04 December 2023 , 18:00
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With 35 years of marriage under their belts, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have weathered plenty of ups and downs during their time together, with the challenges they've endured making their bond even stronger in the long run.
The two actors first met on the set of US sitcom Bosom Buddies back in 1981, and soon struck up a friendship. When they reunited in 1985, playing opposites-attract lovers Lawrence and Beth in comedy movie Volunteers, the chemistry between them couldn't be denied.
One year later, in 1986, Tom and Rita made their first red carpet appearance together as a couple, at the premiere of comic western Three Amigos, but the early days of their relationship were far from simple.
Love blossomed between Tom and Rita on the set of Volunteers (Getty Images)Childhood crush and on-set romance
California-born Tom first developed a crush on Rita as a teen in the '70s, after seeing her play cheerleader Pat Conway in classic sitcom, The Brady Bunch. By the time they eventually met as adults in the mid-80s, the Forrest Gump star's marriage to his first wife, Samantha Lewes was reportedly already on rocky ground.
During an episode of Desert Island Discs, the 67-year-old opened up about falling for Rita while still with Samantha, admitting that he had been "too young and insecure for marriage" the first time around. He revealed: "I was looking for something I had not found as a kid. And a broken marriage meant I was sentencing my own kids to the sort of feelings I had at their age. I was just too young and insecure for marriage. I was 23 and my son Colin was already two when I married for the first time. I was not really ready to take on those responsibilities."
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Tom married Rita, now 67, in 1988, a year after his divorce was finalised. Having learned lessons from his first marriage, Tom was determined to approach his second with greater maturity, knowing that a successful relationship would require plenty of work. Speaking with Oprah Winfrey in 2001, he shared: "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."
Tom has spoken candidly about falling for Rita while still married to his first wife (Variety via Getty Images)
Tom has praised Rita's 'superhuman' strength during difficult times (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)Sticking together through frightening times
Tom and Rita have stuck together through good times and bad, and in 2015 they were faced with a terrifying hurdle. Rita was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma, a type of breast cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands of the breasts, and required a double mastectomy.
Thankfully, Rita was declared cancer-free mere months later and has since praised her loving husband for his support during what was a very difficult time. During an interview with The New York Times, Rita remarked that the ordeal had brought them 'even closer', stating: "You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this. I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me ... who knew it would make you even closer?"
As reported by Entertainment Tonight, Tom was also left astonished by Rita's strength, once declaring: "My wife can beat anything. She is superhuman. She doesn't have the shield or the golden lasso, but my wife can jump through hoops that are smaller than you can even imagine."