Tom Hanks defends 'nepo babies' and denies his role in casting his son in new movie

Tom Hanks has once again defended 'nepo babies' and denied being the decision maker behind his son being cast in his new movie.

Last week, the Saving Private Ryan star weighed in on the 'nepo babies' conversation, which has come into focus once more following a recent feature on the matter in New York magazine.

In the article, a number of celebrities were slapped with the label given to the offspring of well-known names, whose family links are thought to have helped them get ahead in Hollywood.

Celebs on the list included Stranger Things star Maya Hawke, the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and Jack Quaid, whose famous parents are Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.

Other big names included Lily Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, and Kate Hudson, whose parents are actors Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson.

Hanks was asked about the debate in an interview with Reuters via The Sun, as some people have suggested his kids – Colin, Elizabeth, Chet and Truman – may have similarly benefitted in the entertainment business thanks to their well known father.

The question seemed especially apt as Hanks' youngest son Truman, 27, appears in his dad's latest flick A Man Called Otto.

However, the 66-year-old star defended himself and said they're a 'family business'.

"If we were a plumbing supply business or if we ran the florist shop down the street, the whole family would be putting in time at some point, even if it was just inventory at the end of the year," he explained.

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And in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Hollywood heavyweight weighed in on the conversation once more and suggested that he was not responsible for his son's role in the comedy movie.

"I think my kids are all like Renaissance artists, you know? [They] are good at whatever they choose to be," he told the outlet.

"But the question here is, can you make it stick?

"You've got to have a passion, you've got to have a drive. And yeah, our household has existed in the company town that is Los Angeles."

Hanks went on to say that being successful is 'a combination of talent, perseverance, drive, and no small amount of luck'.

He continued: "Now, without a doubt, we had a director who said, 'Well, why can't your kid play you at an early age?' And that would make sense because we do resemble each other a lot.

"But the final analysis is the person has to show up on the day and hit the marks and tell the truth. Only he can make that decision. It was totally up to him."

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Although he's happy for Truman to join him in the flick, the Cast Away star wasn't too keen on the idea of doing a project with his entire family.

When asked about this by ET, he replied: "No, because I don't want it to be work. I'd like to, you know, I'd like to take a camping trip across the country altogether.

"I don't think any of us want to have to show up at a call time and, you know, and ask the question, 'How many shots before lunch?' Nobody wants to do that."