Real-Life Celebrity Couple: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved actors to ever walk the earth, so it’s no surprise he married actress Rita Wilson, an incredibly accomplished actor herself who is just as adored as her husband.

Hanks and Wilson have been together for decades, but they seem to be as in love as the day they met! They are constantly supporting one another and are there for each other during the good and the bad. From how they first met to going through a scary health diagnosis together, here are some things to know about their celebrity romance.

How Did Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Meet?

Hanks and Wilson first met on the set of the TV show Bosom Buddies back in 1981. They were then reunited on the 1985 film Volunteers. Though they didn’t start dating until the late ‘80s — Hanks was still married to his college sweetheart, Samantha Lewes, until 1987 — there was a spark between them early on.

When They Fell in Love
Following Hanks’ split from Lewes, he began dating Wilson. They fell in love quickly and ended up tying the knot on April 30, 1988.

Lovers Off-Screen, Friends On-Screen
Hanks and Wilson were reunited onscreen together in the 1993 romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. This was the second time the couple shared the screen, but their first time as a married couple. In the movie, however, they played best friends.

Through Sickness and Health

Wilson revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and left her Broadway play, Fish in the Dark, to receive treatment. It was an incredibly scary time for the couple, but Wilson had a mastectomy and has since made a full recovery.

One Big Family
When Wilson and Hanks first started dating, he already had two children — Colin and Elizabeth — from his previous marriage. The couple then had two sons of their own, Chester and Truman.