Hollywood may be known for its fleeting romances, but Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson would not pay much heed to that idea. Seriously, how do they make it look so easy? These two have been together for over three decades, and their love story feels like it’s straight out of a rom-com (only way better because it’s real).
From their first meeting on the set of Bosom Buddies in 1981 to their 36th wedding anniversary in 2024, this power couple has gone through decades of life, love, and challenges together – all the while bringing the best out of each other.
It is 1981 and a sitcom sparks a friendship
Tom and Rita’s story begins in the early ’80s when Rita Wilson guest-starred on Tom’s sitcom Bosom Buddies. A show about two broke ad guys, desperate for a place to live, who decide their only option is to go undercover as women so they can rent the one apartment they can actually afford.
At the time, Hanks had already been married to his first wife – a college sweetheart, Samantha Lewes. “One of the things when we met was that we just got along instantly,” Rita said during a 2020 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “First of all, I love a good storyteller. … And he makes me laugh all the time.”
Although Hank and Wilson’s relationship wasn’t a fully formed romance yet—sparks of a different kind were definitely flying.
Hollywood Magic in Volunteers
Four years later, Tom and Rita were together again, this time as co-stars in the 1985 film Volunteers. In a desperate bid to dodge his gambling debts, rich playboy Lawrence Bourne (Tom Hanks) sneaks onto a plane full of Peace Corps volunteers heading to Thailand. Onboard, he crosses paths with the ever-enthusiastic Tom Tuttle (John Candy), who quickly becomes his go-to guide.
Once they land, the group gets assigned to a small village with the big task of building a bridge. Lawrence teams up with the kind-hearted and dedicated Beth Wexler (Rita Wilson), and the work begins. But it doesn’t take long for things to get messy, as the CIA, communists, and a local drug lord all start showing interest in the project.
In the movie, Wilson and Hanks played on-screen lovers, but behind the scenes, something far more real was happening. Tom later admitted that their chemistry was hard to miss, he said.
Rita and I just looked at each other and—kaboing—that was that. I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, it just couldn’t be denied
Though Tom was still going through the fag end of his first marriage at the time, by 1986, he and Rita were officially a couple. The world got its first sighting of Tom and Rita together when they attended the premiere of Three Amigos! together in December 1986.
Over the next year, they became regular fixtures at events like the Oscars and the U.S. Open. While some eyebrows were raised because Tom was still legally married during the early days of their romance, insiders held a different opinion – that his relationship with Lewes had long ended before Rita came into the picture.
Tying the knot and welcoming Chet and Truman
On April 30, 1988, Tom and Rita said “I do”. Little is known about Tom’s proposal to Wilson, but Rita once hilariously recalled her reaction during an interview.
“I didn’t do the normal, like, ‘Of course, darling. I’d love to marry you,’” she admitted. “I was like, ‘You bet!’” The response was so memorable that Hanks had the words “You bet” engraved on the inside of her engagement ring. Years later, reflecting on what made their marriage work, he would say to Oprah
The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity, and our willingness to have an intimate connection. 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.
A few years into their marriage, the couple would welcome their first child together, Chester “Chet” Hanks, born on August 4, 1990. Their youngest son, Truman Theodore, came soon after on December 26, 1995.
Chet, like his parents, has taken to the screen as well as an actor and a musician, appearing in hit shows like Empire and Shameless. Truman, meanwhile, works behind the scenes as a cinematographer, having worked on films like Black Widow and West Side Story. Tom and Rita’s larger family also includes Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Ann Hanks, Tom’s children from his first marriage.
The ‘90s made Hanks into one of Hollywood’s biggest, but Rita was seen right by his side every step of the way. In 1992, when Tom received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rita could not be more proud.
The pair even collaborated on-screen again, as siblings no less, in the much-loved 1993 rom-com Sleepless in Seattle. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1994 for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. It, however, lost to 1993’s Piano and Philadelphia‘s “Streets of Philadelphia” (another one of Hank’s films).
By 2002, they were flexing, producing the smash hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Wilson, who is of Greek heritage, even made a cameo appearance in the sequel.
Celebrating three decades of marriage, hardships, & facing the pandemic together
Like every long-term couple, Tom and Rita have faced their fair share of trials and tribulations. In 2015, Rita was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy.
Tom Hanks was her rock throughout the ordeal, with Rita telling The New York Times, “I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me.” She added, “Who knew it would make you even closer?”
Having gone through this testing period in their lives, in April 2018, Tom and Rita marked their 30th wedding anniversary with a star-studded bash in Los Angeles. Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Kimmel, and Martin Short all showed up.
In March 2020, the waters would get harsh again. Tom and Rita made headlines when they contracted COVID-19 while in Australia. The experience of contracting it at the same time, however bad the conditions were, would work well for the two, with Rita later stating, “Having the virus at the same time made it that little bit easier. We were taking care of each other.”
That April, they celebrated 32 years of marriage with a sweet Instagram post. “32 years with this guy! Let’s go 32 more and then some,” Rita wrote.
It’s 2024, and a love endures
It is 2024, and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are still going strong. For their 36th wedding anniversary, Rita posted a romantic tribute on Instagram, quoting Robert Browning: “Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be.”
At another recent event benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, Tom would once again comment on their lasting love. “Finding each other—that’s the secret,” he told E! News. He added, “Making a plan and following through is a skill I did not have until I met Rita.”
Rita, meanwhile, would credit their teamwork, saying, “It takes a village. And this community in our town of Los Angeles has turned out for 25 years to support this cause. We don’t do it alone.”
On 16th October, the duo was spotted enjoying a night out in New York City, attending the premiere of Adam Driver’s off-Broadway production Hold On to Me Darling.
The play, written by Kenneth Lonergan, is a witty exploration of fame and identity, following a country music star named Strings McCrane (played by Driver) who leaves the spotlight behind to seek solace in his Tennessee hometown after his mother’s passing – the simple life turns out to be anything but simple.
At 68 and 67, respectively, Hanks and Wilson looked as happy and connected as ever as they posed for photos outside Manhattan’s Lucille Lortel Theatre, arm-in-arm and smiling for the cameras. The couple, who celebrated 36 years of marriage in April, are no strangers to such public displays of affection – they’ve been doing it since the mid-’80s
All of this could, perhaps, be summarized in a few of Rita’s words in an interview with Piers Morgan, “I’ll never forget… he looked at me and said, ‘You never have to change anything about who you are in order to be with me.’”
