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Chet Hanks stars as basketball star and amateur rapper Travis Bugg in Netflix’s Running Point
The actor opens up to PEOPLE about taking on the role and why he had to “method” act in order to portray him effectively
Sober for more than three years now, Hanks — who is the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson — also credits his friendship with bandmate Drew Arthur, who is sober as well, for keeping him accountable
Chet Hanks is getting real about his most recent acting role.
In February, Hanks — who is also half of country music duo Something Out West — simultaneously had the No. 1 show on Netflix with Mindy Kaling’s comedy Running Point and a new single “Leaving Hollywood” on the airwaves.
Now, as he celebrates a brand new EP by the same name, Hanks tells PEOPLE his success is all thanks to “perfect timing. It doesn’t surprise me,” he says, “That’s how God works.”
Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix
Chet Hanks as Travis Bugg in Episode 106 of Running Point
Hanks had to “do a full method” acting process to step into the shoes of his Running Point character, Travis Bugg.
Inspired by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, Running Point follows Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson), who is suddenly tasked with taking over her family’s business: the Los Angeles Waves. Hanks, 34, played Waves basketball star and amateur rapper Travis Bugg, a role that he jokes “was a real stretch.”
“When I first got the audition, it said he’s tatted up. He’s a wannabe rapper, and he’s just like a complete media liability. I said, ‘I have no idea how I’m going to pull this off. I’m going to have to really get in character, maybe do a full method, Daniel Day Lewis, because obviously I’m nothing like that,'” he quips. “Hopefully I did it justice.”
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Hanks made headlines in the past for his drug use and subsequent journey to sobriety, both of which he’s been candid about.
In an August 2024 episode of The Surreal Life, the actor, who is the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, recalled hitting “rock bottom” after going on a “three-day coke binge” before returning to rehab.
“I just knew, man, if I don’t change my life in a drastic way, either I’m not even going to be around or something bad, so bad, is going to happen that my life might as well be over,” he said at the time.
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Chet Hanks with parents Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at the ‘Masters of the Air’ world premiere in L.A. on January 10, 2024
The artist has been sober for more than three years now, and he tells PEOPLE that his friendship with bandmate Drew Arthur, who is also sober, helps keep him accountable.
“I’m not going to do some stuff, because he’s not going to. But even if I didn’t have him, I still wouldn’t,” Hanks explains. “You don’t want to let yourself down. You don’t want to let your buddy down. I got a lot of other friends too, we both do, that are sober. It’s a lot of people. Bigger than us.”
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Running Point is available to stream now on Netflix.
Read the original article on People
