Whether he’s in the studio or in front of the Netflix cameras, Chet Hanks is all about stretching his creativity muscle — especially if it includes a possible collaboration with his mom, Rita Wilson.
“I can’t afford her,” Hanks, 35, exclusively told Us Weekly of possibly working alongside his mother on Saturday, January 31, while attending the Clive Davis Pre-Grammys Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
“I’d probably have to sign my life away,” he jokingly added of his mom’s affordability, before dishing on what type of collaboration he would be interested in.
“I don’t know, maybe we’ll have to do, like, a really ratchet, like, strip club song or something,” he continued. “I don’t know. You never know. I think she’s got it in her.”
Wilson, 69, who shares Chet and his brother Truman Hanks with husband and famed actor Tom Hanks, attended Saturday’s event alongside her son, who opened up to Us about how inspiring his mother has been in his own career. (Tom also shares son Colin Hanks and daughter Elizabeth Hanks with his ex-wife, Samantha Lewes.)
“It inspired me that she’s just, like, really gone for it,” Chet told Us on Saturday. “And I just think that you have to have that drive, and I could learn a lot from that, you know? I’m, like, I’m kind of torn between acting and music. My time commitments are kind of my obstacle.”
Chet Hanks and Rita Wilson Getty Images
He added, “You know, you really have to give 100 percent to whatever you’re doing, and I’m trying to give 100 percent to two things. But yeah, so I think it just requires you just to double down on your grind.”
Chet’s family has been by his side through his various ups and downs, including his public struggle with alcohol and substance abuse. In March 2025, the Running Point star talked to Us about what it meant to celebrate three years of sobriety.
“Everything. Everything,” he told Us at the time. “If I wasn’t sober, none of these opportunities would even be possible.”
He continued, “My advice is if you think you might have a problem, then you do have a problem. Because if you’re thinking about it, the chances are that you can make a change and you just need to stop thinking and just do it.”
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On Saturday, Chet told Us that his past experiences is one of the reasons why he also draws inspiration from singer Jelly Roll, who has also been open about his previous substance abuse issues.
“Well, I’ve never worked with him, but I know him,” Chet said. “I’m really grateful to know him. He’s been really friendly and nice, and he’s inspired me just because he’s kind of an outsider to country music. And now he’s on top of it.”
He continued, “But you know, coming from … [I] think we kind of have some similar things in our past and our history and stuff, and it’s just awesome to see somebody break out in such a way, coming kind of from the outside of it.”
