Tom Hanks On Nepotism And Hollywood: ‘It’s A Family Business’

Tom Hanks and family

Image Source: Variety

Apparently, Hollywood is nepotistic?

In other news the sky is blue, and we have reports coming in that water is wet.

The most recent voice in this discussion came from Tom Hanks in a recent interview with Reuters, where he was promoting his latest film, A Man Called Otto. He and his wife Rita Wilson bought the rights to adapt the novel. The film stars Hanks and his son Truman, and features a song by his wife. Hanks speaks up about his family’s involvement with the movie:

“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.” 

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Hanks has four children, all of whom have shared success in different subsets of the creative industries as musicians, producers, cinematographers, and actors. While he may claim that having an A-List surname does not matter, many would disagree with this point of view. 

The discussion around this has been floating around for decades, but recently came back to the cultural fore from an interview in Vulture with Get Out star Allison Williams, daughter of journalist Brian Williams, where she states that she is under no illusions that she has benefited from nepotism. However, it should not take away from her body of work. Arguably she may have a point. Money and fame may get you in the door as detractors claim, but movies, TV shows, and albums all have huge amounts of financial backing and risk. Arguably you won’t survive long if you are a detriment to your craft.

John David Washington, Kate Hudson, Jake Gyllenhaal

Image Source: Hollywood Insider

Hollywood is no different from any other industry in the world. Family connections or opportunities that you would not have been afforded otherwise are an advantage. However, like all other industries, that does not mean that you can write off those who benefit from it. Are we really saying that we should not enjoy a Nicholas Cage film, just because his uncle directed The Godfather? Regardless of how people get started, if they can forge their own path and deliver quality work, then all the best to them!

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