Tom Hanks is showing the world how much he adores his wife, Rita Wilson.
The Oscar-winning actor celebrated Wilson’s 69th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post on Sunday, October 26, sharing a sunny vacation photo of his wife smiling after a dip in the ocean.
“This beautiful woman is celebrating her birthday TODAY,” Hanks wrote in the caption. “She is loved by her husband. Happy anniversary, @ritawilson!”
Hanks and Wilson, who have been married since 1988, share two sons together, Chester “Chet” Marlon Hanks, 35, and Truman Theodore Hanks, 29.
The Forrest Gump star is also father to Colin, 47, and Elizabeth, 43, from his first marriage to the late Samantha Lewes.
The beloved Hollywood couple’s love story began in 1981 when they met on the set of Bosom friends.
Their friendship turned to romance a few years later, and in 1986 they made their red carpet debut as a couple. Two years later they tied the knot and have been inseparable ever since.
In a 2001 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Hanks opened up about the secret of their enduring relationship.
“The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to be intimate,” he said.
“When I married Rita, I thought, ‘This is going to take some change on my part.'”
He added, “I won’t deny that providence was part of finding each other, but our relationship isn’t magic like it’s shown in the movies. In real life, our connection is just as concrete as I sit here. Not that marriage isn’t close to hell in a handbasket sometimes. But we both know that no matter what, we’ll be together and get through it.”
Over the years, both Hanks and Wilson have publicly expressed their affection for each other.
Last year, when Hanks turned 67, Wilson himself shared a loving birthday tribute, calling him her “lover,” “best friend” and “family.”
“Congratulations to this man who is my lover, my best friend, my family, the father of my children,” she wrote.
“He is one of the smartest people I know, he has made me laugh every day for 38 years and can take a nap anywhere, anytime. Happy Birthday, my love!”
More than forty years after their first meeting, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson continue to prove that lasting love in Hollywood isn’t just a movie script, it’s real life.
