Tom Hanks has thoughts on nepotism—but none of them include the words "Colin" or "Chet"
Tom Hanks defended the "family business" of Hollywood in a new interview, but didn't directly reference either of his two sons
Whatever trendy cultural debates get left in 2022 (please, please let one of them be Marvel discourse), one thing’s for certain: the conversation on nepotism in Hollywood and so-called “nepo babies” is far from over. The latest actor to share thoughts on the matter—brought to the fore of the cultural membrane last month via a New York Magazine package—is Tom Hanks.
Hanks has three sons, including Colin and Chet, both of whom have benefited from their father’s cinematic success in, well, different ways. Colin was most recently seen in Peacock’s A Friend Of The Family, while Chet’s best known for deeming summer 2021 “White Boy Summer.” As Hanks sees it, having both his sons follow in his footsteps isn’t such a surprise when entertainment is “a family business.”
“This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in,” Hanks shares in a new interview with Reuters (via The Sun). “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 inventory at the end of the year.”
Although Hanks understands the familial nature, he also asserts that everyone in the business still has to find a way to create something fresh and endearing for audiences—even the Coppolas and the Chaplins.
“The thing that doesn’t change no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not,” he explains. “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.”
According to Hanks, “that’s a much bigger task than worrying about whether anybody’s going to try to scathe us or not.”
Hanks’ comments join a host of other celebrities who’ve shared comments on nepotism since New York’s reporting dropped. Allison Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kate Hudson, and Lily Allen have also discussed the topic, offering reactions ranging between defensive and nonchalant.