Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have long endeared themselves to me by playing, respectively, Coach Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own and Marnie’s mom on Girls. But it’s their longevity and sweetness as a pair that really makes me root for them.
Earlier today, Wilson posted a sweet birthday tribute to Hanks on Instagram, calling the newly minted 70-year-old “the love of my life.” She clearly means it; the actor couple has been married since 1988, comfortably predating my existence on this planet. The two first met on the set of the ABC sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1981, striking up a friendship while Hanks was still married to his first wife. Later, in 1985, they co-starred in the film Volunteers, finally debuting as a couple at the premiere of Three Amigos in 1986. After marrying, they had two sons together, Chet (you know the one) and Truman.
Ultimately, it seems that part of Hanks and Wilson’s appeal as a pair lies in their (relative) normalcy. When they became two of the first celebrities infected with COVID-19 in 2020, they quarantined in Australia, with Wilson telling The Guardian that they spent that time “staying inside and watching a lot of old movies.” Otherwise, they seem like a couple that could have met at a bar, or been the two best-looking teachers at your high school that everyone spread dating rumors about. Their fame is part of the fun, sure, but there’s more to it than that.
In summation, all I can offer is this speculation: I feel like Tom makes soup for Rita on a semi-regular basis, and not in a showboating, “Look what I cooked” way, either—just the kind from the can, warmed up and served with a slice of toasted bread. Is there any greater love than that?
Here, some of our favorite snapshots from Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s earliest days together.
