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Tom Hanks Doubles Down On His Recent Comments In 'Nepo Baby' Debate

Tom Hanks at a screening of A Man Called Otto earlier this week
Tom Hanks at a screening of A Man Called Otto earlier this week

Tom Hanks at a screening of A Man Called Otto earlier this week

Tom Hanks has doubled down on his recent comments about the ongoing “nepo baby” discourse.

The two-time Oscar winner and supposed “nepo dad” was asked for his thoughts on Hollywood nepotism – a topic which reached boiling point in late December when New York Magazine declared 2022 was The Year of The Nepo Baby – in an interview last week.

“Look, this is a family business,” he previously claimed, seemingly in response to his son appearing in his latest film A Man Called Otto. “This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in.”

He added: “If we were a plumbing supply business or if we ran the florists 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.”

Tom’s son Colin Hanks starred in Fargo and has also appeared in dozens of movies, including King Kong, Jumanji: The Next Level and The House Bunny.

Meanwhile, another of his sons, social media personality Chet Hanks’ previous work includes roles in the TV shows Shameless and Empire, while his youngest son Truman plays his A Man Called Otto character as a younger man in his new film.

Tom and Truman Hanks at a press event for their film A Man Called Otto
Tom and Truman Hanks at a press event for their film A Man Called Otto

Tom and Truman Hanks at a press event for their film A Man Called Otto

“The thing that doesn’t change no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not,” Tom added.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Forrest Gump actor was again asked for his thoughts on the subject of so-called “nepo babies”, and repeated his previous stance.

The shoe industry is a family business. The car industry is a family business,” he told the outlet.

“I think my kids are all like Renaissance artists, you know? [They’re] good at whatever they choose to be. But the question here is, can you make it stick? 

“You’ve got to have a passion, you’ve got to have a drive. And yeah, our household has existed in the company town that is Los Angeles.”

He then insisted: “We had a director who said, ‘Well, why can’t your kid play you at an early age?’ And that would make sense because we do resemble each other a lot.

“But the final analysis is, the person has to show up on the day and hit the marks and tell the truth. Only he can make that decision. It was totally up to him.”

So-called “nepo babies” to have recently weighed in on the discourse include Zoe Kravitz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jamie Lee Curtis and Girls star Allison Williams, who received praise for her thoughts on the matter.

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