Family and friends are an integral part of any person’s life as these are the people who influence us the most. Our family’s support and encouragement enables us to come over our fears and achieve our goals. Our personality is heavily influenced by the choices and perception of the people whom we hold very dear to us. Consciously or Sub Consciously, we are always seeking our family’s approval before doing anything in our lives whether it’s a big decision or something as trivial as deciding where to go for dinner tonight. So in a sense, information about our family can reveal much about ourselves and how we act. So if you want to understand the personality of your favorite celebrity and understand why the way he acts he acts, you must know about their family background. Now for the fans of the legendary American actor Tom Hanks, we present to you all the detail regarding Tom Hanks Family Tree. So let’s get started.
Tom Hanks Family tree, Parents, Wife, Son, Siblings, Biography & More
Tom Hanks Family Tree
The legendary American actor, Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, was born on 9 July 1956 in Concord, California, U.S. Tom was born in the house of an itinerant cook and a hospital worker. His parents got divorced when Tom was just 4 years old. His parents had four children and Tom was the third. After the divorce, Tom and his elder siblings started living with their father while his younger brother kept living with their mother. While Tom’s dad introduced him to the beautiful and delicious spark of cooking thus creating a spark of creativity. But Tom just felt very lonely most of the time and the absence of the feeling of any real connection with his family made him fall in love with acting, theatre and film making.
Tom Hanks Ethnicity
The famous American actor Tom Hanks is has both English and Portuguese ancestry. Tom Hank’s father was an English man while his mother had Portuguese ancestry. His mother’s family surname was actually “Fraga”. Even if by ancestry Tom Hanks was English and Portuguese, Tom was culturally influenced by many different cultures and traditions as he had travel a lot with his father. Tom Hanks had already moved through 10 different houses in 10 different locations by the age of 10.
Tom Hanks Parents:
Tom Hanks Father’s Name:
Amos Mefford Hanks was the father of the third highest grossing Hollywood actor in North America. Amos Mefford was an itinerant cook and he moved a lot as he opened restaurants in different cities. Tom’s father was a very good business man with a little touch of creativity that was required by the art of making a delicious looking meal. Tom Hanks parents got divorced in 1960 when he was just 4 years old. The three elder siblings including Tom lived with their father and the fourth youngest sibling lived with their mother. In an interview with the New York Times, Tom revealed that,
“My dad was in the restaurant business his entire life and he honestly couldn’t fathom why I didn’t want to be the assistant manager of the local Jack in the Box.”
Although Tom was well taken care of in terms of finances and facilities, but he often felt too lonely and found his solace in the art of acting. But his father always wanted him to join his restaurant business. In an interview, Tom described living with his father as,
“I lived with my dad most of the time. He was a restaurant owner and we lived all over California, wherever he kept opening up restaurants. He remarried many times. It wasn’t boring.”
There is a rumor on this internet since 2012, claiming that Tom’s father was actually the lead singer of the musical group known as ‘The Diamonds’ which was very popular in the 50s and 60s. But it’s just a fake story and Tom has no familial ties to Dave Somerville, the lead singer of the group.
Tom Hanks Mother’s Name:
Janet Marylyn Frager was the proud mother of the famous American actor. Tom Hanks mother was a lovely lady of a Portuguese descent and a family name Frager. She was a hospital worker who fell in love with an itinerant cook. She gave birth to the famous star in 1956 but got divorced with his father for undisclosed reasons in 1960. Tom Hanks with his two elder siblings, lived with their father and he often felt lonely. As his father used to move to different cities, by the age of ten Tom had lived in 10 different houses in five years since the divorce of his parents. He rarely had the chance to see his mother in his childhood so he really missed her. Tom Hanks’ mother Janet Marylyn passed away in 2016 at the age of 84, leaving all her children behind all sad and devastated. Tom shared his feeling about his mother with his 323,000 instagram followers and sharing an old picture of his mother he wrote,
“This beauty? My mom. She was the difference in many lives. Many lives. We say goodbye to her today. Safe crossing, mom! Hanx.”
Tom Hanks Siblings
Tom Hanks Sister Sandra Hanks:
The famous American actor Tom Hanks also has a sister who is a few years older than him and goes by the name, Sandra Hanks. She is the only daughter in the family of four children and she is the eldest among her siblings. Sandra Hanks is a writer by profession and she currently lives in Seychelles. She has worked as a bartender, a rock band manager, a dental nurse, a TV news presenter, a small business owner, a radio show host and a counselor for heroin abuse. Sandra met her boyfriend at a very a young age and became a mother at the age of 17. She moved in with her boyfriend and they moved to United Kingdom. After a couple of years, the couple moved to Seychelles which is an island country and it’s been 20 years since they settled in. She opened up a Café in Baie Lazare with her husband. Some of the most famous works by Sandra Hanks are, “The Guide to U.S. Infant Adoption”, “Female Nomad and Friends” and “It All Changes in an instant”. She has recently published a book called “Papaya and other seeds” which is a collection of short stories.
