Tom Hanks’ Daughter Shatters the Myth of the “Perfect Hollywood Childhood” in Gut-Wrenching Memoir
When the daughter of one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars picks up a pen and starts pulling at the seams of her past, the result can be compelling. But The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road by E.A.
Hanks isn’t just compelling—it’s a revelation. Behind the red carpets and charming press junkets, Elizabeth Anne Hanks lays bare a childhood riddled with emotional fractures, buried pain, and the quiet chaos that shaped her life in the shadow of fame.
And yes—her father, Tom Hanks, has read it. And his response? Brutally honest and deeply human.
The House Was Grand—But the Pain Was Real
At first glance, the world E.A. grew up in sounds picturesque. A white-columned house. A swimming pool. Horse posters lining her walls. But beyond that suburban facade, the cracks were already forming.
By her own words, the house “began to rot.” The pool became inaccessible. The fridge sat either empty or stocked with expired food. Her mother, Samantha Lewes—Tom Hanks’ first wife—drifted deeper into isolation, often staying in bed reading the Bible for hours, possibly struggling with undiagnosed mental illness.
From ages 5 to 14, Elizabeth lived in Sacramento under her mother’s primary custody, while occasional visits with her father and his new family grew increasingly rare. It was, she writes, a period marked by “confusion, violence, deprivation—and love.”
A Vanishing Act That Left Her Father Searching
One of the most jarring revelations in The 10 is a story that sounds more like a movie plot than a memory: one day, Tom Hanks showed up to pick his kids up from school—only to discover they were gone.
“We hadn’t been at school for two weeks,” E.A. writes. Her mother had suddenly moved the family from Los Angeles to Sacramento—without telling their father. “He had to track us down,” she later told PEOPLE. For a man accustomed to navigating fictional worlds, the real-life mystery of his children’s disappearance was a gut-punch.
Tom Hanks Responds—Not with Defensiveness, but with Grace
Hollywood stars rarely comment on personal exposés—especially when written by their own children. But when asked about his daughter’s memoir at the premiere of The Phoenician Scheme, the 68-year-old actor didn’t shy away.
“It’s a point of pride,” Hanks said. “What she’s written is raw and honest. It’s not easy to look at your own story under a microscope—especially when your last name comes with public expectations.”
He acknowledged that the journey wasn’t pretty. “We all come from cracked places,” he added. “Even the ones who grow up with what looks like privilege.”
And then, in classic Hanks fashion, he closed with warmth: “She’s a knockout—always has been.”
Reclaiming the Narrative
Though E.A. Hanks has long stayed out of the spotlight (save for a few acting roles in her teens), this book marks her official debut as a literary voice to watch. She says the idea for the memoir emerged during a soul-searching six-month road trip in 2019—echoing a similar journey she once took with her mother as a teenager along Interstate 10.
That first road trip was chaotic, emotional, and unforgettable. This second one, years later, became the catalyst for something more permanent: a reckoning.
More Than a Celebrity Memoir—A Mirror for Many
The 10 isn’t just about a famous last name or a difficult mother-daughter dynamic. It’s about what happens when we stop glossing over the hard parts. It’s about how silence can shape you—and how speaking up can set you free.
Through vulnerability and unflinching clarity, E.A. Hanks reclaims her own story—not to place blame, but to process, to reflect, and ultimately, to heal. Her honesty resonates not because she’s a Hollywood insider, but because her experience echoes that of countless others who’ve grown up hiding emotional bruises behind polite smiles.
Final Thought
E.A. Hanks’ The 10 is a bold, eloquent dismantling of the myth of the “perfect” family—particularly one draped in Hollywood lights.
It’s a memoir of survival, of identity, and of untangling love from damage. And in telling her truth so fearlessly, she hasn’t just found her voice—she’s opened the door for others to find theirs too.
As for Tom Hanks? He’s not just standing by her. He’s listening.