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Chet Hanks

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Chet Hanks
Born
Chester Marlon Hanks

(1990-08-04) August 4, 1990 (age 34)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesChet Hanx
Citizenship
  • American
  • Greek
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
Years active2007–present
Children1
Parent(s)Tom Hanks
Rita Wilson
RelativesColin Hanks (half-brother)
Jim Hanks (uncle)
Larry Hanks (uncle)

Chester Marlon Hanks (born August 4, 1990) is an American actor and musician. The son of actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, he has had recurring roles on television series Empire, Shameless and Your Honor,[1][2][3] as well as guest roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Atlanta.

Early life

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Chet Hanks is the third child of Tom Hanks, and the first child born to Hanks and actress Rita Wilson.[4]

During high school, Hanks' parents sent him to a wilderness therapy program for troubled teens.[5] Hanks later attended the Oakley School, a now-closed therapeutic boarding school in Oakley, Utah,[6] where he played lacrosse.[7]

He studied theater at Northwestern University where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.[8] His older half-brother is actor Colin Hanks.

Career

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Acting

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Hanks' acting career began with his debut role as Dexter in the 2007 film Bratz.[9] Soon after, his acting career picked up with a string of small film roles in the early 2010s. He was active in television in the latter half of the decade after achieving sobriety.[10] From 2016 to 2018, Hanks appeared as Charlie, the father of character Sierra Morton's child, on the American version of Shameless.[2] He played rapper Blake on hip-hop drama Empire from 2018 to 2019.[11] In 2020, he had a cameo in the World War II film Greyhound starring his father.[12] Starting later that year, he portrayed Joey Maldini, the best friend of a hit-and-run victim's brother, in the Showtime courtroom miniseries Your Honor.[3]

Music

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In 2011, while a student at Northwestern University, Hanks recorded "White and Purple" under the alias Chet Haze. The song was a remix of Wiz Khalifa's single "Black and Yellow" with the lyrics changed in reference to his school colors.[13][14]

Hanks and Drew Arthur formed the musical duo FTRZ after being introduced in 2016. In 2018, they released two singles ("Models" and "NowhereLand") as well as the Ocean Park EP.[15][16] The duo released two tracks in 2020, "Harley" and "Ticket Out My Head" under the new name Something Out West.[17]

On March 26, 2021, Hanks posted a video to Instagram declaring a "White Boy Summer".[18] This post was a prelude to the release of a music video and merchandise of the same title during the following two weeks.[19] While the initial video was mostly received with good humor,[20] the merchandise was criticized for using a font similar to those favored by white nationalist groups.[21] Later that year, he released the song and music video "DAMN!"[22] and the song "I FUX WITCHA" featuring Soulja Boy.[23]

In October 2024, on an episode of The Adam Friedland Show, Hanks and Adam Friedland ends the episode with Hank performing a yet to be released song by Something Out West called “Leaving Hollywood”.[24]

Personal life

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Hanks has a daughter, Michaiah, born 2016, with former partner Tiffany Miles.[25] Hanks credits his daughter and his parents for helping him to overcome his struggles with substance abuse.[26]

Along with his parents, Hanks was granted Greek citizenship in 2020 in recognition for his parents' work raising awareness for the 2018 Attica wildfires.[27]

In October 2023, Hanks stated that he is two-years sober in an interview on The Adam Friedland Show.[28]

Politics

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In the summer of 2020, Hanks posted on Instagram in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.[29] That October, he announced a social media hiatus, saying that "pro-Trump conspiracy theorists" were targeting his family.[30] QAnon believers had accused his father of engaging in pedophilia and practicing Satanism earlier that year.[31] Following his return to Instagram (less than a month later), he posted a video insulting Donald Trump on November 7, the day that news outlets called the 2020 United States presidential election for Joe Biden.[32]

Controversy

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Hanks has described himself as the black sheep of his family due to the contrast between his public controversies and his father's clean-cut image as "America's dad".[10]

