Tom Hanks has spoken out against nepotism in the entertainment industry. The actor has been promoting his most recent movie, A Man Called Otto, which is an adaptation of Hannes Holm’s 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove, which received an Oscar nomination. Tom Hanks’ youngest son Truman Hanks portrays a younger version of his character Otto in the Hollywood movie. He defended his kids’ decision to work in Hollywood by calling it “a family business.”
A Man Called Otto also features Rita Wilson, Tom’s wife and an actor. She and the other co-writer and performer of the original song for the Marc Foster-directed feature picture are also its producers. Truman Hanks, who is also a cinematographer, and Chester Hanks, the actor’s other son with Rita, were born. Chesterbetter known by his stage name Chet is a rapper and an actor. Tom also has a son named Colin Hanks and a daughter named Elizabeth Hanks from his first marriage.
In a video interview with Reuters (via The Sun), Tom said that all of his kids were “very creative” and “involved in some sort of storytelling.” He continued by stating, “Look this is a family business. This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in. 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.”
Hanks added, “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. 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.”
Tom appeared as Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and as Geppetto in Disney’s Pinocchio last year. He’ll be a member of Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, which is scheduled for release in June 2023, and features a sizable ensemble cast. After the most recent issue of New York Magazine featured several offspring of celebs, including Maya Hawke and Dakota Johnson, and dubbed them “nepo babies,” other Hollywood actors, including Kate Hudson and Jamie Lee Curtis, have recently spoken about nepotism. Babies in diapers were displayed on the cover in a maternity ward.