Everlasting love! Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have proven for decades that Hollywood romances can stand the test of time.
According to the Cast Away actor, it was love at first sight when it came to his eventual wife — even if he didn’t meet her until years after he first saw her.
Rita made her TV debut on the Brady Bunch in 1972, as Pat Conway, which is when the California native first fell for her. “Oh, every now and again I just pull it up in YouTube. All of the stuff that she was in,” Hanks told The Knot and other reporters in 2016. “I was actually at a friend of mine’s house when that aired and remember thinking, ‘That girl is cute.’”
After meeting on the set of Bosom Buddies in 1981, sparks between the two could instantly be seen. At the time, Hanks was married to his college school sweetheart, Samantha Lewes.
When the pair reunited to film Volunteers in 1984, their chemistry was undeniable and a relationship between the two followed — after the Splash actor’s marriage broke apart a few years later. Although his divorce wasn’t finalized until 1987, Hanks and Wilson took their relationship public in 1986.
On April 30, 1988, the pair tied the knot — and Wilson’s short wedding dress is still talked about by fans.
The next year, the Toy Story actor won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in Big and thanked his new bride.
“I married a Greek babe. She was born right here in California, right here in Hollywood, but her folks are great, she’s marvelous, Rita Wilson — thank you, babe, for marrying me,” he said at the time. “You made my year already, but thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press.”
In 1990, the pair welcomed their first child together, son Chet. In 1995, their son Truman was born bringing their total to four kids. Hanks shared daughter Elizabeth and son Colin with his ex-wife, Lewes, who passed away in 2002 from bone cancer.
Throughout their relationship they’ve always gushed about one another and supported each other’s careers. They’ve traveled together for film projects and the Jingle All the Way actress’ music career.
In April 2019, Wilson told Us Weekly exclusively the key to the couple’s marital success.
“We got married, we committed to each other, we love each other and we work hard at our relationship,” the Runaway Bride star told Us. “Not only do we love each other, we really like each other, and we like being together, and we support each other and we keep the communication channels open. That’s always important.”
In March 2020, the sweethearts faced a positive coronavirus diagnosis together while in Australia. While updating fans on their condition, Hanks gave a nod to his 1992 film A League of Their Own.
“There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no?,” Hanks wrote via Instagram on March 12. “Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball.”
Scroll below to see how Hanks and Wilson’s relationship has evolved over the years.