Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are one of the most powerful couples in Hollywood. The fairytale romance of these two lovebirds started nearly four decades ago when they crossed paths on the set of ABC’s sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1981.
At first, Hanks and Rita were just friends, since Tom was married to his college sweetheart Samantha Lewes at that point. They made their relationship official in the year 1986. Nearly after 2 years of dating, they tied the knot in 1988 and they have been together ever since then. Keep scrolling further to know everything about the love story of the pair.
1981: Tom Hanks meets Rita Wilson for the first time
Tom and Rita met each for the first time on the set of the American sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1981. Hanks starred in the TV show for a total of 5 seasons. Wilson, for her part, appeared in only 1 episode of the show. At that time, Tom was married to Samantha Lewes. Hanks and Rita initially hit it off as friends.
During a May 2020 interview with Kelly Clarkson, Rita spoke about her first impression of Hanks. Then, she said, “One of the things, when we met, was that we just got along instantly. First of all, I love a good storyteller. So anybody who could tell a good story, I’m down with that. … I love that. He makes me laugh all the time. He’s a great storyteller.”
August 1985: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson star in their first movie together
Tom and Wilson reunited again on set for their first feature together in 1985’s Volunteers. They played lovers in the film. The movie showed their characters starting off as friends and soon after their bond turned romantic.
December 1986: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson make their red carpet debut
Tom and Rita made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of Three Amigos in 1986. However, Hanks and his ex-wife Samantha got divorced in 1987 but they parted ways before he was linked to Wilson.
April 1988: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson tie the knot
Tom and Wilson got married in April 1988. For the big day, Rita opted for an untraditional, short-length wedding dress. On the other hand, Tom wore a black tux. While having a chat with Oprah Winfrey, he said, “The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity, and our willingness to have an intimate connection.”
The Elvis star further added, “When I married Rita, I thought, ‘This is going to require some change on my part.’ I won’t deny that providence was part of us finding each other, but our relationship isn’t magic — the way it’s shown in movies.”
Hanks continued, “In real life, our connection is as concrete as me sitting here. Not that marriage doesn’t come close to being hell in a handbasket sometimes. But we both know that no matter what, we’ll be with each other — and we’ll get through it.”
August 1990: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson welcome their first child together
Two years after getting married, the couple welcomed their first child together, son Chester ‘Chet’ Hanks on August 4, 1990. Chester who is 32 years old now has followed in the footsteps of his famous parents and decided to pursue a career in acting.
Tom and Rita’s son Chet is an actor and rapper. Over the last few years, he has starred in television shows such as Empire, Shameless, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In addition to this, he has also appeared in films including Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Fantastic Four, and Greyhound, alongside his father.
June 1992: Rita Wilson accompanies Tom Hanks at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
In June 1992, Rita was there by her husband Hanks’ side as he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
June 1993: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson reunite for their second film together
Tom and Rita starred in the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle but this time they played siblings rather than lovers. The movie received good feedback from the side of viewers as well as critics.
Sleepless in Seattle bagged two nominations for Academy Awards in the year 1994 in the categories Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. However, the movie lost the Oscar to 1993’s Piano and Philadelphia‘s “Streets of Philadelphia” (another film Tom starred in).
December 1995: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson welcome Baby No. 2
Tom and Rita’s second child joined them earthside in December 1995. Their second child, son Truman Theodore Hanks came into the world on December 26, 1995. Like his starlet parents, he also works in the entertainment industry. Although, instead of acting like his elder brother Chet and his parents, he spends his time behind the camera.
According to his IMDb page, Truman worked in the camera and electrical department of popular TV series and films such as Wrath of Man, Black Widow, and Steven Spielberg’s screen adaptation of West Side Story.
July 1998: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend his hand and footprint ceremony
In July 1998, Rita supported her husband Tom at his hand and footprint ceremony in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in California.
April 2002: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson produce their first film together
After sharing the screen together, Tom and Rita joined hands behind the camera to produce the 2002 romantic comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The couple also served as the executive producers for the sequel of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Along with this, they also executive produced the TV sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life, where Wilson made a small cameo.
June 2006: Tom Hanks supports Rita Wilson during her Broadway debut
Rita Wilson took her acting talent from the screen to the stage when she appeared as Roxie Hart in Chicago in the year 2006. Tom came forward to support his wifey as she made her Broadway debut.
May 2012: Rita Wilson talks about her relationship with her husband Tom Hanks
Over the years, Rita and Tom have expressed their love for each other in several interviews on different occasions. During a 2012 interview with Piers Morgan, Wilson talked about one of the sweetest moments she had with Hanks.
