Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson Have Been Married for 34 Years — Their Bond Proves True Love Lasts a Lifetime

Tom Hanks has been married to Rita Wilson for over three decades, but his love for her still burns as brightly as it did when they first started going out. Not long ago, he demonstrated that love when he flared up at a fan who got offensive with his wife.

Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's top actors and has been married twice. The first woman he married was an actress named Samantha Lewes, but the relationship ended before they celebrated their tenth anniversary.

The pair, who were first college sweethearts, found themselves on the path of parenthood at an early age when they welcomed their first child, Colin Hanks. Colin was already two years old when his parents tied the knot in 1978.

Hanks confessed during an interview on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that getting married at such a young age was most likely prompted by loneliness. However, Hanks chose to let it all play out because he believed it was best to roll with "the natural order of things."

The actor, who by the age of 10 had lived in ten different houses in five different cities, once admitted that his childhood had him yearning for stability, but in truth, he was much too young and insecure about having a wife.

The responsibilities of being a father and husband were too much for him to handle, and it eventually led to the dissolution of his marriage to Lewes.

AN INSTANT SPARK

When Tom Hanks first met Rita Wilson, the woman he would choose as his second wife, he was still married to Lewes. They met in the early 1980s while he was working on the sitcom "Bosom Buddies."

The two met again when they teamed up with John Candy in a movie titled "Volunteers." Despite the fact that he was still married to Lewes, Hanks said that he and Wilson had taken one look at each other and felt a spark that could not be denied.

However, he also said that his relationship with Lewes was finished by that time. Hanks and his first wife went their separate ways when his son Colin was seven and their second child Elizabeth was three.

Their divorce was not finalized until 1987; however, by 1986, the actor and Wilson had already gone public with their relationship.

The two lovebirds got married on April 30, 1988, and Hanks decided he would make some changes on his part so that their union would not end up like his first.

He told Oprah in 2001, "When I married Rita, I thought, This is going to require some change on my part." It was a good decision because the two are still going strong decades after exchanging their vows.

HOW A NEW WIFE HELPED HIM AS AN ACTOR

During his interview with Oprah, Hanks told her that their bond is not something that can be defined by words like "wife," "girlfriend," or "mother." He also pointed out how their relationship has helped him as an actor.

Hanks told Oprah that it was because of his love for her that he was able to put together the things he did in "Philadelphia" (1993). According to him, he felt the same way about her as his character in the movie felt about his lover.

Hanks told Oprah that the same thing happened when he played Forest Gump, who was in love with a woman named Jenny. He said:

"Without my connection with Rita, I don't know how I would've been able to connect with what Forrest was going through."

Wilson's relationship with Hanks was in full bloom even before he became a household name in the movie industry. They welcomed Chet, their first child, together in 1990, then expanded their family once more in 1995 when they welcomed another male child they named Truman.

Even though Tom Hanks has become very famous in Hollywood today, his early years as an actor were the toughest. In a 2019 interview, the proud father opened up about what it was like raising his kids with Lewes as a struggling actor.

Hanks said his younger kids have been privileged to live a totally different life than his two eldest kids, whom he had with Lewes in his twenties. According to the talented actor, Colin and Elizabeth have a better idea of their humble beginnings because while they were growing up, he wasn't so rich. He said:

"We have this gestalt understanding because [Colin and Elizabeth] remember when their dad was just a guy trying to, you know, make the rent."

Hanks also admitted that back then, he would sometimes blur the lines between being an actor and a father, which meant he was not present enough in their lives. There was also the divorce from their mother that left him feeling guilty as a father.

Eventually, he got the hang of it and resigned himself to being supportive while hoping for their forgiveness. Hanks once admitted that the secret to fixing things was always working at it and making peace with the fact that sometimes a win won't happen.

Hanks's first child Colin has chosen to follow in his footsteps as an actor and has appeared in movies like "Orange Country," "King Kong," and the "Jumanji" franchise. Outside acting, he is also a founder of a handkerchief company named Hanks Kerchiefs.

He is married to Samantha Bryant, with whom he shares two kids, Olivia Jane and Charlotte Bryant. His sister, Elizabeth, is Hanks' only daughter. She is a writer who has played small roles in some of Hanks's movies, including "Forrest Gump," and "That Thing You Do!"

Hanks' third child, Chet, is a rapper and actor who has been upfront with his struggles with drugs. He has become sober following his enrolment in rehab, but the rapper has credited his decision to become clean with welcoming his daughter Michaiah in 2016.

Truman is the fourth child of Tom Hanks, but compared to his siblings, he keeps a much lower profile. He also seems to be nursing an ambition in the acting industry, with credits like being a production assistant in "The Cloverfield Paradox" under his belt.

HE IS HIS WIFE'S KEEPER

Hanks and Wilson enjoy a happy relationship, and their social media posts reflect the love they still share. Many of their posts document the trips they take together and the celebration of the various milestones in their lives.

There are posts that see them visiting museums, birthday posts where she has called him the "love of my life," updates that capture their anniversary celebrations, and many more, and their fans love to see them.

Such a great relationship has had many people wondering what the secret is; however, Hanks has said that there is no such thing. He said in 2015:

"I wish there was a secret, you know. We just like each other. You start there."

He has also expressed disbelief that a woman like Wilson will go out with him. According to a statement he made in 2015, if he had met her in high school, he would not have had the courage to speak to her.

Of course, it has not all been rosy for the pair. A few years back, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a double mastectomy as well as reconstructive surgery.

Hanks never left her side during her struggles, and it left her feeling blessed. With support from him, friends, the doctors, and other family members, she beat cancer and returned to pick up where she left off on Broadway.

Hanks and Wilson are proud parents of their kids and are also grandparents to three grandkids; two from the actor's first child, Colin, and another one from their first child together, Chet.

They have been described as laid-back grandparents with grandkids who have no idea they are big stars in Hollywood. As far as the children are concerned, they are just like any grandparent, and when they get together, it's like any other family.

Hanks and his wife celebrated their 34th anniversary on April 30, and Wilson took to her Instagram page to mark the milestone as usual with a photo of them. This time, she shared an old wedding photo that captured them smiling, and it melted many hearts.

Hanks has always been candid about his love for his wife, but it has never been more evident than now. Just last month, the actor flared up at a crowd who, in their frenzy, had bumped too hard into his wife.

Wilson had stumbled, gasped, and turned around to give a warning when Hanks exploded in anger at the group, telling them to back off in colorful language. A fan could be heard explaining that he was pushed, and others apologized as the couple got into their car.

It was proof of how much the actor still loves his wife, and even though he loves his fan, Hanks has no interest in putting them above his wife.