Why You Don't Hear As Much About Tom Hanks' Daughter Elizabeth Ann

Tom Hanks is one of the biggest Hollywood actors and has a talented family to boot. The "Forrest Gump" star is married to Rita Wilson, who may be best known for her roles in "Sleepless in Seattle," and "Runaway Bride," per IMDb. The two have one of the longest-running marriages in their industry, having been married since 1988, People reports. Together, they share sons Chester (known as Chet) and Truman Hanks, both of whom are now working in the entertainment industry like their parents.

Fans may not know that Hanks' older children, Colin and Elizabeth Ann Hanks, are not biologically Wilson's kids. The actor had his son and daughter with his late ex-wife, Samantha Lewes, per The U.S. Sun. Colin, now in his 40s, followed in his father's footsteps and has become a well-respected actor. His extensive resumé includes everything from playing a love interest in 2008's "House Bunny" to a role in the "Jumanji" franchise.  While Elizabeth Ann dabbled in acting and even had a minor role in "Forrest Gump," she ultimately decided the acting industry was not for her.

Unlike her siblings and parents, Elizabeth Ann Hanks chose to stay out of the spotlight, instead settling on a more quiet profession. The 40-year-old studied literature at Scotland's University of St. Andrews and then completed her bachelor's degree in English and literature at Vassar College, per Suggest.

During her graduation, Tom Hanks gave the commencement speech and told the graduates, "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. Help make sense where sense has gone missing."

Upon graduating, Elizabeth starred in a few acting roles and produced the short film "This World & the Next." However, she switched her career to writing and has bylines in Vanity Fair, The Guardian, and Time, under her pen name E.A. Hanks. She was also an editor for the Huffington Post and the Los Angeles Review of Books. According to her Twitter, the burgeoning author is set to have a book released sometime this year and her father once gave a touching speech about how proud he was of his family.

Elizabeth Ann Hanks likes to keep a low profile but joined her family at the 2020 Golden Globes, where her father Tom Hanks received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, per Oprah Daily. During his acceptance speech, Hanks gave a nod to his family. "A man is blessed with a family sitting down front like that. A wife who is fantastic in every way ... kids who are braver and stronger and wiser than their old man is ... I can't tell you how much your love means to me," he told the audience.

Elizabeth later shared on her social media, "Team Hanks is proud. I am proud and more than that, lucky to have a father who has taught me to tell the truth. To move forward. That the hang is the best part of circus life, and that to make art is a gift from the Gods."

Hanks had previously told The New York Times how different it was raising his older children compared to his younger two sons. "My son Colin was born when I was very young. As well as my daughter, but that means we have this gestalt understanding because they remember when their dad was just a guy trying to, you know, make the rent," he recalled. He went on to say that he had his other sons when he was more established, which gave them a different lifestyle. With Elizabeth's many accomplishments, Hanks has a lot to be proud of.