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Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson first met in person in 1981 while working on the sitcom Bosom Buddies; they married on April 30, 1988. Hanks later recalled noticing Wilson on television years before they met, but that first sighting is distinct from their in-person meeting—and their later reunion on Volunteers is a separate milestone in their story.
1972: Hanks notices Wilson on television
Hanks has said that he first noticed Wilson when she appeared as a cheerleader on The Brady Bunch. It was a television sighting, not an introduction or meeting. Harper’s Bazaar’s timeline recounts his anecdote.
1981: They meet on Bosom Buddies
Wilson guest-starred on the ABC sitcom Bosom Buddies, on which Hanks was a regular. This was their first in-person meeting. Hanks was married to Samantha Lewes at the time, so the meeting should not be confused with the later start of his relationship with Wilson. Harper’s Bazaar and Entertainment Tonight recount the early chronology.
1985: They reunite in Volunteers
Hanks and Wilson worked together again in the comedy Volunteers. Hanks later described an immediate connection between them. Harper’s Bazaar reproduces his recollection, attributed to an interview with GQ via People. The film is an important shared-work milestone, but it does not establish an exact date for when their private relationship began.
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1986–1987: Public appearances and Hanks’s divorce
Retrospective accounts place Hanks and Wilson’s public appearances together in 1986 and 1987, though accounts do not frame their public debut identically. Hanks and Lewes divorced in 1987. Those public milestones help place the timeline, but they do not pin down a precise private relationship start date. Entertainment Tonight covers the appearances and marriage history.
April 30, 1988: They marry
Hanks and Wilson married on April 30, 1988. CBS News reported the date alongside Wilson’s anniversary message. CBS News
1989: Hanks thanks Wilson at the Golden Globes
After winning the Golden Globe for Big, Hanks thanked Wilson and said, “thank you, babe, for marrying me.” His speech is reproduced in Harper’s Bazaar’s timeline and Oprah Daily’s timeline.
1990 and 1995: Their sons are born
Hanks and Wilson have two sons together: Chet, born in 1990, and Truman, born in 1995. Hanks also has Colin and Elizabeth from his marriage to Lewes, making four children in the blended family. Entertainment Tonight summarizes the family milestones.
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From the 1990s onward: Their work continues together
Their shared professional history extends beyond Volunteers. Wilson appeared in Sleepless in Seattle, and Entertainment Tonight also describes the couple’s production work through Playtone. These are career milestones in their chronology, rather than evidence of any particular private dynamic. Entertainment Tonight
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.2023: Wilson marks 35 years of marriage
On April 30, 2023, Wilson marked the couple’s 35th wedding anniversary in a social-media caption that included the wedding date. CBS News quoted her message: “35 years of marriage. April 30, 1988. Love is everything.” CBS News reported the post. This is the latest dated anniversary milestone in the sources cited here.
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