If Tom Hanks is ‘America's Dad,’ who would be its ‘Cool Uncle’?
One actor clearly won the debate.

"Weird Al" Yankovic, Matthew McConaughey and Snoop Dogg
Tom Hanks’ wholesome, relatable and reassuring on-screen presence has been said by many to have fatherlike qualities. Over the years, Hanks’ portrayal of genuine, honest characters in films such as “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Cast Away” has etched him into the heart of many Americans, earning him the endearing title "America's Dad."
Further, Hanks’ off-screen personality closely tracks many of his “everyman” characters, solidifying his reputation as a father figure. And the fact that he’s maintained this reputation in the cutthroat world of Hollywood is a true feat, given the number of years he’s been in the limelight.
So, if Tom Hanks is “America’s Dad,” who in popular culture could take the role of “America’s Cool Uncle”? You know, the guy who gives you your first sip of beer, introduces you to great music and has conversations with you that dad was too embarrassed to discuss.
A Reddit user named Galactic Splurge posed the question to the AskReddit subforum, and over 6,500 people chimed in with their thoughts. “If Tom Hanks is America’s Dad, who would be America’s cool Uncle?” they asked.
So, to determine the winner of the great uncle debate, I looked at the number of upvotes each suggestion received and then ranked the top 15. It’s not the most scientific way of doing things, but it gives us a pretty good idea about who people think should win the award.
The funny thing is that the results weren't even close. Actor and musician Jack Black had around five times the number of upvotes over second place. Who else made the list? Here are the top 15 most popular responses for who should be America’s favorite “Cool Uncle.”
1. Jack Black
"This is the only correct answer." — _HuntressWizard
2. Matthew McConaughey
"Like... Uncle Matt is DEFINITELY the guy to set up a bonfire for you when you're 16." — pm_me_your_clippings
4. Robin Williams
"He is the fun uncle that you have sweet memories of as a child and teenager but then passed away. But every time someone brings them up, it’s never sad, it’s just 'remember when Uncle Robin used to….' and everyone laughs and smiles." — Sandvich48
5. Danny DeVito
"I was just going to say no he’s more like Nana's new friend we just call Uncle Danny," — sew_u_thnk_ur_a_hero
6. "Weird Al" Yankovic
"'Weird Al' is your mom’s wacky cousin who makes every party a good time." — KiribakuFriend
8. Snoop Dogg
"The uncle that you go on walks with during family get-togethers, same come back all bleary-eyed." — Bonnedraco
9. Keanu Reeves
"Rides motorcycles, plays with weapons, knows martial arts, is humble and genuinely kind. Definitely the cool uncle." — Phil_MyNuts
10. Bill Murray
"He's the uncle who seems really cool when you're a kid but once you're an adult, you realize that he's a drunk and there's a reason why he keeps getting remarried and divorced." — Yellow_Vespa_Is_Black
11. Paul Rudd
"I still feel like Paul Rudd is the corny friend you’ve known since childhood and comes up with weird nicknames like Jobin or City Slicka." — Sandvich48
12. Dave Grohl
"I was watching Dave Grohl interviews one day, my son was 10 at the time and I didn't realize he was paying attention to the TV. He asked me later that day, 'Can we please watch 'the nice man' again?' Dave is forever known as 'The Nice Man' in my house." — Background_Ad5873
13. Woody Harrelson
"I had a dream that he married my aunt and bought me a Nintendo during his ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ era. I’ve called him Uncle Woody ever since. This is the only answer." — DJTrpTrp59
14. Jeff Goldblum
"A lot of the other options here are 'goofy silly uncle who lives one suburb over.' Goldblum is more 'cool uncle who lives in the city and used to hang with rock stars.'" — Pylo_The_Pylon
15. Danny Trejo
"He's the uncle that everyone thinks is intimidating as hell and maybe a gun-runner or something, but it turns out he runs a soup kitchen and reads to kids in the hospital." — Geminii27
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.