Since Tom was still married to Samantha Lewes, his college love, Hanks and Rita began as just friends. In the year 1986, they formally constituted their partnership. They got married in 1988, about two years after they started dating, and have been together ever since. To learn everything there is to know about the couple’s love journey, keep scrolling.
1981: Tom Hanks meets Rita Wilson for the first time
On the set of the American sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1981, Tom and Rita first came into contact with one another. The TV show featured Hanks for a total of 5 seasons. Wilson, on the other hand, took part in just one episode of the programme. Tom was wed to Samantha Lewes at the time. Rita and Hanks originally clicked as pals.
Rita discussed her first impression of Hanks with Kelly Clarkson in an interview that she gave in May 2020. She continued, “One of the things about when we met was that we really clicked. I adore a good storytelling, first and foremost. I’m down with anyone who can tell a fantastic narrative, thus I adore it. He constantly makes me chuckle. He tells fantastic stories.
August 1985: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson star in their first movie together
On the set of Volunteers, their first feature film together in 1985, Tom and Wilson once more crossed paths. In the movie, they had romantic roles. The movie revealed how their relationships began as friends and quickly developed into romance.
December 1986: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson make their red carpet debut
At the 1986 Three Amigos film premiere, Tom and Rita appeared together for the first time on the red carpet. Hanks and Samantha, his ex-wife, split in 1987, but they did so before he was associated with Wilson.
April 1988: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson tie the knot
Wilson and Tom were wed in April 1988. Rita chose an unconventional, short-length wedding gown for the big day. Tom, though, was dressed in a black tux. He stated, “The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity, and our willingness to have an intimate connection,” while speaking with Oprah Winfrey.
The former Elvis Presley singer continued, “When I married Rita, I knew that I would have to alter. While I won’t dispute that serendipity played a role in our meeting, our relationship isn’t magical like it is in movies.
“In real life, our relationship is as tangible as me sitting here,” Hanks concluded. Not that marriage doesn’t occasionally resemble torment on earth. However, we are both aware that no matter what, we will be by each other’s sides and survive.
August 1990: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson welcome their first child together
On August 4, 1990, the couple gave birth to Chester “Chet” Hanks, their first child together, two years after getting married. Chester, who is currently 32 years old, has chosen to follow in the footsteps of his well-known parents and seek a career as an actor.
Chet, the son of Tom and Rita, is a rapper and actor. He has recently appeared in the television series Empire, Shameless, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Along with his father, he has additionally made appearances in movies including Fantastic Four, Greyhound, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
June 1992: Rita Wilson accompanies Tom Hanks at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
Rita stood by her husband Hanks’ side when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 1992.
June 1993: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson reunite for their second film together
In June 1993, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson worked once more on a movie. This time, though, they played siblings in Sleepless in Seattle rather than lovers. Both critics and viewers offered positive reviews of the film.
In 1994, Sleepless in Seattle received two Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. However, “Streets of Philadelphia” and the 1993 film Piano won the Oscar instead (another film Tom starred in).
December 1995: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson welcome Baby No. 2
The second child of Tom and Rita was born in December 1995. On December 26, 1995, their son Truman Theodore Hanks entered the world. He also works in the entertainment world, like his famous parents. However, he spends his time behind the camera rather than acting like his parents and older brother Chet.
Truman worked in the camera and electrical departments of well-known TV shows and movies like Wrath of Man, Black Widow, and Steven Spielberg’s cinematic version of West Side Story, according to his IMDb website.
July 1998: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend his hand and footprint ceremony
Rita stood with her husband Tom for his hand-and-foot ceremony in front of the TCL Chinese Theater in California in July 1998.
April 2002: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson produce their first film together
After collaborating on-screen, Tom and Rita worked together behind the camera to create the romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding in 2002. Additionally, the pair worked as executive producers of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 sequel. They also served as executive producers for the TV comedy My Big Fat Greek Life, in which Wilson had a minor role.
June 2006: Tom Hanks supports Rita Wilson during her Broadway debut
When Rita Wilson played Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2006, she transitioned her acting skills from the big screen to the stage. Tom stood up to cheer on his wifey at her Broadway debut.
May 2012: Rita Wilson talks about her relationship with her husband Tom Hanks
Rita and Tom have spoken about their love for one another in a number of interviews over the years on various occasions. Wilson discussed one of her favourite experiences with Hanks during a 2012 interview with Piers Morgan.
