How Rita Wilson's Breakout Role In The Brady Bunch Led Her To Husband Tom Hanks

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks are total couple goals when it comes to longstanding Hollywood marriages, and if it weren't for a simple turn of events years ago, they might have never met. The "Mamma Mia!" star didn't set out to be on the big or small screen, but the celebrity life found her. "My first acting job was 'The Brady Bunch.' I went along to the audition with a friend who wanted to be an actor, and the producers of the show saw me waiting and asked if I'd like to try out for the role of the cheerleader. I got the part, which meant I was suddenly working on my favorite show, with actors I'd loved for years," she revealed to The Guardian in April 2026.

It turned out that Wilson's first role caught her future husband's eyes. "I was watching on a Friday night. This cheerleader was so cute, she knocked me out ... And then I married her," Hanks shared with ET in a 2020 interview. Luckily for both of them, being an extra on one of the biggest shows of the time catapulted Wilson's career. This is how she ended up meeting Hanks in 1981 on "Bosom Buddies." Although the "Big" star was married at the time, the two reconnected while filming "Volunteers" together in 1984, and, in 1988, they got hitched. They're now one of several celeb couples who have been married for over 30 years.

If you're not gushing over Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks' relationship yet, you need to hear how they feel about each other. In an interview with Oprah in 2001, the Oscar winner shared that he was able to channel his love for Wilson into his role in "Philadelphia." He stated, "The way my character felt about his lover is the way I feel about mine. The same was true when I played Forrest Gump, who loved Jenny. Without my connection with Rita, I don't know how I would've been able to connect with what Forrest was going through." Hanks called Wilson his "best friend," adding, "And it has been that way from the very beginning. We laugh just as much now at two in the morning as we always have. And we fight less and less." 25 years since this interview, we're sure Hanks feels just the same.

As for Wilson, she thinks sharing a bathroom is the secret to her longstanding marriage. "That's where you download everything. That's where you download the day. You laugh about what you're doing. In the mornings, you're thinking about, 'What are you doing today? Where are you going to be? Great, I want you there,'" she told People in May 2026. Although temporarily not responding is a move that can make your fights more productive, Wilson's advice is to never go to bed angry. "You don't want to wake up in the morning and have that lingering feeling. So whatever it is, resolve it before you go to bed," she shared. With Wilson and Hanks' obvious love and respect for each other over the years, they're definitely not one of the celebrity couples most likely to split in 2026.