At that time, Rita recalled the moment and said, “I’ll never forget, we were standing on the corner of 57th and 5th in New York, or 58th and 5th. We were holding hands, and we were waiting for the traffic light to change. And he looked at me and he said, ‘You know, I just want you to know, that you never have to change anything about who you are in order to be with me.'”
She gushed over her husband Tom and further added, “Literally, a wave of — if love is a feeling, or a cellular thing that happens to your body — it went through me, and that’s pretty much who he is, and how he’s been.”
April 2015: Tom Hanks supports Rita Wilson during tough times
During a 2015 interview with People magazine, Rita went on to reveal that she had undergone a double mastectomy and reconstruction after being diagnosed with breast cancer. However she was concerned at first about how her husband would react, and she was relieved by his response.
At that time, Wilson told New York Times, “You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this. I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me … who knew it would make you even closer?”
April 2018: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary
In April 2018, Tom and Rita completed 20 years of marital bliss. To celebrate the special occasion, the couple hosted an extravagant party in April 2018.
Many A-listers from Hollywood such as Oprah Winfrey, Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Conan O’Brien, Martin Short, Isla Fisher, and Jimmy Kimmel attended the party hosted by the couple.
March 2019: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend her Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony
In the year 2019, Tom and Rita stepped out for the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony organized for Wilson. During the event, Tom was seen cheering and applauding from the front row. He also joined his wife on stage to give a speech at the podium about her successful career and accomplishments.
March 2020: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson fight Covid-19 together
Tom and Rita weathered Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. During an interview with The Guardian, Rita opened up on her fight with the virus. She stated that contracting it alongside the Forrest Gump star made the health struggle slightly more bearable.
Rita said, “I think that having the virus at the same time made it that little bit easier. We were taking care of each other instead of having the pressure of taking care of one person and no one taking care of you or understanding that the person at home needs a break.”
She further added, “We were fortunate we were in a place where we understood what the other was going through.”
July 2021: Rita Wilson Celebrates Tom Hanks’ Milestone birthday
Rita wished her husband Tom a very happy birthday on the occasion of his 65th birthday with a sweet tribute on the social media platform Instagram. “Riding into 65 better than ever! Happy Birthday to the love of my life! Xox,” she wrote alongside a picture of her husband grinning ear to ear while mounted on a bike on a scenic trail.
June 15, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend an ‘Elvis’ screening
In June 2022, Tom was seen arriving for an exclusive screening of Elvis, and his wife Rita also attended the screening to support her husband. Vogue‘s Anna Wintour and Elvis director Baz Luhrmann hosted the star-studded event in New York City. It was attended by top stars like Tim McGraw, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, and more.
Tom who essayed the role of Colonel Tom Parker in the film, was joined on stage with the rest of the leading cast: Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Yola. Before the commencement of the movie, Hanks, Butler, Luhrmann, and Wintour shared a few opening remarks.
The next day, the couple was clicked by the paps in New York City as Hanks defended Wilson from an aggressive fan.
June 21, 2022: Tom Hanks promotes Rita Wilson’s single with Josh Groban
Rita has stood by Tom’s side over his press tour for Elvis, the actor showed his support for his wife and her musical endeavor. Hanks even took to social media to promote the song of his wife. He described the track as a “hit record.” Rita released a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic, “Songbird,” featuring special guest Josh Groban.
September 7, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the ‘Pinocchio’ premiere
In September 2022, Tom and Rita hit the red carpet together at the world premiere of the live-action Pinocchio. Hanks plays the role of Geppetto in the film. The duo also had a chat with the reporters about seeing the 1940 animated film come alive in a different way.
November 19, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the Governors Awards
Tom and Wilson attended the 13th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles on November 19, 2022. For the event, Hanks looked cool in a black suit and tie, while Wilson dazzled in a plunging sequin gown.
December 13, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend ‘A Man Named Otto’ premiere in Stockholm
Making the film A Man Named Otto was a family affair for the Hanks family. Tom played the titular character of Otto in the film, meanwhile, Rita donned the producer’s hat and their son Truman Hanks portrayed the role of a twenty-something version of Otto.
During a Q&A at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Tom joked around and said, “For 365 nights, I slept with the producer to get the part.” At the Stockholm premiere of the film, the trio walked the red carpet together. Rita stunned in a silver dress, while Tom and Truman looked dapper in black suits.
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