Chet Hanks, the son of actor and East Bay native Tom Hanks, revealed that he is living out of a Jayco Eagle RV in Nashville as he pursues a country music career.
The 35-year-old Hanks, who moved to Tennessee with his band, Something Out West, explained the decision during a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“I didn’t want to get an apartment because I literally just got a condo in L.A. and I furnished it,” Chet said during the episode, which aired on Tuesday, April 28. “I didn’t want to do that again, and I didn’t want to furnish it.”
Hanks was staying in rental homes and hotels in Nashville, he said, but it got “really old.” He later became inspired to turn to RV life after staying in an Airstream in Northern California.
“I just like having my own space,” Hanks said. “I got my kitchen. I got a walk-in shower — that’s a big deal in trailers.”
Hanks added that he has enjoyed the company of his neighbors, mostly retirees, who he said are all “great people.”
“I’m probably the youngest person in the trailer park by 30 or 40 years,” he said.
While unconventional, his relocation appears to be paying off.
Hanks and his band debuted at Stagecoach Music Festival in Southern California. The group has been making music under the name Something Out West since 2020, but the festival marked their second live performance ever.
Hanks’ father trekked out to the Riverside County desert city for the occasion, and was spotted in the crowd dancing along to the set.
“It was a big deal,” Hanks said of the performance. “I was nervous.”
News of Hanks’ move to Nashville comes months after he revealed he was stranded in Columbia after attempting to return to the United States with his Greek passport. He shared his troubles on Instagram, noting that he left his U.S. passport at home because it was close to expiring.
He later confirmed he made it back into the country at the start of March. Shortly after, on March 14, he accompanied his mother, Rita Wilson, to a pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles.