Amid nepotism debate, Tom Hanks defends children working in showbiz, says 'this is a family business'

Tom Hanks’ next film is pretty much a family affair. The film – titled A Man Called Otto – has been co-written and produced by his wife Rita Wilson, who has also performed an original song for the film. Then, Tom’s son Truman Hanks has a cameo in the film, playing the younger version of the character played by Tom himself. Amid all this, Tom faced accusations of nepotism as the film neared release.

Unlike India, nepotism in the film industry has never been a huge debate in Hollywood. But after a recent article on ‘nepo babies’ in Vulture, the topic of nepotism in the entertainment industry has gained traction in the West as well. During the promotion of A Man Called Otto, Tom Hanks fielded these questions as well.

While speaking to Reuters, the actor 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.”

Tom has four children, all of whom work in some field of the entertainment business. Eldest son Colin and youngest son Truman are both actors. Daughter Elizabeth Hanks is an actress and a producer while another son Chet is a musician. Addressing this, Tom said that it’s not the last name but one’s quality of work that speaks. “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…that’s a much bigger task than worrying about whether anybody’s going to try to scathe us or not,” he added.

Tom, a two-time Oscar winner, is regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation. The 66-year-old was last seen in Robert Zemeckis’ Pinnochio, which released last year. Currently, he has A Man Called Otto and Asteroid City in the pipeline.