This post is one of several on business heirs apparent. Let us know in the comments whether you think Colin Hanks can live up his father's legacy, and be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.
I wonder if Tom Hanks ever stops to reflect on how lucky his career has been. I mean, I know this has been said before, but I still can't get over the fact that one of the biggest celebrity thespians of our era first came to prominence on a goofy sitcom called Bosom Buddies. If it wasn't for some species of divine intervention, Tom Hanks would have been just another deep footnote of the '80s. Although some might consider Bachelor Party a classic -- I'm not sure who that would be -- Tom Hanks' actual breakthrough role came in Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Splash (here's a bit of trivia for you: Splash was the first film released by Touchstone Pictures). Years later, he would go on to star in some of the most memorable movies of our time -- Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and The Green Mile. Yep, we all know Mr. Tom Hanks.
But have you ever heard of his son, Colin? He was the product of Tom's first marriage to a lady named Samantha Lewes (she unfortunately passed away in 2002). Colin Hanks may not be as famous as his dad, but, according to his page at IMDB, he is an actor in his own right, and has done a lot of television work -- he's worked on Numb3rs, The O.C., and he's been on many episodes of the sci-fi show Roswell. And he's not doing too shabby in the movie business. He's appeared in King Kong, two other movies starring the one and only Jack Black, Orange County and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, and the recent internet thriller Untraceable.
No matter what, Colin Hanks has a lot to live up to. His father's Hollywood legacy is huge, and I'd imagine that something like that can be both a burden as well as an advantage (of course, it is way more an advantage than anything else, I can guarantee you that). Colin's last name ensures that he'll have a lot of opportunities, and one would imagine that he's going to do what he can to live up to the expectations that his last name implies. At the moment, there's nothing one can point to within his body of work that indicates he's close to finding that breakthrough, Splash-like role. But he'll probably luck out at some point -- and I'm sure his father will help him along if necessary. The old man already has lent a helping hand here and there -- Colin has had roles in That Thing You Do!, which was directed by Dad, and Band of Brothers, a miniseries which Dad executive produced along with Steven Spielberg.
Steven Mallas owns shares of Disney; positions can change at any time.
Also be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-24-2008 @ 5:48PM
Sarah Whitman said...
While Colin's last name may have helped him to enter The Business it is definitely his acting ability and overall amazing personality that has kept him there. You've mentioned a few of his movie roles but not all of them, and you've down-played his role on "Roswell" significantly. Indeed it was largely due to his role on this show that created his adoring fan base. Colin has his own thread on Fan Forum.com (http://www.fanforum.com/f61/)--something that not every actor can attest to, many fan-produced websites (such as http://www.Colin-Hanks.com), and yes, as you mentioned, his own page on IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004988/). I am completely certain that Colin will not only live up to his father's standards but also perhaps even exceed them. In any case, I would imagine it much like comparing apples to oranges--the similarities are present to be sure, but their styles and strengths are purely their own.