In 2015, Hanks was wanted by British police after damaging a hotel room, incurring $1,800 in damages.[13] He entered rehab for cocaine addiction that year.[33]

A judge in Fort Bend County, Texas granted Hanks’ former girlfriend Kiana Parker a temporary protective order against him in January 2021; in her filing, she described months of verbal and physical abuse.[34] Early that March, Hanks filed a lawsuit against Parker for theft, conversion, assault, and battery, stemming from an altercation on January 8.[35] Footage of the event, in which Hanks can be seen bleeding, was released by TMZ on March 31.[36][better source needed] Hanks' resurgence in the public eye as a result of his "White Boy Summer" video led to increased coverage of his legal battles with Parker.[37]

On August 10, 2021, Hanks posted a video to Instagram initially urging viewers to get vaccinated for COVID-19. He then revealed it was a joke and denied being vaccinated himself, claiming, "You ain't sticking me with that motherfucking needle. It's the motherfucking flu. Get over it, okay?" He received backlash for these comments on social media, with many pointing out that his parents had been infected with COVID-19 the previous year and publicly encouraged others to get vaccinated as a result.[38]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Bratz Dexter
2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Student
2011 Larry Crowne Pizza Delivery Boy
2012 Project X Partygoer
2015 Fantastic Four Jimmy Grimm
2020 Greyhound Bushnell

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Maron Trey 4 episodes
2016–2018 Shameless Charlie 7 episodes
2017 Tales Troy Episode: "F*ck the Police"
Curb Your Enthusiasm Victor 2 episodes
2018–2019 Empire Blake Recurring role (season 4); main role (season 5); 17 episodes
2020–2021 Your Honor Joey Maldini 6 episodes
2021 NCIS: New Orleans Liam McCall Episode: "Leda and the Swan, Part II"
2022 Atlanta Curtis Episode: "Trini 2 De Bone"
Ziwe Himself Episode: "Celebrity Rights Activist"
2023 The Eric Andre Show Episode: "Don't You Say a Word"
The Adam Friedland Show Episode: "The Adam Friedland Show - Chet Hanks"
2024 The Surreal Life Main cast (season 8)

