Tom Hanks has recently slammed the "nepo baby" accusations that have been circulating his family, branding the industry as a "family business."
Now, the "nepo baby" theory has recently been a hot talking point online following the release of New York Magazine's controversial article about the booming nature of nepotism in the entertainment industry.
The piece pointed its fingers at the children of famous actors who now themselves have flourishing careers, basically stating that the array of opportunities that they were given to them was "unfair" or "problematic."
"She has her mother's eyes and agent," read the cover which had edited some of the world's most famous actors' heads - including the likes of Lily-Rose Depp and Zoë Kravitz - onto the bodies of cartoon babies.
The scandalous article raised questions for a lot of fans, especially about the "hard work" that some actors claim to put into their work despite getting a head start.
Now, during a recent interview with The Sun, 66-year-old Tom Hanks dismissed the claims hurled at this family and explained claiming that all of his children are "very creative" and "involved in some brand of storytelling."
"Look, this is a family business," Hanks said during the interview. "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."
He continued: "The thing that doesn’t change no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not."
"That’s the issue anytime any of us go off and try to tell a fresh story or create something that has a beginning and a middle and an end. 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."
As per Variety, Hanks has two children with his wife, Rita Wilson; rapper and actor Chet Hanks and another fellow actor, Truman Hanks, who appears in Hanks' new movie A Man Called Otto.
Colin Hanks, Hanks’ son from a previous marriage, has also landed many acting roles throughout his career, including The Offer, Dexter, and A Friend of the Family.
And Hanks isn't the only one to speak out against the nepotism claims.
Just a few weeks ago, Kate Hudson - daughter of Goldie Hawn - also dismissed the term.
"The nepotism thing, I mean... I don’t really care," she told The Independent. "I look at my kids and we’re a storytelling family.
"It’s definitely in our blood. People can call it whatever they want, but it’s not going to change it."
She added: "I actually think there are other industries where it’s [more common]. Maybe modeling? I see it in business way more than I see it in Hollywood. Sometimes I’ve been in business meetings where I’m like, 'wait, whose child is this? Like, this person knows nothing!'
"I don’t care where you come from, or what your relationship to the business is – if you work hard and you kill it, it doesn’t matter."
