Who is Elizabeth Ann Hanks?
Elizabeth Ann Hanks is a writer, producer, and actress, but who is probably best recognized as the daughter of the legendary actor Tom Hanks. She was born under the Zodiac sign Taurus on 17 May 1982, in Los Angeles, California, USA. As of early 2022, she’s 38 years old and holds American nationality.
Early life and Family
Elizabeth was born into a family rooted in the entertainment business. While her father is a household name and widely recognized across the globe, Elizabeth’s mother, Samantha Lewis, was also an actress, perhaps best recognized for her roles in the movies “Mr. Success” and “Bosom Buddies”.
Her parents were high school sweethearts, married in a private ceremony in 1978, but divorced in 1987, so Elizabeth spent most of her childhood bouncing between her mother’s and father’s place.
Unfortunately, her mother died on 12 March 2002 due to bone cancer, after battling the nasty disease for a couple years.
Elizabeth was raised alongside her five-years-older brother, Colin Hanks, who followed in his father’s footsteps and launched a successful acting career, best known for the roles in popular movies such as “Orange County”, “King Kong”, and “The Great Buck Howard”. Elizabeth also has two step-brothers, Chet and Truman Hanks, from her father’s marriage to the actress Rita Wilson.
Education
Elizabeth matriculated in 2001 from the Los Angeles-based private Archer School of Girls, and enrolled at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland to study literature. However, after a year, she transferred to the prestigious Vassar College in New York, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Literature.
Elizabeth and her classmate had the honor to have their commencement address delivered by Tom Hanks, who shared some insights and advice for their future career plans and post-college life, saying: ‘Please be willing to help. Help, and you will make a huge impact on the life of the street, the town, the country, and our planet. Help publicly. Help privately. Help in your actions by recycling and conserving and protecting, but help also in your attitude. ‘
Career as an actress
Considering that Elizabeth hailed from a Hollywood family, and spent some time around movie sets, it was natural for her to at least try acting. During her childhood and formative years, she had small parts in her father’s movies; she made her movie debut in 1994, portraying a schoolgirl in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful comedy-drama movie “Forest Gump”.
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In 1996 she made a brief appearance in the comedy movie “That Thing You Do”, directed and produced by father Tom.
During her adulthood, she portrayed Paula in the 2015 short film entitled “Anchoraged”. Regarding her latest projects, in 2019 she produced the short fantasy movie “This World & The Next”. Elizabeth also made one-episode appearances in TV series such as “Big City Greens” and “City Kitties: The Article”. However, ultimately she chose not to continue with an acting career, perhaps having a change of heart after witnessing the consequences it might have on one’s social and private life. In an interview, Tom talked about how overwhelming and time-consuming it could get, disclosing: ‘I start thinking about mistakes I made with my own kids, not explaining things or not being there for them. Or being so preoccupied with other things that are going on in our adult world. My son Colin was born when I was very young, as well as my daughter.’
Career as a writer
Putting her literary studies to good use, Elizabeth began her writing career with numerous publications, such as “Vanity Fair”, “The Guardian”, “Buzzfeed”, and “Time” under the name E.A. Hanks. Additionally, she served as an associate news editor at “The Huffington Post” and “Los Angeles Review of Books”. For a couple of years, she has been working on her first children’s novel entitled “Piper Peregrine Vs. The Consortium for Better Thinking”, which is set to be published in 2023.
In 2021, she shared on her Instagram account that she wrote an essay “Notes on Native Daughters” about Sacramento for the “Lady Bird” Screenplay Book. Elizabeth is represented by Creative Authors Ltd, the dynamic boutique agency for writers and illustrators.
Personal Life
Elizabeth has kept most of her romantic life away from the public’s eye, and her dating history remains a mystery.
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According to several media outlets, in 2010 she married a man whose identity remains unknown, reportedly spending their honeymoon in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
It seems that the two have been living a happy life away from the limelight. In an interview, she disclosed that she didn’t plan on having children, but thoroughly enjoys being an aunt.
What is her net worth?
As of 2022, Elizabeth’s estimated net worth is around $1 million, acquired through her numerous endeavors as an actress, producer, and writer. On the other hand, her father’s wealth is around $400 million, which he’s earned through his career in the entertainment industry, now spanning four decades.
Physical stats and Hobbies
Elizabeth is 5ft 6ins (167cm) and weighs around 140lbs (64kgs). Her natural hair is long brown, further adorned with blue eyes.
In her free time, she likes to travel and read books, and often recommends books on her Instagram, such as “Eichmann in Jerusalem”, and “The Origins of Totalitarianism” by Hannah Arendt.
A creative individual, Elizabeth likes drawing and shares her drawings on her social media- such as “Subway sketch”, “Horny sketch”, “Oh, hey Tuesday!” compositions
Her favorite actors include her father, Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise, while she cites “Top Gun”, “Maleficent”, and “Sleepless in Seattle” as favorite films.
Her Religious Outlook
When it comes to religion, Elizabeth, who previously adhered to Catholicism, disclosed in an article that she no longer felt as a Christian, revealing: ‘My own journey as a born again Christian began with my troubled mother, who had converted as part of her struggle for sobriety. As a 10-year-old, A Time to Cherish spoke to me deeply as about the struggle of trying to lead a “Christ First” life in a “Satan Based” world’. She considers herself out of religion, and an atheist.
Is she active on social media?
Elizabeth is mostly active on her Twitter account, with over 14,000 followers, while her Instagram has over 8,000 fans. She uses her social media to share her upcoming projects, and political views.
Briefly about Tom Hanks
California-native Tom Hanks is one of the most known and recognizable faces of Hollywood, earning more than 260 nominations for various awards, including six Oscars, of which he’s won two.
He launched his career in 1980 in the slasher film “He Knows You’re Alone”, followed by his performances in the movie “Mazes and Monsters” and the series “Bosom Buddies”. Tom landed his breakthrough role in 1988, portraying Joshua Baskin in the commercially successful comedy film “Big”, which established him as a new Hollywood star. However, he then starred in a number of box office underperformers, and it seemed that his career took a downward direction.
Luckily, in 1992 he was cast in the sports comedy-drama movie “A League of Their Own”, which smashed at the box office, and won the hearts of numerous fans. He then followed it up with another cult classic, “Sleepless in Seattle”, sharing the screen with Meg Ryan. This romantic comedy became a huge success, grossing over $220 million at the box, and earning four awards and 19 nominations.
Building his profile, in 1994, he landed his widely recognized role as Forrest Gump in the eponymous movie, which is considered as one of the greatest creations and accomplishments in the film industry. Interestingly, this is the second movie in which Tom Hanks starred that was selected for preservation at the National Film Registry for its cultural, historical and aesthetical significance, the first being “A League of Their Own”. The movie won six Academy Awards in various categories, with Tom scooping his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Tom continued the string of commercially successful movies and projects, including “Saving Private Ryan”, “Apollo 13“, and “ You’ve Got Mail”. He kicked off the new millennium starring in the survival drama “Cast Away”, winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, and nomination for an Oscar. His other notable roles include the movies “Catch Me If You Can”, “The Terminal”, and “The Polar Express”.
In 2006 he starred in the “Da Vinci Code” based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, which became a hit across the globe and sparked two sequels – “Angels and Demons”(2009) and Inferno”(2016), starring Tom as the main character.
He is also credited for performances in the 2013 biographical movie “Captain Phillips”, 2015 drama “Bridge of Spies”, and 2016 biographical drama “Sully”. Regarding his latest role, in 2020, he starred in the western drama “News of the World”.
