Chet Hanks Went to Kate Hudson’s Mafia Parties Before They Were Costars

Kate Hudson and Chet Hanks go way back.

“[Hudson’s family] lives five minutes away from my parents, and Kate used to have these awesome parties at her house where she would invite a bunch of people and play games, specifically Mafia,” Chet, 34, told Bustle in an interview published on Monday, March 10.

This is hardly the first time Hudson’s famous Mafia parties have made headlines. The actress spoke about her star-studded get togethers in 2022 during the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery press tour.

For Chet, however, knowing Hudson via her epic game nights allowed their relationship to eventually translate on screen.

“It makes it easier when you already have a rapport with someone,” he told Bustle. Chet stars as basketball star Travis Bugg alongside Hudson’s Isla Gordon in Netflix’s Running Point, which premiered late last month.

The actor noted during Monday’s interview that he was shocked that the show’s creators, including Mindy Kaling, didn’t have him in mind when writing the part — mostly because of their similarities.

“It was the character description: Travis is the white point guard. He’s covered in tattoos. He’s a wannabe rapper, but he’s a huge liability because of the controversial s— he posts on social media,” Chet recalled. “I literally said to myself, ‘If I don’t get this role, I should just quit.’”

Chet is the famous eldest son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. The couple are also parents to 29-year-old actor Truman Hanks. (Tom, 68, is also a father to son Colin, 47, and daughter Elizabeth, 42, whom he welcomed with late ex-wife Samantha Lewes.)

“My dad’s an actor. My older brother’s an actor. My mom. This was the family business,” he added. “So I [knew] that was something I would go into at some point.”

What he didn’t expect was to be dubbed Tom and Wilson’s controversial son. Chet went viral in 2020 for putting on a fake Jamaican accent on the Golden Globes red carpet and releasing the song “White Boy Summer” the following year. Chet admitted that people were “perplexed” by his actions at the time and acknowledged the “long road” to find success — even with a famous family. (Chet has been sober since 2015, after checking into a rehab for a cocaine addiction.)

“It’s been blood, sweat, and tears, and I don’t take any of it for granted,” he added. “Fortune favors the bold and I just want to keep doing it all.”