Rita Wilson Gives Loving Tribute To Tom Hanks By Listing Some Of His Unique Traits She’s Grown To Love

Jul 18, 2023

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.

Both show business veterans, Tom is a two-time Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker, while Wilson is also an award-winning actress and producer. The couple has two sons together, Chet Hanks and Truman Hanks, while Tom has two children from a previous relationship, Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks. Colin and Chet both have careers in show business.

The couple has been married since April 30, 1988. Over the years, they have treated their anniversaries as special occasions. For instance, to mark their 33rd wedding anniversary, Wilson shared a gorgeous photo on her Instagram account with a moving caption alongside it. Depicting her and Tom dressed in crisp white at a seaside locale, the gorgeous photo shows them incredibly happy, while their love and respect for each other is apparent solely from this picture. It is beautiful to see any love shared publicly but especially from one of Hollywood's favorite couples. 

And over the years, Tom and Wilson have shared many sweet sentiments about one another and their relationship, explaining how they’ve been able to have such a successful relationship for so many years. After 35 happily married years, Wilson shared a special Instagram post dedicated to her husband on his 67th birthday. Let's take a look at their beautiful love story.

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." 

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.

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!" 

Wilson often takes to social media to celebrate her beloved husband on any occasion that warrants it, such as their 33rd wedding anniversary on April 30, 2021. She shared a beautiful photo of the two in vacation-appropriate white outfits, tanned skin and relaxed smiles. She captioned the post:

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

A bevy of celebrities offered their congratulations in the comments, including Tom’s son from his first marriage, actor and filmmaker Colin Hanks, who commented, "Happy Anniversary, you crazy kids." 

Tom and Wilson have been by each other’s side through thick and thin. Wilson revealed to Entertainment Tonight she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2015. She underwent a double mastectomy and is now cancer-free.

While their bond has continued to grow stronger over the years, Tom and Wilson don’t think they are experts at it. “Most of our friends have been married longer than we have,” Hanks shared. “We're kinda the young pups when it comes to it.”

Still, the couple has opened up about some of their secrets to keeping their marriage so successful over the years. When appearing 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 continued:

"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."

Tom has also touched on how much he appreciates Wilson, once joking that he "still can't believe my wife goes out with me." He added: 

"They say (marriage) must be hard work — no, it's not. Every now and again, you know, you gotta get over some stuff, but life is one d*** thing after another and it's actually more pleasant to be able to go home with someone you like to spend time with in order to get with it."

“God bless the luck of the draw and the people who have been in her corner,” Tom also said once.

The couple's love has shown no signs of slowing down, and in April 2023, they celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary with another wonderful post on social media. Wilson shared a photo of her and Tom sitting together with a gorgeous cake that said "Happy Anniversary." Wilson captioned it:

"35 years of marriage. April 30 1988. Love is everything."

Despite the couple's fairytalelike relationship from the outside, they're the first ones to admit a healthy relationship like theirs takes work. Tom once told Oprah Winfrey:

"The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to have an intimate connection. 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. 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."

On July 9, 2023, Wilson took to Instagram to again celebrate her husband, this time on the occasion of his 67th birthday. The actress shared a simple photo of Tom sitting with his arms crossed with a smile on his face.

“Happy Birthday to this man who is my lover, my best friend, my family, the father of my children,” Wilson wrote in the caption before listing down some of her husband’s quirks she has grown to know and love.

“He loves a typewriter just slightly less than me, 😂 (why is there no typewriter emoji?) invents cocktails like Diet Cokecaine (Diet Coke mixed with Champagne) or a Cokearita (Diet Coke mixed with margarita), DJs regularly on @bossradio66,” she listed.

Wilson added that Tom was “happiest being surround (sic) by his family and friends, and has committed to telling the stories of veterans and has created his own coffee brand supporting veterans, @givehanx Hanx for our Troops.” 

Lastly, she shared that Tom “is one of the smartest people I know, has made me laugh everyday for 38 years, can nap anywhere at anytime. Happy happy birthday my love!” 

Their celebrity friends couldn’t help but join in on the festivities as well! Julia Roberts jumped in the comments with: “Happy Everything!!! To you and your fella. Love you so much,” while John Stamos remarked, “Look at the guns on that kid!”

“I read that if you can nap anywhere it’s a sign that you’re a genius. We knew it already but it’s confirmation! HBD‼️” Christie Brinkley exclaimed. Even the official Diet Coke Instagram account got in on the action, no doubt appreciative of the shoutout, and wrote:

“hbd to our bestie tom hanks.”

What do you think about Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s long-lasting relationship? What tips do you have for a successful marriage? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.