Colin Hanks Slanders His Own Dad, Tom Hanks, In Brutal Interview—And Honestly, He’s Got A Point
Look, we all have complicated relationships with our fathers. Some dads forget to pick you up from soccer practice. Some dads never taught you how to throw a baseball. And some dads, apparently, are Tom Hanks—America’s literal dad—and your biggest flex is telling the world he’s actually kind of a cringe lord.
This week, Colin Hanks—yes, that Colin Hanks, the one who will forever be known as “Tom Hanks’ son” even though he’s a perfectly fine actor in his own right (shout out to *Orange County* and *Fargo*, you absolute cult classics)—sat down for an interview that has since gone nuclear. And by “gone nuclear,” I mean it’s the kind of spicy content that makes you wonder if the Hanks family Thanksgiving is secretly a bloodsport.
The interview, which was published by *The Guardian* (yes, the British one, so you know they were absolutely chuffed to get some dirt), featured Colin doing what every child of a hyper-famous parent secretly wants to do: admitting that your dad is kind of a weirdo. But Colin didn’t just drop a subtle hint. He went full scorched earth, describing his father’s online presence as “garbage” and comparing his social media posts to “a boomer who just discovered what a meme is.”
Oof. Oof, squared. Oof to the power of three.
Let me set the scene. Colin, 47, was promoting his new documentary or whatever (honestly, who cares about the doc? We’re here for the tea). The interviewer, probably sensing blood in the water, asked Colin about his dad’s infamous Twitter feed. For those of you living under a rock, Tom Hanks—the two-time Oscar winner, the man who played Forrest Gump, the guy who literally saved Private Ryan—has a Twitter account that is… let’s call it “enthusiastically bad.” He posts pictures of lost gloves. He tweets about the weather like he’s a dad who just bought his first smartphone. He shares motivational quotes that you’d find on a mug at a thrift store.
And Colin? He’s had enough.
“It’s just… it’s garbage,” Colin reportedly said, probably while sipping a fancy latte and wearing a beanie that costs more than my rent. “It’s the same stuff over and over again. It’s like, ‘Hey, look at this typewriter I found! Look at this glove! Look at the moon!’ Dad, we get it. You’re a normal guy who likes old stuff. Please, for the love of God, hire a social media manager.”
He didn’t stop there. Oh no. He went on to say that his dad’s obsession with vintage typewriters is “pathological” and that he has “more typewriters than common sense.” He even joked that Tom probably has a typewriter in the bathroom. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s typing this interview right now on a Smith Corona while taking a dump,” Colin allegedly quipped.
Now, let’s be real for a second. Is Colin wrong? Absolutely not. Tom Hanks’ social media is a beautiful, wholesome disaster. It’s the digital equivalent of a dad who wears New Balance sneakers and shorts that are way too high. It’s endearing, sure, but it’s also the kind of content that makes you want to grab your dad by the shoulders and scream, “DAD, THAT’S NOT HOW YOU USE A HASHTAG.”
But here’s the kicker: Colin is the one saying this. The man whose entire career has been defined by the fact that his last name is Hanks. The man who has spent decades trying to escape his father’s shadow, only to now roast him in a major international publication. It’s a bold move, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.
The internet, predictably, lost its collective mind. Twitter (or X, whatever you call it now that Elon has run it into the ground) exploded with takes. Some people called Colin a “ungrateful brat” who should “respect his elders.” Others applauded him for finally speaking the truth about the typewriter obsession. A few conspiracy theorists even suggested that this is all a viral marketing stunt for a new father-son project. (Spoiler: It’s probably not. But if it is, well played, Hanks family. Well played.)
Let’s not forget the context here. This is the same Colin Hanks who once said that growing up with Tom Hanks as a dad was “like having a golden retriever for a parent—loving, enthusiastic, but also kind of embarrassing in public.” He’s been dropping these little truth bombs for years, but this latest interview feels different. It feels like he’s done being the polite son. He’s officially entered his “I-don’t-give-a-F” era.
And honestly? Good for him. Imagine having to share a last name with the most beloved man in America. Every time you do something cool, people say, “Oh, just like his dad!” Every time you mess up, people say, “Wow, he’s no Tom Hanks.” It must be exhausting. So if Colin wants to go on a press tour and roast his dad’s social media habits, I say let the man cook.
But here’s the twist: Tom Hanks, being Tom Hanks, will almost certainly respond to this with grace and humor. He’ll probably tweet something like, “My son says my Twitter is garbage. He’s not wrong. Love you, Colin. #TypewriterGang.” And then everyone will cry and hug and remember that the Hanks family is basically the royal family of wholesomeness, and this whole drama is just a blip in their perfect, golden existence.
In the meantime, Colin is out here doing the Lord’s work. He’s reminding us that even the children of gods have
Final Thoughts
Having watched Colin Hanks navigate the shadow of his father’s legendary career for decades, it’s clear he’s carved out a far more interesting path than mere nepotism allows. His work—from the quiet desperation of *Orange County* to the haunting docu-series *Tower*—reveals a performer and director obsessed with the unglamorous, specific details of American life, a stark contrast to the Hollywood epic. Ultimately, Hanks’s greatest achievement may be that he’s earned our attention on his own terms, proving that a famous surname can be a springboard, not a sentence.