In 2025 Chet Hanks shook off the mantle of nepo baby when he broke through with a beautiful performance in the Kate Hudson comedy Running Point. Chet played Travis Bugg, a problematic but talented point guard whose antics often cause issues for the team as he also pursues a career as an underground artist, but for whom Kate's Isla Gordon has a soft spot.
The year also saw him release new music, pivoting to country-rock as part of the duo "Something Out West" with Drew Arthur, and Chet has now revealed that he has been receiving wisdom from the biggest name in country music right now, Jelly Roll.
"Jelly, he's the best, he's really great," Chet told HELLO! "I think he's there as a resource if I need advice, and I appreciate that."
Jelly Roll is perhaps the perfect mentor for Chet as both have transformed their images through vulnerability. Chet has been sober for over four years, and Jelly has been vocal about how he turned his life around after years in prison and battling drug addiction.
"I have a lot of music that we haven't released yet and it's been a time issue with having to film and everything, but when my schedule opens up, I'll be pursuing that," he added of when fans can expect a new EP, speaking at Clarins’ Sugar & Shine Galentine’s Affair in Los Angeles on Thursday, January 29.
Chet, 35, discovered country music in his 20s and has been inspired by "a lot of the older guys – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash – but I like the newer guys too, I really like Jason Aldean and obviously, Jelly Roll."
He says he and Drew never intentionally pursued a country sound, but "it just kind of worked out that way; we started making songs in that style and we really loved them, so we just continued to do country."
The band are known for a blend of personal songwriting with energetic, rock-influenced melodies, recalling the California country wave of the 1970s. For Chet, music is "another form of expression," sharing that "acting is one way to express yourself but music is another".
Something Out West signed with Big Machine Records in early 2025 and released their first song "Leaving Hollywood," to warm reviews.
"I wrote this song five years ago," said Drew at the time. "It was largely inspired by all the years I wanted to move to Nashville, but couldn’t make the move yet. But it took on a new meaning in so many ways in terms of a lot of what Chet and I had each been through personally."
Chet's father Tom Hanks appeared in the music video for their second single, "You Better Run," with Cher recreating iconic scenes from the 1994 Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump, including the famous bench scene where Chet sits beside Forrest himself, with Tom reprising the role of the titular character.
Chet has been really open about the "double-edged sword" of being a nepo baby.
"I'm very blessed. I got to do a lot of cool [expletive] that a lot of people don't get the opportunity to do. I got to travel the world, stay in nice hotels, fly in private planes," he once told fans in a YouTube video. "On top of fame already being toxic, I wasn't even famous, I was just the son of somebody famous, so I hadn't even done anything to deserve any sort of recognition," he continued.
Chet, who remains close to both of his parents, admitted that while his dad was "beloved", people would make false assumptions about him, which "created a lot of contempt for me."
Running Point has recently wrapped production on season two and Chet would not be drawn on what fans can expect.
When asked if there was a character development he wanted to see for Travis after season one, he shared: "I can't say because it happens in season two!"