Chet Hanks, the 35-year-old son of Hollywood legend Tom Hanks and actress Rita Wilson, has traded traditional living for a Jayco Eagle RV in a Nashville trailer park. The actor and musician, who fronts the country band Something Out West, explained his unconventional housing choice during an April 28 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. "I didn't want to do that again." After initially renting homes and hotels, he found the arrangement tiresome and opted for an RV after staying in an Airstream on a trip to Northern California. The mobile home, he noted, comes with a kitchen and a walk-in shower—"a big deal in trailers."
Chet, who is the youngest resident by decades, praised the community atmosphere. "It's all just retirees—great people," he quipped, dispelling the stereotype of "sketchy" trailer parks.
The move has paid off professionally: Chet's band recently performed at the Stagecoach country music festival, with his father Tom Hanks cheering from the crowd. Social media videos show the Oscar winner bopping along to the set. "It was only our second performance ever," Chet admitted. "I was nervous."
Tom Hanks has previously spoken about balancing parenthood with fame, telling The New York Times in 2019, "The only thing a parent can do is say I love you, there's nothing you can do wrong... I will do anything to keep you safe."