Tom Hanks Brother Larry Hanks:
Tom Hanks is no doubt a very famous American actor, but his bigger brother Lawrence Michael Hanks is much more famous when it comes to high minded scientific society. Lawrence Hanks is a tenured professor in the University of Illinois in the department of Entomology. He is known among the students as Prof. Larry Hanks and he is an authority when it comes to the department of Entomology. He has written a number of research papers to further the studies in the field. He has written Factors influencing the distribution and abundance of the white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona and Host Plants and natural enemies.
In an interview with Steven Colbert on “The Late Show” while promoting his new tech film “The Circle”, Tom Hanks introduced himself as “The man whose brother is a tenured professor in Entomology at the University of Illinois.” Tom revealed that he was rattled by his brother’s fame as when he introduced himself to some students at the riverside, he said, “Well, I’m Tom Hanks.” And the students said “Yeah, and your brother is Dr. Larry Hanks”. Tom Hanks immediately became the guy with a famous brother.
Tom Hanks Brother Jim Hanks:
The famous American actor Jim Hanks has a younger brother as well and his name is Jim Hanks. He was born on 15 June 1961. Jim Hanks also works as an actor, voice actor and filmmaker. Jim Hanks has played many minor characters and has made numerous guest appearances on different TV shows. He is currently on the Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot. Jim Hanks is a great voice actor and he has been hired by the Disney to replace his big brother on various projects. The Voice of Woody from the Toy Story movies is still the voice of Tom Hanks but the voice on Toy Story games, Toy Story Commercials, Toy Story Toys and other such projects.
Tom Hanks Relationships
Tom Hanks Ex Wife Samantha Lewes:
Tom Hanks was overcome by loneliness and friendlessness when he was studying acting at the Sacramento State University. His demeanor that came with all that emotional baggage somehow appealed to Samantha’s Heart. Samantha Lewes was the Tom’s class fellow who fell for him and made him the man he is today. Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes married each other in 1978 when Tom was just 21. Tom Hanks was a damaged and insecure man who needed love, company and attention and Samantha healed him by providing all the love and care. Getting married at the age of 21 gave Tom a little perspective and kept him from doing any kind of drugs and scandals. But his marriage with Samantha was not based on love, it was based on pity and loneliness. So in 1987, Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes got divorced.
Tom Hanks Wife Rita Wilson:
Tom Hanks married the American actress Rita Wilson in 1988. Tom Hanks was previously married to Samantha Lewes and they got divorced in 1987. According to Tom Hanks, his marriage with Samantha was not the true love, but his desperate needs to fill the void and cure his loneliness. While he gives a lot of credit to his first wife, he considers his second wife Rita Wilson his hero. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have been together for 30 years now and their love is still as fresh as in 1988. When Tom Hanks was asked about the secret behind his successful marriage, this is what he said,
“I wish there was a secret, you know. We just like each other. You start there. It just that they ‘get it’ you know.”
Rita was recently diagnosed with breast cancer at the early stages and she had a breast reconstruction surgery and a double mastectomy. She praised her husband for supporting her and being there for her in her darkest hours.
Tom Hanks Children
Tom Hanks Son Colin Hanks:
Tom Hanks is the proud father of the famous American actor, Colin Lewes Hanks. Colin is the eldest son of Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes. Like father like son, Colin Hanks has also made a name in the industry through his acting skill. He is 40 years old. Colin Hanks is known for his famous roles in Orange Country, The House Bunny, King Kong, and The Great Buck Howard.
Tom Hanks Daughter Elizatbeth Ann Hanks:
Elizabeth Ann Hanks is the only daughter of the famous American actor Tom Hanks and his ex wife Samantha Lewes. She was born on 17 May, 1982. Elizabeth is 5 years old and just like her parents, she is also an actress. She is best known for her roles in Forrest Gump and That Thing You Do!
Tom Hanks Son Chet Hanks:
The legendary Hollywood actor Tom Hanks is also the father of Chester Hanks. Chester’s mother is Rita Wilson. He is an American actor and rapper who goes by the nick name ‘Chet’. Chet faced substance abuse since the age of 16 but now he is sober and he gives all the credit to his daughter. His daughter was born out of wedlock as a result of a drug fueled one night stand. Chet has not yet revealed the name of his daughter’s mother, but he feels lucky to have them in his life.
Tom Hanks Son Truman Theodore Hanks:
Tom Hanks also has another son with his lovely wife Rita Wilson, and his name is Truman Theodore Hanks. Truman was born on 26 December 1995 and he is about to turn 22 this year. He is also looking for a break in to the Hollywood industry just like his parents and his successful siblings.
Carlene Descoteaux says
Tom, it’s great to have you connected to my family tree. I have almost all of your movies, but love “You have Mail”, the most, and Sleepless in Seattle, The Green Mile, ok; I love them all. Carlene Descoteaux in Washington.