Rita Wilson Biography

Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff) is a prominent American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include; Volunteers (1985), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Now and Then (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996), The Story of Us (1999), Runaway Bride (1999), It’s Complicated (2009), and Larry Crowne (2011), and she appeared in the television series The Good Wife and Girls.

Moreover, she has performed on Broadway and produced several films including; My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2020). As a singer-songwriter, she has released the albums AM/FM, Rita Wilson, Bigger Picture, and Halfway to Home. In March 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Rita Wilson Age

She is 66 years old as of March 2023, having been born on October 26, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Rita Wilson shares her birthdate with celebrities such as; Hillary Clinton, Drew Gooden, Seth MacFarlane, Ranger Ortiz, Keith Urban, and many more.

Rita Wilson Family

She was born to Allan Wilson (Father, born on March 21, 1920, but died on March 6, 2009) and Dorothy Wilson (Mother). Her father was a Bulgarian Muslim (Pomak) born in Oraio (Breshtene), Greece close to the border with Bulgaria. Whereas her mother was Greek, raised in Sotire near Dropull I Siperm in Albania, close to the border with Greece.

Rita Wilson Siblings

She has two siblings. A brother by the name of Chris Wilson and a sister by the name of Lily Wilson.

Rita Wilson Education

She received her high school education at Hollywood High School. In the 1980s, she attended The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England.

Rita Wilson’s Married

She is married to the love of her life Tom Hanks (born on July 9, 1956) an American actor and filmmaker. They married in 1988.

Rita Wilson Kids

She and her husband have two kids. Two brothers by the name of Chet Hanks (born on August 4, 1990) an American actor and musician. And Truman Hanks (born on December 26, 1995). Moreover, she is a stepmother to her husband’s two kids from her previous marriage.

Rita Wilson Career

She began her career with a guest appearance on The Brady Bunch in the 1972 episode “Greg’s Triangle”. There, she played Pat Conway, one of the candidates running against Marcia Brady for head cheerleader. Also, she appeared twice on MAS*H in 1982 as Nurse Lacey as well as the sitcoms Three’s Company and Bosom Buddies starring her future husband Tom Hanks. And as Hester Rose Crane, the deceased mother of Frasier Crane on Frasier. She has appeared in numerous films including; Volunteers, Barbarians at the Gate.

The Bonfire of the Vanities, Mixed Nuts, Sleepless in Seattle, Now and Then, That Thing You Do!, Jingle All the Way, Runaway Bride, Invisible Child, The Story of Us, Raise Your Voice, It’s Complicated, and Larry Crowne. On television, she played Susan Borman, wife of astronaut Frank Borman in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. She was instrumental in helping actress-playwright Nia Vardalos get the movie deal for My Big Fat Greek Wedding. As they were developing the film, she produced two stage productions.

A sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which she co-produced and in which she had a supporting role was released in 2016. In 2016, her own Greek heritage was honored when the Greek Postal Service ELTA commemorated her with a stamp along with five others. In 2008, she produced the film, Mamma Mia! Eight years later, its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. In 2006, she made her Broadway debut when she performed the role of Roxie Hart in the revival of Chicago. She announced in April 2015 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

After a one-month hiatus, she returned to Larry David’s Fish in the Dark Broadway show, playing with his wife Brenda. Off-Broadway, she played various roles in Nora Ephron and Della Ephron’s play Love, Loss, and What I Wore. While filming in Australia, in March 2020 Hanks announced through his Instagram profile that the couple had contracted COVID-19. And was experiencing minor symptoms while he was shooting an upcoming film Elvis (as Colonel Tom Paker) with director Baz Luhrmann in Australia. On March 27, she and her husband returned home to Los Angeles after they recovered from the virus.

In addition to her film career, she is also a singer-songwriter. On May 8, 2012, she released her debut solo album AM/FM on Decca Records. The album featured classics from the 1960s/70s including a cover of “Wichita Lineman” that she performed with the song’s writer-composer Jimmy Webb. Also, she performed a duet of “All I Have To Do Is Dream” with former Soundgarden and Audioslave musician Chris Cornell. On December 4, 2014, she performed for President Obama and Michelle Obama at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, DC. Also, she served as the co-host of the event.

In 2016, she began writing her own songs with the help of co-writer, the Grammy-nominated Kara Dioguardi. Earlier in 2014, she wrote the song “Bad Things” with Matt Nathanson. That same year, her second album, Rita Wilson was released. She co-wrote all the songs on the album with Dan Wilson, Kara Dioguardi, Jason Reeves, Darrel Brown, Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, Richard Marx, Lauren Christy, Mikal Blue, Nathan Chapman, Jason Wade, Stephanie Chapman, Ron Aniello, Jillian Jacqueline, Jessi Alexander, JR Randall, Yugomir Lonich, Blair Daly, and Kelly Archer.

To support the release of Rita Wilson, opened on a tour with Chicago. With her third album, Bigger Picture, she drew directly from her personal life for its theme. On September 28, 2018, the album was released. In 2018 also, her original song “Heart Unknown” was used in the indie film, Simple Wedding. She performed the song which she co-wrote with Josh Alexander, Kara Diougardi, and Mozella. On March 29, 2019, she released her fourth album