References

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  1. ^ Corriston, Michele. "Tom Hanks' Son Chet Hanks Is 2 Years Sober and 'Wouldn't Trade It for Anything". People.
  2. ^ a b Rowles, Dustin (January 29, 2018). "Tom Hanks' Son Has Been on 'Shameless' This Whole Time And We Just Now Noticed!". Pajiba.
  3. ^ a b Reid, Joe (November 30, 2020). "Who's Who in Showtime's Your Honor". Primetimer.
  4. ^ Chon, Monica (January 6, 2020). "Who Are Tom Hank's Children? Meet Colin, Elizabeth Ann, Chet, And Truman". O: The Oprah Magazine.
  5. ^ "The Making and Unmaking of Chet Hanks's "White Boy Summer"". Vanity Fair. April 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Oakley Yearbook. 2008.
  7. ^ "Chet Hanks | Oakley HS, Oakley, UT | MaxPreps".
  8. ^ Suh, Jennifer (January 12, 2011). "Frat star to rap star: Chet Hanks".
  9. ^ "Bratz". The Hollywood Reporter. July 30, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Chet Hanks".
  11. ^ Petski, Denise (February 6, 2018). "'Empire': Kade Wise & Chet Hanks Set To Recur On Fox Drama Series". Deadline.
  12. ^ "Tom Hanks Says He & Son Chet Were 'Petrified' To Get Their 'Greyhound' Scene Right". MSN.
  13. ^ a b Singh-Kurtz, Sangeeta (January 6, 2020). "So, Who Is Tom Hanks's Rapper Son?". The Cut.
  14. ^ Taete, Jamie Lee (February 11, 2011). "An Interview With Tom Hanks' Rapping Son". Vice.
  15. ^ Graff, Gary. "FTRZ Celebrates Sobriety In 'Models' Video, Talks Future of Chet Hanks' Latest Musical Project: Premiere". Billboard.
  16. ^ Johnson, Neil (November 9, 2018). "FTRZ (Chet Hanks and Drew Arthur) Debut New Single and Music Video- "NowhereLand". With Guitars.
  17. ^ Mowatt, Robyn (January 8, 2020). "Chet Haze Has Released a Song Following His Patois Rant at the Golden Globe Awards".
  18. ^ "𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 on Instagram: "Is it bout to be a #WhiteboySummer or am I trippin ???? Tag a REAL vanilla king #Respectfully 😂😂😂"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.[dead link‍]
  19. ^ Chet Hanx (April 13, 2021). Chet Hanx - White Boy Summer (Official Music Video). Retrieved October 17, 2024 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Reese, Ashley (March 30, 2021). "Chet Hanks's White Boy Summer Venture Is Himbo Performance Art". Jezebel. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  21. ^ "Tom Hanks's son criticized for using 'racist' font on merchandise collection". The Guardian. March 31, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  22. ^ Chet Hanx (June 25, 2021). Chet Hanx - DAMN! (Official Video). Retrieved October 17, 2024 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ Hanx, Chet (November 5, 2021). I FUX WITCHA (FT. SOULJA BOY). Retrieved October 17, 2024 – via SoundCloud.
  24. ^ The Adam Friedland Show (October 16, 2024). The Adam Friedland Show Podcast - Chet Hanks (My Best Friend) - Bonus Episode. Event occurs at 35m36s. Retrieved October 17, 2024 – via YouTube.
  25. ^ Fortune, Afouda (June 4, 2020). "Tom Hanks' Son Chet Pays Tribute to Beautiful Black Wife Tiffany Amid George Floyd Protests". AmoMama.
  26. ^ Seemayer, Zach (June 26, 2018). "Tom Hanks' Son Chet On How His Parents Helped Him 'Every Step of the Way' On His Sober Journey (Exclusive)". ET.
  27. ^ "Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson officially become Greek citizens". BBC News. July 27, 2020.
  28. ^ The Adam Friedland Show (October 1, 2023). The Adam Friedland Show - Chet Hanks. Event occurs at 33m49s. Retrieved October 17, 2024 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ Fry, Naomi (April 4, 2021). "The Squandered Promise of Chet Hanks's White-Boy Summer". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  30. ^ Downs, Stephanie (October 13, 2020). "Tom Hanks' Son Chet Leaves Social Media Because of 'Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theorists'". Popculture.
  31. ^ McGahan, Jason (August 17, 2020). "Inside QAnon, the Conspiracy Cult that's Devouring America". Los Angeles.
  32. ^ Roach, April (November 8, 2020). "Tom Hanks' son responds to Joe Biden's win with bizzare rant in Caribbean accent". The Evening Standard.
  33. ^ "Chet Hanks on the Gift and Curse of Living in His Father's Shadow (Exclusive)". TooFab.
  34. ^ Chronicle, Matt Young, Chron com / Houston (March 31, 2021). "How a Sugar Land restraining order may end Chet Hanks' White Boy Summer". Chron. Retrieved April 1, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ "Chet Hanks Sues His Ex-Girlfriend for Assault as He Faces Backlash Over 'Racist' Merchandise Collection". People. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  36. ^ "Chet Hanks & Ex in Volatile Relationship, Violent Altercation Filmed". TMZ. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  37. ^ Harvey, Josephine (March 31, 2021). "Actor Chet Hanks' Ex Is Granted Protective Order Amid Abuse Allegations". HuffPost. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  38. ^ Cowen, Trace William (August 10, 2021). "Chet Hanks Slammed for Making Anti-Vaxxer Comments Despite Parents Famously Getting COVID-19". Complex. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
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