Chet Hanks Had ‘Full Support’ From His Parents to Join Cast of ‘The Surreal Life’

Chet Hanks will appear on the small screen as a housemate on The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets — and his famous parents are on board.Chet, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson “were supportive” of his decision to join the cast of the MTV reality series. (Tom, 68, is also the father of son Colin Hanks and daughter Elizabeth Ann Hanks, whom he welcomed with late wife Samantha Lewes.)

“The Surreal Life is a different kind of show. It’s not messy and negative,” Chet explained. “It's more about personal growth and relationships with people and vulnerability. It's a completely different type of reality TV. I had full support in doing it.”

As an actor, rapper and YouTuber, Chet has appeared in recurring roles on TV series Empire, Shameless and Your Honor, as well as scoring guest roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Atlanta. The Surreal Life is Chet’s first foray into an unscripted reality series, and he hoped to give it his all.

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“I was trying to get the most out of the experience and just be honest and transparent and I did. I did get a lot out of it,” he said of filming. “It was a great experience for me.”

Chet has already caught the attention of Surreal Life fans after teasers for the season showed him getting flirty with Bravo alum Kim Zolciak Biermann, who is estranged from her husband, Kroy Biermann. After calling her a “MILF,” a short clip showed what appeared to be Chet and Zolciak Biermann, 46, snuggling in bed, but an insider exclusively told Us that the trailer is not what it seems.

“They were flirting. They didn’t hook up, but there was definitely an attraction between them,” the insider said in October 2023. “[Kim] thinks he’s good-looking.”

There’s nothing but good vibes between Chet and Zolciak Biermann, who called her costar a “good guy” and admitted they had an immediate attraction while speaking exclusively with Us.

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“Yes, he has a nice body, but it’s just kind of his vibe and what he puts off and his energy,” she told Us earlier this month. “He had made me a protein shake right away. I adore him. I’ve gotten to know him throughout The Surreal Life and even more recently and he’s great.”

The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star revealed that she had to ask her 27-year-old daughter, Brielle Biermann, who Chet even was.

“I did not know who he was when I walked into the house,” she admitted. “I stepped outside to FaceTime Brielle and I said, ‘There’s some guy named Chet here’ and she was like, ‘There’s only one Chet’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ She’s like, ‘It’s Chet Hanks.’ Who’s Chet Hanks? She’s like, ‘Mom, Tom Hanks, his son.’”

The admiration is mutual, as Chet told Us about Kim, “Kim is just cool as hell. She’s funny. She’s got that, like, attitude. I just knew that we would get along right from the jump and we did. Kim was awesome.”

MTV’s Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets returns for an all-new season on Tuesday, July 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Reporting by Mike Vulpo