Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's Relationship Timeline

The definition of a Hollywood power couple.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson first met on the set of ABC's sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1981.

Though they were just friends at first, since Hanks was married to his college sweetheart Samantha Lewes at the time, they later went public with their relationship in 1986.

After two years of dating, Hanks and Wilson got married in 1988. They went on to welcome two kids together, Chester "Chet" Hanks and Truman Theodore Hanks.

The Forest Gump actor is also a father to Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks, whom he shared with Lewes, who died of bone cancer in 2002.

From friends to 35 years of marriage, here's a timeline of Hanks and Wilson's sweet love story.

1981: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson First Meet

Hanks and Wilson first met on the set of Bosom Buddies in 1981, an ABC sitcom that Hanks had been starring in for two seasons. While Wilson only appeared in one episode and Hanks was married at the time, Wilson said they instantly hit it off as friends.

"One of the things, when we met, was that we just got along instantly," Wilson told Kelly Clarkson in 2020 of her first impression of Hanks. "First of all, I love a good storyteller," she continued. "So anybody who could tell a good story, I'm down with that. ... I love that. He makes me laugh all the time. He's a great storyteller."

August 1985: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Star in Their First Film Together

Hanks and Wilson reunited on set once again for their first feature together in 1985's Volunteers. In the film, they played lovers in which Hanks later expressed that there was instant chemistry.

"Rita and I just looked at each other and — kaboing — that was that," Hanks told GQ. "I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, and it just couldn't be denied."

December 1986: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Make Their Red Carpet Debut

Hanks and Wilson made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of Three Amigos in 1986. Although Hanks and Lewes officially divorced in 1987, they were broken up for a while before he and Wilson linked.

April 1988: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Get Married

Hanks wed Wilson in April 1988, in which she iconically donned an untraditional, short-length wedding dress.

"The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to have an intimate connection," Hanks told Oprah Winfrey. "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."

He added, "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."

August 1990: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Welcome Their First Child Together

Two years after tying the knot, Hanks and Wilson welcomed their first child on Aug. 4, 1990. Named Chester "Chet" Hanks, he follows in the footsteps of his parents and has pursued a career in entertainment.

A rapper and actor, Chet has appeared in a number of television titles such as Empire, Shameless, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He's also nabbed roles in films such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Fantastic Four, and Greyhound, alongside his father.

June 1992: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Attend His Walk of Fame Ceremony

Wilson proudly supported Hanks when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992.

June 1993: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Star in Their Second Film Together

Hanks and Wilson hit the big screen together again in 1993's Sleepless in Seattle — but this time they played siblings rather than lovers, in contrast to 1985's Volunteers.

Sleepless in Seattle was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1994 in the categories Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song, although it lost to 1993's Piano and Philadelphia's "Streets of Philadelphia" (another film Hanks was in), respectively.

December 1995: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Welcome Their Second Child Together

Hanks and Wilson welcomed their second son together on Dec. 26, 1995. Named Truman Theodore Hanks, he also works in the entertainment industry — but instead of acting like his brother and parents, he spends his time behind the camera.

Truman has worked in the camera and electrical department of notable TV series and films such as Wrath of Man, Black Widow, and Steven Spielberg's screen adaptation of West Side Story, per his IMDb page.

July 1998: Rita Wilson Supports Tom Hanks at His Hand and Footprint Ceremony

Wilson was by Hanks' side in 1998 during his hand and footprint ceremony in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in California.

April 2002: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Produce My Big Fat Greek Wedding Together

After sharing the screen together, Hanks and Wilson joined forces behind the camera to produce the 2002 romantic comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

They also served as producers for the movie sequel My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 as well as executive producers for the TV sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life, where Wilson made a small cameo.

June 2006: Tom Hanks Supports Rita Wilson During Her Broadway Debut

The movie star took her talents from the screen to the stage when she starred as Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2006. Hanks came out to support Wilson as she made her Broadway debut.

May 2012: Rita Wilson Opens Up About Her Relationship With Tom Hanks

The couple has expressed their love for each other over the years, but in 2012, Wilson opened up during an interview with Piers Morgan about one of the sweetest moments she had with Hanks.

"I'll never forget, we were standing on the corner of 57th and 5th in New York, or 58th and 5th," Wilson said of her husband. "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."

April 2015: Tom Hanks Supports Rita Wilson During Hard Times

Wilson revealed to PEOPLE in 2015 that she had undergone a double mastectomy and reconstruction after being diagnosed with breast cancer — and although she was concerned at first about how her husband would react, she was relieved by his response.

"You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this," Wilson told the New York Times. "I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me ... who knew it would make you even closer?"

April 2018: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Celebrate Their 30th Wedding Anniversary

Hanks and Wilson celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with a star-studded bash in April 2018, including Hollywood A-listers such as Oprah Winfrey, Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Conan O'Brien, Martin Short, Isla Fisher, and Jimmy Kimmel.

