Tom Hanks' Son Chet Has Had Quite The Transformation

Even the biggest Tom Hanks fan may not know that the two-time Academy Award winner is a father of four. While we don't hear as much about Hanks' daughter, Elizabeth Ann, nor his youngest, Truman Theodore, many would likely recognize his eldest son, Colin Hanks (read his untold story), who's built his own successful acting career. That said, Chet Hanks, Hanks' third child (his first with wife Rita Wilson), has been working hard to add to the family legacy as he pursues acting and music professionally.

As of 2026, his efforts were paying off by way of a record deal and a recurring role on Netflix's mega-hit "Running Point." However, he hasn't always made headlines for the right reasons. Indeed, Chet Hanks has repeatedly overshadowed Tom Hanks with bizarre antics like seemingly putting on a Jamaican accent for no reason and going on a wild vaccine rant that had the internet seeing red. As a 33-year-old, Chet explained on MTV's "The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets," per People, he's "just a regular guy" trying his best, and he's already come a long way, overcoming various struggles since being born into the spotlight. Here's your look at the major transformation of Chet.

When Tom Hanks married Rita Wilson in 1988, he was already a dad of two from his prior marriage to Samantha Lewes. His son Colin, who could be Hanks' twin, was born in 1977, followed by Elizabeth Ann in 1982. Hanks and Wilson then started their own family, welcoming Chester "Chet" Marlon Hanks in 1990 and finally, Truman Theodore Hanks in 1995. As Hanks told The New York Times in 2019, his two youngest kids had a completely different upbringing from their older siblings. While Chet and Truman were born after he'd become a household name, Colin and Elizabeth were lucky in that "they remember when their dad was just a guy trying to, you know, make the rent." What's more, they didn't only have to contend with his fame but also with him prioritizing, as he wasn't always present.

Indeed, as Chet revealed in a 2022 YouTube video, per BuzzFeed, growing up in the spotlight proved challenging as he struggled to come to terms with society's expectations. "On top of fame already being toxic, I wasn't even famous," he shared (via NME). "I hadn't done anything to deserve any sort of recognition and that created a lot of contempt for me." What's more, he was frustrated because "people automatically assumed in general that I would just be a really arrogant, entitled spoiled brat, even though I really wasn't." As he put it, "I'm really privileged but I wasn't spoiled."

While Tom Hanks' youngest son is growing up to look just like the star, Chet Hanks is actually following in his footsteps. He once told Bustle that this career goal was inevitable. "This was the family business," he mused, so it was only a matter of time before he tried it himself. However, it may have happened even sooner than he expected, as he signed with an agent at just 16 and immediately landed his first role in the 2007 "Bratz" movie while still a sophomore. "I got to take two months off and go film this movie and hang out around a bunch of hot 19-year-old chicks," Chet recalled, quipping, "It was the perfect first gig."

A slew of cameos and small roles followed in films like 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." However, it wasn't until he got sober in 2014 that he started booking bigger gigs. First, there was 2016's "Maron" TV series, in which he played a wealthy kid going to rehab. "Creatively, it was a blessing," the then-25-year-old told People. He followed that up with recurring roles on "Shameless" and "Empire," telling People of the latter, "It's kind of a role that I've always really wanted to play." Chet hit yet another big break in 2024 when he was cast on Netflix's "Running Point," opposite Kate Hudson. His dad's acting advice was to "show up on time, know your lines and be nice to everybody," and, as he told Page Six, this guidance was really paying off.

In addition to his passion for acting, Chet Hanks also discovered a love of music at a young age. "I wrote my first rap when I was 16," he told Bustle, recalling how, as a teen, he would print lyrics and study them to decipher the key to writing his own. That love didn't waver much as he entered college. While at Northwestern University, he released "White and Purple," a parody of Wiz Khalifa's hit "Black and Yellow," recorded under the name Chet Haze. To his surprise, folks loved it, and it went viral, which encouraged him to keep writing, even if he's not a fan of the songs that followed. "They were f****ing terrible," he laughed of the tracks.

Eventually, Chet's love of hip-hop morphed into a love of country as he discovered greats like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash in his 20s. Ditching rap, Chet teamed up with his friend, Drew Arthur, to start a band called Something Out West. The duo signed with Big Machine Records in 2025, dropped the song "Leaving Hollywood" that same year, and started booking major gigs, including 2026's Stagecoach Music Festival. "I used to think that I wanted to be a rap star, but the truth is that I just want to make music and perform," he told Bustle of the surprising transition. Indeed, he hasn't stopped creating, teasing to HELLO! magazine, "I have a lot of music that we haven't released yet."

Chet Hanks has been candid about the dark side of fame, including opening up about his sobriety journey. In 2014, a 24-year-old Chet revealed in a since-deleted Instagram post that he had sought professional help. "I've been struggling with substance abuse since I was 16 years old," he wrote. "With 50 days of sobriety under my belt, I can honestly say I'm the happiest I've ever been," (E! News). Thanking his family and fans for their support, as well as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, Chet told followers, "I'm learning to accept my faults."

