Tom Hanks’ Son Truman’s First Shot on Film Ever Was Extremely Difficult

Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of his generation. When he retires, he will leave a lasting legacy of some of the most successful movies, including Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and the Toy Story franchise.

But the Hanks legacy won’t end when he stops acting because his offspring is also getting into the industry, beginning with oldest son Colin’s debut in 1996’s That Thing You Do. Truman, Hanks’ youngest son, is also now getting into acting. His first shot on film was not easy to create.

Tom Hanks works with son Truman Hanks on ‘A Man Called Otto’

Tom stars as Otto Andersen in the 2022 comedy-drama A Man Called Otto. Truman also appears in the film as a younger version of the character.

Truman is no stranger to Hollywood, having served in behind-the-scenes production roles on several movies and TV shows. But he’d never acted on camera before his role as young Otto. So the 27-year-old is getting into acting later than many people.

Truman Hanks discusses playing a younger version of his father

Tom appeared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to discuss the movie, and Truman’s involvement was one of the topics. The actor revealed that director Marc Forster suggested using Truman for the role due to his resemblance to his father.

Tom and his wife, Rita Wilson, both producers on the project, decided to leave it up to Truman whether he wanted to do it. Truman, who wants to become a cinematographer, gave the thumbs up and got his first acting gig.

In an interview with People, Truman discussed what it was like playing a younger version of Tom. He joked that he and his siblings have “mastered the art of imitating” their famous dad. Truman discussed that other people don’t think his imitation is actually how Tom sounds because they’re used to hearing him in movies. But, according to Truman, he hears “this grumpy old man who’s mad at the DVD player.”

Truman’s first scene in ‘A Man Called Otto’ is one of the most difficult

When Tom learned that Truman’s first scene would involve a date, his reaction to his son was “welcome to the show, my friend. Welcome to the big leagues, that is what is asked of you sometimes.”

Elaborating on that reaction, the two-time Oscar winner says it was such a difficult scene to shoot on Truman’s first day because it was “the most important scene as his character in that part of the movie.” Actors typically don’t get those scenes on their first day of filming, especially for a first-timer like Truman.

‘A Man Called Otto’ elicits positive reactions from critics and moviegoers

Most of Tom’s movies throughout his legendary career have received nearly all positive reactions from critics and viewers alike. This latest entry on his filmography is no different.

As of this writing, the movie has a 69% rating from 168 critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience response is even more overwhelmingly positive. With more than 1,000 verified ratings, A Man Called Otto has garnered a 97% audience rating on the popular review website.

Digging into what the site’s top critics are saying about the movie, Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Richard Roeper doesn’t just praise Tom’s work but also the ensemble’s performances. He calls it “another memorable performance from the veteran actor, backed by a crackling good supporting cast.”

ReelViews critic James Berardinelli raves that Tom’s work is “probably his best since News of the World” and it “is the glue that holds everything together.”