Chet Hanks is getting candid about growing up with famous parents Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
During a Wednesday, July 8, appearance on Joel Madden‘s Artist Friendly podcast, Chet, 35, said he felt “worthless” despite being the son of one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples.
“People ask me, ‘What was it like for you growing up?’ They have an idea in their head like, … ‘Ding ding ding, Jeeves, please bring in my croissants.’ You know what I mean?” the Running Point star shared. “That wasn’t it, dude. It was, like, just feeling worthless.”
It’s a feeling, Chet said, that was hard to convey to his non-famous friends.
“This is where it can drive you insane, is that nobody believes that your life isn’t, ‘Ding ding ding, Jeeves, please come in with the croissants,'” he told Madden, 47, Wednesday, as he mimicked calling for a butler. “You could be like, ‘Yo, that’s not my life at all. I don’t live like that,’ and they’ll be like, ‘Yeah, whatever.'”
And while the actor said he tried to voice his feelings over the years, it wasn’t always received the way he would’ve liked.
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“You know how they say pressure makes diamonds? Pressure also busts pipes,” Chet quipped. “And I’ve had some pipes busted, like you can snap and then you have to recollect yourself over and over and over again. Snapping and then recollecting yourself. It’s a process, and it’s a cycle over and over and over again until the diamond is formed.”
In addition to Chet, Tom, 70, and Wilson, 69, share a son, Truman, 30. The Cast Away star is also a father to son Colin, 48, and daughter Elizabeth, 44, whom he shared with late ex-wife, Samantha Lewes.
These days, however, Chet said he has a great relationship with his parents, both of whom support his acting and music pursuits.
As for any advice he has for famous parents, Chet advised the Good Charlotte rocker, who shares two kids with wife Nicole Richie, to make sure their kids have an identity outside of their Hollywood upbringing.
“Well, really, what it is is just someone else’s identity,” he explained. “I don’t know about your kids or anything, but I think it could be common for, like your son or whatever, if a complete stranger meets him. Their first thought isn’t going to be, ‘Who’s this guy? Who are you?’ Their first thought, if they know who he is, is just you. They’re just imagining Joel, so getting to know your son … is all in contrast to you.”
This story Chet Hanks Reveals Why He Felt ‘Worthless’ Growing Up as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s Son first appeared on InTouch Weekly. Follow InTouch Weekly on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.