While being the child of a beloved celeb has its perks, there are some undeniable drawbacks for these showbiz kiddos. Colin Hanks, for example, once confessed on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast that being Tom Hanks’ son was a blessing and a curse in Hollywood, because no one was really able to overlook his A-list parentage.
“When I was starting off, I was sort of lovingly naive, thinking that [being the son of Tom Hanks] wasn’t as big a deal as it is, that I would get the benefit of the doubt that I was my own person,” Colin said. “And that doesn’t happen.” He also noted that, contrary to popular belief, he didn’t grow up with a ton of wealth as a kid, explaining that his mother, Samantha Lewes, reminded him often that she and Colin were not rich — rather, Colin’s father was after amassing the bulk of his fortune after Forrest Gump, when Colin was already grown.
Similarly, Chet Hanks told Vice that his father is supportive of his attempts at a hip-hop career, leading to increased publicity, but said it hasn’t been all roses being Tom Hanks’ son. “Sometimes in life, it can cause awkward moments to arise,” Chet said. “Like, growing up, people would want to become friends with me so they could meet my dad. And they didn’t care about me at all. So that’s just … Well, that goes along with it.”
Written by: Nicki