Unfortunately, Chet's road to recovery wasn't without its hurdles. In 2018, a 27-year-old Chet admitted to relapsing, but told People he was two years sober. Then, in 2024, he again celebrated the two-year mark, revealing he had again checked himself into rehab at 31 after a particularly wild weekend in Las Vegas. "I was coming off a three-day coke binge where I didn't eat, sleep or barely drink any water," he confessed on an episode of "The Surreal Life," per People. "I lost 27 lbs in three days, so my disease is gnarly." Even so, he was committed to overcoming it. In 2025, he told "The Drew Barrymore Show," that he was sober again, thanks in large part to his mom and dad. "I'm really, really grateful for both my parents," he praised (via People).

Chet Hanks has a penchant for making stunning confessions online, like in 2016 when he revealed he had secretly become a father. Taking to Instagram, per E! News, he tried to get ahead of a tabloid report by making the confession himself, saying, "I have a daughter." While he didn't go into too many details, Chet did tell fans that fatherhood had pushed him to become a better version of himself. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me," he enthused. "She's the reason why I turned my life around and got sober."

Similarly, Chet told People in 2018 that welcoming Michaiah had further underscored the importance of sobriety, as his priorities shifted to giving his little girl the best possible life. In keeping with that, he refused to share any images of his kiddo to protect her privacy as best he could. "She is sacred to me," he explained to E! News. "She is not something to be posted."

However, soon after Chet's initial revelation, the Daily Mail snapped photos of Michaiah with her mother; the outlet disclosed her name as Tiffany Miles. While little is known about Miles, her LinkedIn confirms she lives in California and, as of 2026, lists her as Lead Administrative Assistant at Advising Resource Center/EOP Admissions and Partnership Programs.

Although Chet Hanks has repeatedly gushed about his daughter with Tiffany Miles, it seems the couple's love story wasn't meant to be. The pair went their separate ways, and Chet eventually began dating Kiana Parker. Unfortunately, that relationship proved volatile, leading to numerous lawsuits. The drama began in January 2021 after the couple split, as TMZ obtained a video shot by Chet, which showed him with blood running down his face, accusing Parker of hitting him with a pot and cutting him with a knife. Parker denied the allegations and obtained a restraining order against her ex while he filed a lawsuit against her, alleging assault and battery. What's more, Chet claimed she stole over $5,000 from him to pay for vacations and rent.

Parker denied any wrongdoing and, a month later, filed her own lawsuit, per People, similarly claiming assault and battery, plus emotional distress. In her filing, in which she asked for $1 million in damages from the 30-year-old, Parker cited numerous incidents in which Chet allegedly became physically and verbally violent. She also stated that while she did show up at his home and did brandish a pot against him, it was done in self-defense. According to Parker, Chet was mad about their breakup and pulled a knife on her. For his part, Chet responded through his lawyer, who told The Daily Beast, "Her claims are completely false, fabricated and fictional."

It seems there's little Chet Hanks won't do to make his music career work. Despite buying his first apartment in California, he decided to ditch the luxury and moved to America's country capital — Nashville, Tennessee — in early 2026 to help take his band, Something Out West, to the next level. Rather than getting his own place in the city, though, the 35-year-old decided on a more authentic country experience and moved into an RV park. "I literally just got a condo in L.A. and I furnished it," he told "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." "I didn't want to do that again." He was also against renting an Airbnb or hotel room because he wanted to feel more at home, so the only option left was a trailer.

Chet first experienced the trailer life during a road trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. "I stayed in an Airstream trailer and I really loved it," he told Jimmy Fallon. And while he didn't opt for one, which can cost between $56,000 to over $190,000, he did splurge on a Jayco Eagle (prices start at $45,375) with all the amenities, including a kitchen and walk-in shower. As for the RV park itself, Chet revealed it's nothing like what folks might expect. "I'm probably, like, the youngest person in the trailer park by [...] 30 or 40 years," he laughed, noting there's no danger and everyone is incredibly nice. "It's all just, like, retirees."

The Hanks' family has a long, strong bond with Greece. Not only does Rita Wilson have Greek heritage, but Tom also embraced his wife's roots, converting to the Greek Orthodox religion ahead of their 1988 wedding. Since then, the family has repeatedly visited the country, and Tom even sang its praises after the 2020 Golden Globes. "I've been Hellenic now for the better part of 32 years," he told red carpet reporters (via Facebook). "Greece is a haven." Unsurprisingly, the couple jumped at the chance to help locals in need following a July 2018 wildfire that killed more than 100 people near Athens. They raised funds and brought awareness to the devastation, earning them (and their kids) honorary Greek citizenship in 2019. The couple received their passports in 2020, and that would later get Chet Hanks into trouble.

In February 2026, the then-35-year-old traveled to Puerto Rico and Colombia, using his Greek passport because his American one was about to expire. What's more, he told Instagram he didn't even take his U.S. papers with him. Once Chet arrived at the airport to go home and presented his Greek passport, he was turned away. "They tell me that if I'm using a foreign passport, I need a green card to get back into America," he explained. "I don't have a green card because I'm an American citizen." Telling followers he was stranded in Colombia, he pleaded, "Free me." Ultimately, Chet clearly found a solution since he showed up at a pre-Oscars party with his mom two weeks later.