March 2019: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Attend Her Walk of Fame Ceremony

In 2019, Hanks supported Wilson during her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony. Not only was he cheering and applauding from the front row, but he joined her on stage to give a speech at the podium touting her successful career and accomplishments.

March 2020: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Battle COVID-19 Together

Hanks and Wilson weathered COVID-19 together at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. In an interview with The Guardian, Wilson discussed her bout with the virus, admitting that contracting it alongside the Forrest Gump star made the health struggle slightly more bearable.

"I think that having the virus at the same time made it that little bit easier," said Wilson. "We were taking care of each other instead of having the pressure of taking care of one person and no one taking care of you or understanding that the person at home needs a break."

She added, "We were fortunate we were in a place where we understood what the other was going through."

July 2021: Rita Wilson Celebrates Tom Hanks' Milestone Birthday

Wilson honored Hanks' 65th birthday with a sweet tribute on her Instagram. She posted an image of her husband grinning ear to ear while mounted on a bike on a scenic trail. "Riding into 65 better than ever!" she captioned the post. "Happy Birthday to the love of my life! Xox."

June 15, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend an Elvis screening

Hanks stepped out for an exclusive screening of Elvis and he had Wilson by his side for support. The event, which was hosted by Vogue's Anna Wintour and director Baz Luhrmann in N.Y.C., was star-studded, including an A-list guest list consisting of Tim McGraw, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, and more.

The actor, who plays Colonel Tom Parker in the film, was joined on stage with the rest of the leading cast: Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Yola. Prior to the movie's commencement, Hanks, Butler, Luhrmann, and Wintour shared a few opening remarks.

The following day, the couple were spotted in N.Y.C. as Hanks defended Wilson from an aggressive fan.

June 21, 2022: Tom Hanks promotes Rita Wilson's single with Josh Groban

While Wilson has been by Hanks' side throughout his press tour for Elvis, the actor showed his support for his wife and her musical endeavor.

Hanks made his "triumphant return" to social media to promote Wilson's latest single, which he describes as a "hit record." The actress, who doubles as a musician, released a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic, "Songbird," featuring special guest Josh Groban.

September 7, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the Pinocchio premiere

Hanks and Wilson walked the red carpet together at the world premiere of the live-action Pinocchio, in which Hanks plays Geppetto. The couple also spoke to reporters about seeing the 1940 animated film come alive in a different way.

October 3, 2022: Colin Hanks jokes that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are just "okay" grandparents

During an appearance on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, Colin revealed that his parents have some room for improvement on the grandparent front.

"Are they good grandparents, Rita and Tom?" Hoda asked the actor.

"They're okay, yeah," Colin said, laughing. "It would be great if they paid attention to the kid's bedtime and actually cooked food that the kids will eat. No, they're fine. They're great."

November 19, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the Governors Awards

The couple attended the 13th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles. Hanks looked handsome in a black suit and tie, while Wilson dazzled in a plunging sequin gown.

December 13, 2022: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend A Man Named Otto premiere in Stockholm

Making A Man Named Otto was a family affair. Hanks played the titular character, Wilson produced the film and their son Truman Hanks played a twenty-something version of Otto.

"For 365 nights, I slept with the producer to get the part," Tom joked during a Q&A at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures just days before traveling to Sweden.

At the premiere in Stockholm, the trio of actors walked the red carpet together. Wilson dazzled in a silver dress, while Tom and Truman looked handsome in black suits.

April 30, 2023: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary

Wilson marked her and Hanks' 35th wedding anniversary by sharing a sweet photo on Instagram and Twitter. In the snap, Hanks presented the singer-songwriter with a yellow cake, which features "Happy Anniversary" written in frosting.

"35 years of marriage. April 30, 1988. Love is everything," Wilson wrote in the caption.

May 23, 2023: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the Asteroid City premiere

Hanks and Wilson attended the Cannes Film Festival where they stepped out for the premiere of Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, in which they both appear.

The pair were seen smiling together on the red carpet, with Wilson wearing a black dress while her husband looked dapper in a classic black-and-white tuxedo.

July 9, 2023: Rita Wilson celebrates Tom Hanks' 67th birthday

In honor of her husband's birthday, Wilson penned a sweet post about Hanks on Instagram.

"Happy Birthday to this man who is my lover, my best friend, my family, the father of my children," she wrote, before going on to describe the actor as a typewriter-loving mixologist who is committed to telling the stories of war veterans. "He is one of the smartest people I know, [and he] has made me laugh everyday for 38 years."

January 9, 2024: Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks attend the Governors Awards

The couple attended the 14th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles. Wilson, who is on the Academy's Board of Governors, dazzled in a red-sequin dress by Jenny Packham, while Hanks looked dapper in a black suit.