Tom Hanks has been married to Rita Wilson for 34 years and together they have two children, with two more coming from the actor’s previous marriage to the late Samantha Lewes.
The power couple’s kids have each found success in their own right, with one even following his father’s footsteps in Hollywood.
Not all of them have walked such a smooth path though, as another of Tom’s sons is a self-confessed ‘black sheep’ of the Hanks family.
Tom himself is still one of the biggest A-listers in cinema history and now his latest film has premiered on Disney+.
He is starring in a new interpretation of Pinocchio, which has come exclusively to the streaming platform.
As such, there isn’t a major red-carpet premiere, which Tom usually attends with his family.
Each of them is busy with their own pursuits and here is everything you need to know about his kids.
Who are Tom Hanks children?
Colin Hanks
The eldest son of the Hanks brood, he is the child of the late Samantha Lewes, giving him his full name Colin Lewes Hanks.
Born in 1977 in California, he initially went to Chapman University, but made the decision to drop out and pursue acting full time.
It has definitely proven to be a good decision for him, as he has since starred in countless films and TV shows.
He found early success when he joined the cast of Roswell in 1999 and remained in the series for two seasons.
In 2001, he appeared in the hit HBO series Band of Brothers, which was co-produced by his dad, Tom.
His first blockbuster came in 2005 when he starred in Peter Jackson’s King Kong, alongside Jack Black and Adrien Brody.
In 2008, he joined the cast of Mad Men as Father John Gill, appearing in three episodes in a crucial role.
He also starred in The Good Guys, Dexter and Burning Love before joining the cast of the Fargo TV show.
Elizabeth Ann Hanks
(Image: Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
The second and final child Tom had with Samantha was Elizabeth Ann, who was born in 1982 in California.
Much like her father and brother, she initially pursued a career on the big screen.
Her career started strong as her first appearance came in Tom’s generation defining classic Forrest Gump, though it was only a small role credited as ‘School Bus Girl’.
She went on to make a few more small appearances, but she ultimately decided to trade the screen for the page.
Today, Elizabeth is an author and has written for various publications such as Vanity Fair, The Guardian and Time.
Chet Hanks
(Image: Instagram)
Chet was born in 1990, was was Tom and Rita Wilson’s first child together.
Also known under the rapper name Chet Haze, he released his debut track White and Purple in 2011. On his booking agent’s website, he is described as the “self-confessed black sheep of his family”.
He has led a tumultuous life, battling addiction to cocaine and crack.
In 2020, he was slammed online for using a fake Jamaican accent to commemorate the election of Joe Biden after his victory against Donald Trump.
In the video he joked over the fact that people should now show Trump “respect” just because he was the president.
In an interview with People magazine, Tom opened up about his children, explaining that when Chet was born he grew up around fame and fortune, unlike Colin and Elizabeth.
He said: “Colin and Elizabeth remember when their dad was just a guy trying to make the rent.
“My other kids, they were born after I had established a beachhead in every way. And so their lives were just different.”
Sadly, Chet battled an addiction to drugs since the age of 16, which only increased during and after college.
In 2014, he opened up about his struggles, and after spending some time in rehab he said: “Finally at the age of 24 I decided to get some help.
“With 50 days of sobriety under my belt, I can honestly say I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
However, later in 2015 he caused £1,200 worth of damage to a Gatwick airport hotel room in London.
Speaking to the Mirror, one person that spotted him in a club earlier that night said: “He was pretty obnoxious once he started drinking at the club. He kept saying ‘do you know who I am?’”
That month, he also posted a now deleted image of himself on Instagram holding two guns, causing an immediate backlash from his followers and in the media.
(Image: @chethanx)
After this, his social media fell silent, leaving his followers to wonder what happened to him.
He finally resurfaced in October 2015 when he confirmed he had got sober through another stint in rehab.
In an Instagram video: “I just want to let you all know, I’ve been in rehab… and I’m doing pretty damn good.
“A couple months ago I was selling coke, doing coke until I couldn’t even snort it up my nose anymore because it was so clogged.
“I even smoked crack. If I can change, you can change. There is a solution.”
A year later, his daughter was born with his partner Tiffany Miles.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2018, he thanked her for helping keep him clean.
Chet said: “There’s a part of you that knows that you need to make a change, but you can’t really shut the door on your life and just move on to a new chapter.
“For me, it took something drastic happening, like becoming a father.”
Truman Hanks
(Image: Getty Images)
The final member of the Hanks’ family is Truman, who was born in 1995.
He has spent most of his life away from the cameras, instead opting to work behind them in Hollywood.
The bulk of his career he has worked in the camera and electrical department, along with working as a production assistant for Bad Robot, director JJ Abrams’ production company.
Some of his credits include Atypical, West Side Story, Black Widow and Wrath of Man.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
