s the issue anytime any of us go off and try to tell a fresh story or create something that has a beginning and a middle and an end. Doesn’t matter what our last names are. We have to do the work in order to make that a true and authentic experience for the audience.” “That’s a much bigger task than worrying about whether anybody’s going to, like, try to scathe us or not,” Mr Hanks stated. 

Meanwhile, as per the outlet, Tom Hanks’ 27-year-old son Truman had worked more behind the camera before taking on the role in the film ‘A Man Called Otto’. On the other hand, his other son, Colin, has starred in TV series such as ‘Fargo’ and ‘Mad Men’. He has also featured in films including ‘King Kong’ and ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’. 

Chet has appeared in films such as ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Larry Crowne’. He also had a role in the acclaimed television series ‘Atlanta’.