Tom Hanks Was Left To Fend For Himself As A Child Of Divorce But Is Now A Doting Granddad Of 3 Girls

Jun 22, 2023 by apost team

Grandchildren are one of life’s greatest joys. As you eagerly hand them over to your children for toddler and teenage meltdowns, you’re free to focus on all their best qualities, and they’re free to do the same for you. The following grandpa is proof that no matter who you are, you’re always a grandparent to your adoring grandchildren.

Tom Hanks is an iconic figure in the realm of Hollywood. With an illustrious career spanning several decades, Tom has captivated audiences his performances in heartwarming comedies to powerful dramas

Born Thomas Jeffrey Hanks on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, Tom’s breakthrough in Hollywood came in 1984 when he portrayed the affable and endearing character of Allen Bauer in the romantic comedy "Splash." However, it was the 1988 film "Big" that truly solidified his status as a leading actor. 

Throughout his career, Tom has showcased unparalleled versatility, seamlessly transitioning from one genre to another. In 1993, he delivered a career-defining performance as the AIDS-stricken lawyer Andrew Beckett in "Philadelphia," which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor. Tom further demonstrated his range by delving into films such as “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Forrest Gump,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Apollo 13” and “Cast Away.”

Tom has been married twice, first to Samantha Lewes in 1978 when he was only 21 years old. They welcomed two children before divorcing in 1987. A year later​, Tom walked down the aisle with actress Rita Wilson, and the pair have been enjoying wedded bliss ever since. Tom and Wilson share two children.

Read on to find out more about Tom’s rough childhood, how his divorce affected him and what life is like for the proud grandfather of two these days.

Although Tom has cemented his status as one of this generation’s biggest stars, he faced some challenging times in his childhood after his parents divorced when he was only 5 years old. On the BBC Radio 4 show “Desert Island Discs,” he revealed he used to share a room with his father and brother when he was 7 years old and constantly sought a place where “I won’t be alone, I won’t be lonely, instead I’ll feel content.” 

In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Tom recalled how isolated he felt then. 

“There was a degree of loneliness because… I kind of fell through the cracks and didn’t really have adults per se that were taking care of me,” Tom recounted.

These struggles informed his own negative feelings after his divorce in 1987. Tom described the split as a “horribly painful time” that left him feeling like a terrible father to his son Colin Hanks and daughter Elizabeth Hanks.

“I thought I couldn’t be a worse father and I couldn't be a worse human being. I remember all those feelings as though I had cursed innocent beings with my own failings,” he lamented.

He said he felt “sad, confused, emotionally crippled,” as he believed “the job as a parent… is to try to guarantee a carefree life for your children for as long as possible. They should not be burdened with the cares of the world until they can handle them and I felt in the course of being their divorced single guy dad that I was burdening them with cares that they didn't deserve to have.”

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He cited his marriage to Wilson for giving him a familial foundation he had never experienced.

“When I met my wife, I had never been part of a full-time, large structure of a family that had a kind of heritage, so I ended up getting (a) solid dose of normalcy that had been completely absent for me. Prior to that, it was about moving and… about work,” he told Bensinger.

Since marrying Wilson, Tom has constantly gushed about her. In the same appearance on “Desert Island Discs,” said that after they wed, he knew he would never “be lonely any more.” He also revealed he married his first wife Lewes to “quell the loneliness” and that “having a kid at 21 was the greatest thing that ever happened to me because I didn’t smoke pot.” 

The pair welcomed two children, Chet Hanks and Truman Hanks, to build a beautiful blended family of six. Of their four children, Colin, Elizabeth and Chet followed their famous parents to become actors while Truman works as a crew member behind the scenes. 

Colin married former publicist Samantha Bryant in 2010 and had daughters Olivia Hanks in 2011 and Charlotte in 2013. Chet, meanwhile, welcomed a daughter with ex-girlfriend Tiffany Miles named Michaiah Hanks in 2016. 

This makes Tom and Wilson the proud grandparents of three little girls, roles they appear to absolutely adore. On the Today Show, Colin shared that Tom and Wilson, as grandparents are wont to do, indulge and spoil their grandchildren.

“It would be great if they paid attention to the kids’ bedtime,” he said with a laugh, and added his kids tend to “get a lot of sugar” when they’re with their doting grandparents. 

Even though Tom is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Colin said this didn’t mean anything to his kids. He told Us Weekly “they don’t care about him at all” and added they interact “like every other playdate with a grandparent. The grandparent gives them stuff they shouldn’t be having, and the grandparents don’t listen to what the parents are saying they should be doing.”

Chet, meanwhile, said Tom and Wilson absolutely adore Michaiah and love being grandparents, adding that the famous couple offers to babysit “all the time.” 

It seems Tom and Wilson have nailed down the key factors of being top grandparents, which they shared with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of Tom’s film “Asteroid City” on June 13, 2023. 

“You got to get on the trampoline with them, you got to get in the pool with them, you got to get on the tennis court, you got to do all the sports. You just got to hang out,” Wilson shared as Tom quipped with a laugh, “You have to make their macaroni and cheese just perfectly.”

The pair said one of the joys of being grandparents is not having to worry about them as much as parents would.

“All you gotta do is love those little brats and they’re better than TV,” Tom said before quickly correcting himself. “They're not little brats, they’re extraordinary young women.” Wilson shared the sentiment and stressed, “They are extraordinary young women.”

It’s clear Hanks and Wilson are happy to be just grandparents to Olivia, Charlotte and Michaiah. Decades of never-ending hard work and worry from raising children are distant memories. The Hanks just enjoy being grandparents.

What are your thoughts on Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s grandparenting style? Do they match your own? Let us know and be sure to pass this on to all the Tom Hanks fans you know!