Oh, what it would be like to have celebrity parents, right? Loads of "nepo babies" are assumed to have led easy lives glimmering in the shadows of their famous parents—except for Chet Hanks, that is. Chet is the son of American actor Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
When talking about "nepo babies" it seems difficult not to focus on Tom Hanks and his children. How hard could it be being the son of Tom Hanks, who has earned the title of "America's Dad"? Chet has set the record straight that his life as the son of the prominent actor hasn't been all it's cracked up to be.
What Is Chet Hanks Famous For?
Chet Hanks has without a doubt made a name for himself and in many ways. Chet is an actor having had recurring roles on such shows as Empire and Shameless. He's also an aspiring rapper, most known for his 2021 single "White Boy Summer" and—also viral clips of him attempting Jamaican Patois.
Chet has also garnered attention for problematic reasons, as well. In 2021, the actor found himself making headlines with then-girlfriend Kiana Parker, with both of them slinging allegations of violence amidst their volatile split. This came after a temporary protective order was issued in January 2021, where his ex claimed that the rapper threatened to kill both Parker and himself, telling her in December 2020 he would "blow her brains out" and "blow his brains out as well."
Chet is also made headlines for his defending of his using the "N-word" back in 2015, his stance stirred up controversy back then when he took to Instagram to defend his stance. “I do say the n word in real life amongst my black friends who get me and can’t nobody tell me I can’t say what the [expletive] I feel like no disrespect to the struggle of black ppl during the civil rights movement but it’s 2015 now,” he wrote, imploring people to “get with the times.”
The rapper has been open about his struggle with substance abuse, and in 2018, apologized for using the racial slur, attributing his behavior to drugs.
“Number one, I was on a lot of drugs…I wanted to be, like, down, you know what I mean? I just felt like I wasn’t enough. Low-key, like subconsciously, looking back on it now I realize I was trolling. I thought, like, crazy antics and just wilding the f**k out and doing some crazy s**t was going to, like, spark my career.
“I did the ultimate lame thing. I did the ultimate cornball thing. And that s**t wasn’t cool.”
Does Tom Hanks Think His Kids Are Nepo Babies?
The term "nepo baby" is used to describe the offspring of a famous person who follows their parent into the creative industries and often is met with success despite the competition. Tom Hanks is arguably one of the biggest actors in Hollywood, ranking as the fourth-highest-grossing actor in North America. His children all have trekked their own paths behind their father's fame, too.
The actor is dad to Elizabeth, 40, Colin, 45, Truman, 37, and Chet, 32. Tom shares his two oldest children with his first wife, Samantha Lewes, and his two younger kids with his current wife, Rita Wilson. All the Hanks kids are involved in the entertainment world: Elizabeth is an actress and producer, Colin is an actor, Truman co-stars with his dad in the upcoming flick A Man Called Otto, and Chet is an actor and aspiring rapper.
While all Hanks' children's endeavors point to the notion that they qualify as "nepo babies", Hanks insists that they are anything but. The actor has repeatedly weighed in on the "nepo baby" discourse, seemingly shutting down the idea that his children fall into that category. "This is the family business," Tom told Reuters, according to The Sun. "This is what we've been doing forever. It's what all of our kids grew up in. We have four kids, they're all very creative, they're all involved in some brand of storytelling."
"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," he added, "even if it was just inventory at the end of the year."
As for his son Truman's portrayal of a younger him in A Man Called Otto and the backlash that could come from it, Hanks was unconcerned.
"The thing that doesn't change no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not. 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," he said. "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 anyone's going to try and scathe us or not."
How Does Chet Hanks Really Feel About Being Tom Hanks' Son?
Chet Hanks— a "nepo baby"? Well, not quite. At least according to him. "If I invented a cure for cancer tomorrow, in the article it would say, 'Tom Hanks' Son Invents The Cure For Cancer,'" he said in an interview with TooFab, in 2019. Chet Hanks said he feels he has to "work twice as hard because everyone's gonna think that everything was handed to you."
He added: "And that's not the case. Everything I've got I had to earn myself, I had to go and audition for every role I got, just like anybody else. "It's not like I'm just gonna make a phone call and—boom—you're in it; that's not how it works."
In a video he posted to his YouTube channel 2022, calling fame "toxic" and saying he felt "worthless" at times. “I was just the son of somebody famous, so I hadn’t even done anything to deserve any sort of recognition and that created a lot of contempt,” Chet said in the video.
He pointed out his dad was beloved, but people assumed he’d be “arrogant” and “entitled” even though he wasn’t a “spoiled brat,” adding that he had to work and earn everything. Hanks also said if he wanted money his dad would get him to do things like wash his car.
