Tom Hanks' brother lives very different life worlds apart from acting legend but still has 'stage name'
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Tom Hanks' brother Larry has built an award-winning career far from the Hollywood spotlight, but he apparently still insists that his family call him by one name in particular at home.
Toy Story voice actor Hanks grew up in Northern California with his three siblings - brothers Jim and Larry Hanks, and sister Sandra Hanks Benoiton.
While all four siblings went on to enjoy successful careers, Larry, 73, chose a far more low-key route away from the flashing cameras of tv and film.
Tom's older brother happens to be a retired entomology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and had been loyal to the institution since he began working there in 1996.
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The niche field focuses on a branch of zoology dedicated to the scientific study of insects.
And while his acclaimed brother has won 53 major awards, including two Academy Awards and seven Emmy Awards, Larry has also received numerous awards for his academic work, including the National Recognition Award in Urban Entomology from the Entomological Society of America in 2000.
He specifically taught students about insect behavior, chemical ecology, plant-insect interactions, and invasive species, as per his lab page.
Despite retiring, the 73-year-old continues to co-author and publish active research papers on insect chemical ecology, specifically relating to longhorned beetles.
In 2017, Tom joked on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2017 that his brother 'insists on being called' by a particular name around the house. Akin to stars having a stage name, Larry apparently requests he go by 'Professor Lawrence'.
Tom also recalled crossing paths with a group of entomology students who were far more interested in his brother than in the actor, despite his legendary status.
"I said, 'Well, I'm Tom Hanks'. And they said, 'Yeah, and your brother is Dr. Larry Hanks'.
"So I was like the famous guy’s brother, you know, at the thing. And it rattled me just a tiny bit. And my brother Jim is still angry about it, and my sister Sandra still can’t quite believe it."
Speaking about having an older brother, Tom admitted: "He found his way many, many a day ago to keep me humble when I was growing up."
Growing up, the actor's family life was anything but settled. Their dad Amos worked as a traveling cook and was even distantly related to former US President Abraham Lincoln, while their mom, Janet, juggled a part-time job at a hospital.