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As of the time of this writing, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are closing in on their 35th wedding anniversary. Throughout their many years together, Hanks and Wilson have always seemed like they love and cherish one another.Since Hanks and Wilson have been together for so long, it is fascinating to imagine the moment the couple first met. If most people were going to imagine what that moment was like, they'd probably envision some kind of meet-cute.In real life, so-called meet-cutes are very rare these days. Instead, it is common for couples to meet on dating websites or through friends. However, there actually are some celebrity couples who have adorable stories about how they met.Now that Hanks and Wilson have been married for more than three decades, they sometimes like to keep their celebrations simple. When it comes to the origins of Hanks and Wilson's relationship, however, their backstory is pretty unusual.
The Truth About Tom Hanks And Rita Wilson's Marriage
Over the last several decades, Tom Hanks has widely been considered one of the best actors in the world, and Rita Wilson has been widely respected. On top of that, when people talk about the sweetest and longest-lasting celebrity couples, there is one pair that typically wind up in both lists, Hanks and Wilson.
Married since 1988, Hanks and Wilson will soon celebrate their 35th anniversary as of this writing. Based on everything that is known about the couple, it seems all but certain that they will remain together until the day they pass away unless something dramatic changes.
During an appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight, Wilson told an anecdote that is the epitome of why she and Hanks seem like the perfect couple.
"We were holding hands, and we were waiting for the traffic light to change. And he looked at me and he said, 'You know, I just want you to know, that you never have to change anything about who you are in order to be with me.'"
"Literally, a wave of — if love is a feeling, or a cellular thing that happens to your body — it went through me, and that's pretty much who he is, and how he's been."
How Tom Hanks And Rita Wilson Fell In Love
Before Tom Hanks became one of the biggest movie stars in history, he was busy starring in the sitcom Bosom Buddies. A show that was a minor hit at the time, Bosom Buddies only stayed on the air for two seasons.
Even though Bosom Buddies wasn't on the air for very long, the show completely transformed Hanks' life in two huge ways. First off, Hanks' tenure as a TV star arguably resulted in him getting the chance to headline the movie Splash which started him down the path to movie stardom.
Most importantly for Hanks, he met a woman named Rita Wilson when she appeared in an episode of Bosom Buddies. While speaking to GQ in 2013, Hanks revealed that he and Wilson were attracted to each other the moment they met.
"Rita and I just looked at each other and — kaboing — that was that. I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, and it just couldn’t be denied."
When Hanks and Wilson met, he was still married to his first wife and the mother of his older children. Since then, Hanks has remarked that he felt like his first marriage was already coming to an end when he met Wilson.
While some people don't believe in love at first sight, it certainly seems like Hanks and Wilson experienced that. At least, Hanks seemingly fell for Wilson the first time he saw her in person.
In 2016, Hanks attended the New York City premiere of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. While speaking to reporters at that event, Hanks revealed he actually saw his longtime wife Wilson years before they met.
As Hanks revealed, the first time he saw Wilson was when he watched an episode of The Brady Bunch she guest starred in. Furthermore, even though it wasn't until years later that he met Wilson in real life, he evidently was attracted to her the moment he saw her on TV.
“I was actually at a friend of mine’s house when it aired and I remember thinking ‘that girl’s cute.'”