A Handy Guide To Tom Hanks’ Beloved Family

During the 2020 Golden Globes, Tom Hanks accepted the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award. While many expected to hear the A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood star wax poetic about his career, he also became emotional about the Hanks family. As cameras turned to the crowd, Hanks’ tears made sense — his loved ones, including wife and actor Rita Wilson and his four children, were sitting front row smiling back at him. 

“A man is blessed with a family sitting down front like that,” Hanks said, choking up. “A wife who is fantastic in every way. Who has taught me what love is … Kids who are braver and wiser than their old man is.” 

Since Hanks made his family the star of the show, we thought we should check in on the Hanks clan. Look below for the full lowdown on one of Hollywood’s royal families. 

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, it should be noted that Wilson is an acting powerhouse in her own right. She's also one half of a beloved Hollywood couple. Hanks and Wilson have been married for 31 years. They will celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary on April 30, 2020. 

Hanks and Wilson first shared the screen in 1981, when Wilson guest starred on Hanks’ sitcom Bosom Buddies. They worked together again a few years later, co-starring in the 1985 film Volunteers. Hanks was still married to his college sweetheart Samantha Lewes at the time. 

Lewes and Hanks divorced in 1987. Hanks married Wilson in 1988. Wilson has been acting since 1972, and recently played Marnie’s (Allison Williams) mom on Girls. 

Age: 42

Colin is the most famous of all the Hanks children. He is Hanks’ first child with Samantha Lewes. He starred in 2008’s The House Bunny and CBS sitcom Life in Pieces, which was cancelled after four seasons in 2019. He has also appeared in Drunk History, Frago, and 2019 Jumanji sequel Jumanji: The Next Level. 

Colin Hanks was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his work in Fargo season 1. 

Age: 37

Elizabeth Ann Hanks is Tom Hanks’ second child with his first wife Samantha Lewes. Elizabeth appeared in two of her dad’s most famous films — 1994’s Forrest Gump and 1996’s That Thing You Do! — and now has bylines at various publications including Buzzfeed and The New York Times. 

Age: 29

Chet Hanks is Tom Hanks’ first child with Rita Wilson. He has appeared in various TV shows and movies, including Shameless, Empire, Maron, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 2007’s Bratz movie. Chet — who initially rapped under the name Chet Haze — is now sober after entering rehab in 2015 for cocaine addiction. 

Chet is also a dad. His daughter is named Michaiah. 

Age: 24

Truman Hanks is the youngest of all the Hanks children. He is also the most mysterious of all the Hanks kids and, unlike his siblings, has yet to appear in one of his dad’s films.