Table of Contents
Need to Know
- Tom Hanks has four grown-up kids: Colin, Elizabeth, Chet, and Truman.
- Colin and Elizabeth were born from Tom’s first marriage to Samantha Lewes.
- Chet and Truman are his kids from the marriage with Rita Wilson.
The father of four grown-up children – Colin, Elizabeth, Chet and Truman is Tom Hanks. The first two of tom hanks children were born to his first wife Samantha Lewes and the other two to actress Rita Wilson.
Tom Hanks became a father when he was not as famous in Hollywood as he is today. While the first two children went through difficult times of Hanks, the last two children saw Hanks after establishing himself in acting.
Colin Hanks
Colin Hanks is the eldest son of actor Tom Hanks. He was born on November 24, 1977, in Sacramento, California. His mother is an actress, Samantha Lewes.
Colin studied at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He quit his studies without finishing his course for acting.
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He made a career out of working on television and movies. Colin acted in the television series Roswell. He also acted in the films, such as Orange County and The House Bunny. Acting in the television series Fargo brought him an Emmy nomination.
Colin has also portrayed Mister Rogers in the television series Drunk History. His portrayal was done before his father acted as Mister Rogers in the 2019 film A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood.
Apart from acting, he is also a director and voiceover artist. Colin has been doing business also. He founded a handkerchief brand named Hanks Kerchiefs.
Colin married publicist Samantha Bryant in May 2010. They have two daughters, who are named Olivia Jane (born in 2011) and Charlotte Bryant (born in 2013).
Colin sometimes finds himself compared to his famous father. He knows very well that his last name gets some attention. But he had to prove his identity in the entertainment business.
As he once mentioned, Colin thought that people would form an opinion about him as a person at first. However, he came to the conclusion that being Tom Hanks’ son will always affect his perception in the career.
Elizabeth Ann Hanks
Elizabeth Ann Hanks is Tom Hanks’ only daughter. She was born on May 17, 1982, in Sacramento. Her mother is Samantha Lewes.
Elizabeth appeared in two movies with her father when she was little. She was an extra in the film Forrest Gump. Elizabeth also participated in the film That Thing You Do!
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Later on, Elizabeth went to study in the Vassar College. Having graduated from it, she began her career as a writer and editor. Elizabeth uses the pseudonym E.A. Hanks.
Elizabeth has published several articles in famous magazines. Her works can be found in TIME, The Guardian, The New York Times and the Huffington Post.
During 2021, Elizabeth wrote an essay related to the publication of the screenplay of the movie called Lady Bird. It talks about the life of a teenage girl growing up in Sacramento, Elizabeth’s place of origin.
Elizabeth’s memoir, the 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, was released in April 2025. This book provides information regarding her childhood and family relations, as well as her painful personal experiences.
According to her memoirs, Elizabeth grew up during her parents’ divorce and had to spend her time in two places—with her mother in Sacramento and her father’s family in Los Angeles.
Both unpleasant and loving experiences occurred in her childhood; later she moved to Los Angeles to live in her father’s family due to her dangerous living conditions.
Elizabeth has written about family, memory, and identity through her works, giving us a personal insight into growing up in a famous family.
Chester ‘Chet’ Marlon Hanks
Chester “Chet” Marlon Hanks was born on Aug. 4, 1990, in Los Angeles. He is the eldest son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
Chet studied at Northwestern University. When he was a student, he practiced music under the stage name Chet Haze.
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Later in life, he became an actor. He performed in the Fox TV series called Empire. He has participated in other entertainment activities as well.
Chet has appreciated the acting tips offered by his father. Tom Hanks advised him to be punctual, memorize his lines and be nice to people.
In 2022, Chet founded his own personal training business named HanxFit. He has been featured in reality TV as well.
Chet became a part of the cast of MTV’s The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets in 2024. He found the experience pleasant and expressed his willingness to repeat it.
Chet has talked about his battles with drug abuse. He entered rehabilitation in 2014 due to his addiction that he had suffered from since his youth.
Later on, he has admitted that being a father pushed him to stop drinking. Chet is the father of Michaiah Hanks alongside his ex-girlfriend Tiffany Miles.
Chet also talked about growing up with parents who are famous. He called his up-bringing a “double-edged sword”. He talked about his privilege but admitted that his parents did not indulge him.
He claimed that he had to work to earn the money that he got. He also stated that his parents never indulged him and wanted him to carve his own path.
According to February 2026 news, Chet stated that he was left stranded in Colombia because he traveled using his Greek passport and not his American passport. He posted a video of his experience on Instagram.
Truman Hanks
Truman Theodore Hanks is the youngest son of Tom Hanks. He was born on Dec. 26, 1995, in Los Angeles. His mother is Rita Wilson.
Truman graduated from Stanford University in 2018. Truman has a relatively private life compared to his siblings.
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While Truman does not primarily work as an actor, he has created a career in the background. He works in the production teams of Atypical, West Side Story, and Black Widow.
Later, Truman appeared with his parents in the movie A Man Called Otto in 2022. While his mother was the producer, his father portrayed the main character of the movie.
In the movie, Truman played the young version of his father’s character. Both actors collaborated to develop the character.
Hanks has talked about how he has assisted Truman to develop the physical characteristics of the character.
Through his acting and filmmaking, Truman has shown that he is interested in the process of filmmaking. However, he took the more low-profile route, but still involved in the entertainment industry.
Family Life of Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks has had many compliments for his family members. His four kids chose different professions, yet they all are involved in the entertainment industry somehow.
Colin chose acting and directing as a career, while Elizabeth chose writing. Chet chose the music business, acting, and fitness industry. Truman mostly focuses on the film industry.
Samantha Bryant, the wife of Colin Hanks, is considered by Hanks as a member of the family. All four kids and Bryant were present at the Golden Globe awards of 2020 where Hanks received the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
In accepting the award, Hanks was quite emotional when talking about his family. Hanks expressed admiration for their strength and courage. His personal life has had an impact on his concept of fatherhood.
Hanks has recognized the fact that his older children watched him when he was at the beginning of his career life. His younger children grew up in his world after he had established himself as an actor. Colin, Elizabeth, Chet, and Truman, in all, reflect four separate stories. All of them have carved out their own paths in life beyond the name of their famous father.