Tom Hanks’ Atheist Son Chet Shared How God Manifested His Presence And Changed His Faith

Jan 05, 2023 by apost team

No one wants to live in the shadows of their parents. But somehow, it's inevitable, especially if you have one of the most famous parents in the world – and Tom Hanks' son Chet is no exception. Having admitted that it was difficult for him growing up, Chet found managed to overcome those struggles when something within him changed.

Chet was very candid in his YouTube video, which was posted to his own channel. He shared how difficult it was to grow up with a mega-famous family and how that impacted him. However, he made it clear that he would not change anything about his life if given the chance. "I love my parents," he said. "I wouldn't want any different parents, and I wouldn't want any different life, so I'm very grateful and blessed for all that."

Despite not wanting to change his family, Chet admits that fame is not always a good thing for a person. The 'Shameless' actor added: "The truth is it is a double-edged sword. It's a lot more complicated and not so many people really understand it."

Chet knows that he is fortunate for the exceptional life he has lived due to having famous parents. He elaborated, saying: "There's a lot of advantages but sometimes it can be pretty weird. I got to do a lot of cool s--t that a lot of people don't get the opportunity to do. I got to travel the world, stay in nice hotels, fly on private planes and I'm very blessed for that. I wouldn't change my situation."

However, Chet was entirely aware that the fame and attention were not due to his own merit. 

"My experience was even more complicated because on top of fame already being toxic, I wasn't even famous," Chet said. "I was just the son of somebody famous so I hadn't even done anything to deserve any sort of recognition and that created a lot of contempt," he added. 

For the father of one, fame was toxic and led to destruction when left unchecked. "You've got to keep in mind that fame is the most powerful drug known to man," Chet explained. "It can also be the most destructive. People are infatuated with fame: They put famous people on a pedestal."

One of the hardest parts was when people would make assumptions about Chet based on his famous family. "People would make up their minds about me before they even got the chance to know me and it was extremely hard to break down their walls," he said. He also admitted that going through this made him develop a "hard exterior" and that he had a "chip on his shoulder."

One common misconception that really bothered Chet was the assumption that he never had to earn anything in his life. "I'm very privileged, but I wasn't spoiled," Chet shared. "My parents didn't spoil me; I was never just given money or an allowance. I had to work and earn everything that I've made, and it's been that way for my entire life."

The 'Empire' actor reassured his viewers that things are going well for him now, and he has overcome a lot of the hardships he experienced growing up. 

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At the end of the video, Chet said he's "just now getting to the point where I'm starting to truly feel that I don't really have anything to prove to anyone. All in all, I'm really happy, and I'm really blessed. I've learned a lot about myself."

Having been sent away to a wilderness camp at the age of 17 due to his behavior, he became angry and resentful as a person. It also made him lose his faith in God, and he became an atheist at one point in his life. But somehow, he managed to turn his faith around.

In an interview on IMPAULSIVE Clips, where he made a guest appearance, Chet talked about how his faith changed with a simple hike.

"I went off and sat on the edge of this cliff and was just looking out at the view," Chet said.

"As I was looking out at that view and I was looking at where I had been from an elevated perspective — because I'd been stuck in this desert for 12 weeks and it just looked ugly and boring, and there's nothing to look at. But now I'm looking at it from an elevated perspective of the top of this mountain."

Chet said he felt like God touched him and made his presence felt at that time, removing all the negative feelings within him.

"So I'm looking around, and I'm so overcome by emotion," he shared.

"It felt like I was touched by the hand of God. It was at that moment God revealed Himself to me," he said. "All that anger, and that hate, and that resentment flipped. It inverted to just infinite hope, gratitude, peace, love."

Were you inspired by the faith of Tom Hanks' son Chet? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to your family and friends!