Summary
- Truman Hanks made his major film debut playing a young version of his father's character in "A Man Called Otto," showcasing his ability to emulate his father's acting style.
- Truman Hanks has also appeared in his father's films "News of the World" and "Asteroid City," and has experience working behind the scenes in film production. He is building a career in the film industry.
Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood, and his children, Colin Hanks, Elizabeth Hanks, Chet Hanks, and Truman Hanks, have all found their way into show business in one way or another. Of the Hanks children, Colin is the one with the most prominent career, as he has appeared in The House Bunny, the Jumanji series, and Impeachment: American Crime Story. And while Elizabeth and Chet have several years of professional acting under their belts, Truman Hanks' acting credits are the most recent.
An Academy Award-winning actor, Tom Hanks is known for his acclaimed roles in Saving Private Ryan, Big, Forrest Gump, Sully, and the Toy Story franchise. Even though there has been a growing push against "nepo babies" in the entertainment industry, Tom Hanks weighed in on the Hollywood nepotism controversy, saying, "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" and he called the industry "a family business." This mindset makes sense, as Truman Hanks has appeared onscreen in films starring his father.
Truman Hanks Played A Young Version Of Tom Hanks' Character In A Man Called Otto
In December 2022, a film called A Man Called Otto was released, with Tom Hanks starring as the title character. Based on the novel A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman, the movie follows Otto, a curmudgeonly man struggling to cope with the death of his wife who begrudgingly befriends his new neighbors. The movie includes several flashbacks of Otto's life, and Truman Hanks joined the A Man Called Otto cast as a younger Otto. Given how much Truman Hanks resembles his father, this casting proved to be a realistic choice, as the younger Hanks was able to emulate the mannerisms of his father playing an older Otto.
Playing a young Otto in A Man Called Otto was not Truman Hanks' first film role, but it did mark his first time playing a major part in a movie. In an interview on Today, Tom Hanks admitted it was nerve-wracking to have his son step up to appear in the movie, but that Truman's scenes made the final cut meant he did a good job, saying, "The good thing about a movie is hey, if it’s no good, it’s not going to be in the movie." Truman Hanks is in several scenes throughout the film, proving he was up for the challenge.
Truman Hanks Also Appeared In Asteroid City & News Of The World
Before appearing in A Man Called Otto, Truman Hanks had small roles in two of his father's other films, News of the World and Wes Anderson's Asteorid City. Because his characters are not named in either film, A Man Called Otto is typically referred to as Truman Hanks' acting debut.
Asteroid City proved to be a family affair for the Hanks family, as Tom Hanks' wife and Truman Hanks' mother Rita Wilson also appears in the movie. While Truman Hanks has not only just broken onto the film scene in front of the camera, he has experience on the crew side, working behind the scenes. The rising star's production team credits include Black Widow, West Side Story, and Succession, which shows that Truman Hanks is building a career in film, in front of or behind the camera.