An Inside Look At The Timeline Of Tom Hanks And Rita Wilson's Relationship

Dec 22, 2021 by apost team

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are a well-known power couple in Hollywood and their lasting marriage has always appeared rock solid. A fixture in the entertainment industry for decades, they're not only known for their individual work as successful actors and filmmakers, but for their wonderful love story that really does appear as if it's straight out of a Hollywood movie.

The couple, who are both 65 years old, has been married since 1988, and together they have two sons. Meanwhile, Tom has two children from a previous relationship.

During an appearance on Kelly Clarkson's daytime talk show in April 2020, Wilson revealed that Tom's talkative character was "one of the things, when we met, that we just got along instantly," as reported by People. She explained what drew her to Tom in the first place:

"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."

Both show business veterans, Tom is a two-time Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker, while Wilson is also an award-winning actress and producer. In fact, in the last few years, she's even pivoted to music and another reason their union is so strong is that Tom supports his wife's choices wholeheartedly. In a Closer Weekly interview, Wilson said that Tom urged her to follow her passion for singing. He told her "Go, go go!" and had her back all the way.

In honor of their marriage of over 33 years, we're taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting the couple's relationship timeline! 

The couple first met in 1980 on the set of "Bosom Buddies," a sitcom in which Tom was a regular for two seasons. Wilson appeared as a guest star in an episode about a video dating service. Tom later told GQ, as reported by People:

“Rita and I just looked at each other and — kaboing — that was that. I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, and it just couldn’t be denied.”

However, there was one problem — Tom was still married to his high school sweetheart Samantha Lewes. Despite his instant connection with his future wife, he tried to make his marriage work before it eventually ended in divorce. By 1985 the two reunited for the movie "Volunteers." 

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When the duo reunited on the screen in "Volunteers" they were joined by funnyman John Candy. Since Tom was single, the pair began their relationship and the rest, as they say, is history. Decades later, Tom told Entertainment Tonight:

“When we first looked at each other there was definitely a kind of like, ‘Hey, this is the place!’ I felt that, anyway. I think the end result is that we got married for all the right reasons.” 

The couple took their relationship public in 1986 when they began to attend premieres together, with the first one being "Three Amigos." At the time, Tom was separated from Lewes before their divorce was finalized in 1987. Together they had two children, Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks.

Tragically, Lewes passed away in 2002 after a battle with bone cancer. 

The couple finally tied the knot on April 30, 1988. But years later Wilson revealed that her mom was shocked that she didn't marry someone that was Greek. She told Us Weekly:

"She could not believe that I didn't marry a Greek man. But (my parents) thought he looked enough Greek and that he could blend in!"

In fact, Tom actually joined the Greek Orthodox Church — which Wilson's family belonged to — before they got married. 

Two years after the couple got hitched they welcomed their first child together, a son named Chester "Chet" Marlon Hanks. Born on Aug. 4, 1990, Chet later followed his parents into show business. He's worked as an actor in popular shows such as "Shameless," "Empire" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and has also made his name as a rapper too. 

The two-time Oscar winner accepted his first Academy Award nod in 1994 for his role in "Philadelphia." When he took to the stage he not only thanked Wilson but gave an incredibly romantic dedication to her. He said:

“I could not be standing here without that undying love that was just sung about by, not Bruce Springsteen, but Neil Young. And I have that in a lover that is so close to fine we should all be able to experience such heaven right here on earth." 

Five years after having Chet, the couple had a second son named Truman Theodore Hanks, who was born on Dec. 26, 1995. Although he isn't in the spotlight like other members of his family, Truman still works in show business and has held production roles on a number of acclaimed films including "West Side Story," "Black Widow" and "Charlie's Angels." 

Both legends in the entertainment industry, it was only a matter of time before the duo came together again and worked on a film behind the scenes. They joined forces on the incredibly successful "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and six years later they teamed up once again on "Mamma Mia!" 

With her newfound singing career, Wilson released her debut album in 2012. Afterward, she went on tour, and naturally, Tom joined. Alongside that experience, the couple has also traveled together extensively when they've filmed movies on location. Wilson told E! News in 2016:

“We’ve gone all over the world. We’ve taken our family. We’ve gotten to live in cities that you normally wouldn’t get to live in and become a normal person and going to the market and finding your favorite coffee shop. Just pretending that you’re a local and that’s really great. You don’t feel rushed." 

While Tom was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2012, Wilson only received hers in March 2019. Of course, Tom was there to show his support, as well as a number of other famous faces including Julia Roberts. 

Back in April, the power couple celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary and Wilson shared a moving post on social media. She wrote:

"33 years of marriage to my BFF, my lover, my man. Love wins. ❤️"

All the best to the delightful couple for another 33 years! 

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