The debate on nepotism in Hollywood continues to reveal differing opinions from well-recognized stars. More recently, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Tom Hanks had weighed in on the ongoing discussion and offered his take on celebrities and their families working in the entertainment industry. While promoting the upcoming film A Man Called Otto, the Oscar-winning actor stopped to chat with Reuters (via The Sun) and explained what he thinks about having four kids – who Hanks says are all “very creative” and involved in some brand of storytelling" – working in the same industry as him.
As noted by THR, the Cast Away star has two children with his first wife (Colin and Elizabeth Hanks) and two more (Chet and Truman) with his current wife, Rita Wilson. All of Hanks’ kids work somewhere within the entertainment industry. Their jobs include working as producers, actors, cinematographers, and musicians. However, Hanks stated that it’s his kid’s quality of work and not their last name that holds weight.
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Tom Hanks Defends His Kids Working in the Entertainment Industry, Saying It’s ‘A Family Business’
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Hanks said, “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.”
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. 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."
The actor finished by saying, “that’s a much bigger task than worrying about whether anybody’s going to try to scathe us or not.”
Hanks’s comments on nepotism follow statements from stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Kate Hudson, Lily Allen, and more recently, Allison Williams (the latter of whom is the daughter of the well-recognized journalist Brian Williams. The Get Out star stated during an interview with Vulture that she’s aware that she has benefited from nepotism but claimed that her advantage has not taken anything away from the quality of her work. It just “means that it’s not as fun to root for me.”
The M3GAN star continued, “All that people are looking for is an acknowledgment that it’s not a level playing field. It’s just unfair. Period, end of the story, and no one’s really working that hard to make it fair. To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous.”
