Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Hint at Their Upcoming 35th Wedding Anniversary Plans

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have one of the longest-lasting marriages in Hollywood. Ever since saying “I do” on April 30, 1988, the celebrity couple has modeled a strong relationship—even in the midst of health scares, successful careers, and parenting duties. This year, the Forrest Gump star and Jingle All the Way actress will be celebrating another huge milestone: their 35th wedding anniversary.

After walking the red carpet together for Hanks’s new film, A Man Called Otto, on Monday, January 9, 2023, the actors talked to Entertainment Tonight about their anniversary. “That’s coming up!” Hanks exclaims before reflecting on what the duo did mark their 30th wedding anniversary five years ago. In 2018, Hanks and Wilson threw a star-studded party in Los Angeles, and celebrities, such as Kate Hudson, Isla Fisher, and Jimmy Kimmel, attended the affair, according to People. “That was something else,” he tells the outlet. “You know, it’s funny. It seems like it was last year, but that’s how fast things go along. But that was such a great party—that people who were not at that party claimed to have been at that party. That’s how good of a party it was.”

When asked about any big plans for their 35th anniversary, Wilson played coy. “That is a big secret,” she says with a smile. Although the couple wasn’t forthcoming about any party in the works, we anticipate that the pair will be commemorating the occasion in style. 

The Sleepless in Seattle former co-stars first met on the set of Bosom Buddies in 1981. Although Tom was still married to his college sweetheart, Samantha Lewes, he couldn’t deny a chemistry with Wilson. In 1986, Hanks and Lewes separated. Soon after, he and Wilson made their first red carpet debut as a couple. Just two years after they went public with their relationship, the actors tied the knot in Los Angeles. “When I married Rita, I thought, 'This is going to rehire some change on my part,'” Hanks told Oprah in 2001. “I won’t deny that [fate] was part of us finding each other, but our relationship isn’t magic the way it’s show in movies. In real life, our connection is as concrete as me sitting here. We both know that no matter what, we’ll be with each other, and we’ll get through it.” 

During their almost 35 years of marriage, Hanks and Wilson have raised two children, Chet and Truman. They continued collaborating with one another on multiple projects, such as starring in Sleepless in Seattle together and producing My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mamma Mia. When Wilson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, Hanks never left her side. “I was so amazed, so blow away by the care my husband gave me,” she told New York Times. “It was such a normal, intimate time.” The duo has attributed this strong support as the reason why their marriage is so successful. “People say, 'Jeez, it must be hard to stay married in show business,'" Hanks reflects. "I think it's hard to stay married anywhere, but if you marry the right person, it might work out. We give each other a natural sense of support for whatever the other wants to pursue. Our marriage doesn't require vast work."