We were standing on the intersection of 57th or 58th Street in New York at the time, Rita recalled, adding, “I’ll never forget. We were waiting for the traffic signal to change while holding hands. I just want you to know that you never have to change anything about who you are in order to be with me, he continued as he turned to face me.
In addition to gushing about her husband Tom, she said, “If love is a feeling, or a cellular thing that occurs 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
Rita went on to say in a 2015 People magazine interview that she had a double mastectomy and reconstruction after being told she had breast cancer. She was relieved by his remark, although at first she was worried about how her husband might respond.
Wilson remarked at the time that you never know how your spouse may respond in a precarious circumstance, according to the New York Times. I was so floored and delighted by the attention my hubby offered me. Who thought it would bring you two closer together?
April 2018: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary
Tom and Rita celebrated 20 years of blissful marriage in April 2018. In April 2018, the couple threw an expensive celebration to commemorate the momentous milestone.
Oprah Winfrey, Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Conan O’Brien, Martin Short, Isla Fisher, and Jimmy Kimmel were among the A-list celebrities that came to the couple’s party.
March 2019: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend her Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony
Tom and Rita appeared in public for Wilson’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2019. Tom was spotted applauding and cheering from the front row during the ceremony. He also went on stage with his wife to speak at the podium about her achievements and successful career.
March 2020: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson fight Covid-19 together
In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Tom and Rita survived Covid-19. Rita discussed her battle with the virus in an interview with The Guardian. She claimed that sharing the illness with the Forrest Gump actor made it a little bit easier to deal with her health issues.
“I think having the virus at the same time made it that little bit easier,” Rita remarked. Instead of having to worry about taking care of just one person while no one else helped you or recognised that you needed a break, we were taking care of each other.
We were lucky to be in a position where we could relate to one another, she continued.
July 2021: Rita Wilson Celebrates Tom Hanks’ Milestone birthday
On the occasion of her husband Tom’s 65th birthday, Rita sent a heartfelt message on Instagram to wish him a very happy birthday. “Riding better than ever at 65! Happy Birthday, my life’s love! “Xox,” she wrote next to a photo of her husband grinning widely while riding a bike along a beautiful trail.
June 15, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend an ‘Elvis’ screening
In June 2022, Tom was spotted arriving for a private screening of Elvis, and his wife Rita joined them to show her support for the man she loved. The event was hosted by Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Elvis director Baz Luhrmann in New York City. Top celebrities like Tim McGraw, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, and others attended.
On stage alongside Tom were the other members of the main cast, including Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Yola, who played Colonel Tom Parker in the movie. Hanks, Butler, Luhrmann, and Wintour each made a brief opening statement before the film began.
The following day, the couple was photographed in New York City as Hanks protected Wilson from a hostile fan.
June 21, 2022: Tom Hanks promotes Rita Wilson’s single with Josh Groban
Tom’s wife, Rita, has been by his side throughout his publicity tour for Elvis, and the actor has supported his wife’s musical endeavours. Hanks even used social media to advertise his wife’s music. The song was referred to as a “hit record” by him. With special guest Josh Groban, Rita released a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic “Songbird.”
September 7, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the ‘Pinocchio’ premiere
Tom and Rita walk the red carpet together for the live-action Pinocchio movie’s international premiere in September 2022. In the movie, Hanks plays the part of Geppetto. The pair also spoke with the journalists about how they saw the 1940 animated movie come alive in a new way.
November 19, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the Governors Awards
On November 19, 2022, Tom and Wilson went to the 13th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles. Hanks looked sharp in a black suit and tie for the occasion, while Wilson shone in a low-cut sequin gown.
December 13, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend ‘A Man Named Otto’ premiere in Stockholm
For the Hanks family, making A Man Named Otto was a family endeavour. In the movie, Tom played the lead role of Otto, Rita took on the position of producer, and their son Truman Hanks played the part of a twenty-something Otto.
Tom made light of the situation at a Q&A session at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, saying, “For 365 nights, I slept with the producer to obtain the part.” The trio walked the red carpet together at the movie’s Stockholm premiere. Tom and Truman looked sharp in their matching black suits, and Rita stole the show in a silver outfit.
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