“He was very happy to be not married”: Tom Hanks’ Wife Rita Wilson Reveals Why 2 Times Oscar Winner Turned Down $93M ‘Mother of All’ Rom-Coms

Tom Hanks has made his name in the Hollywood industry by portraying many comedic and dramatic roles. These roles not only brought him more acting work but also helped him in becoming an American cultural icon. He was the leading rom-com actor in the late 1980-90s. Whether it be Splash or The Money Pit, he made sure to charm his fans. However, there was a project that almost had him for the leading role.

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His wife, Rita Wilson recently talked about why her renowned husband turned down the offer to work in the critically acclaimed rom-com film, When Harry Met Sally…

Tom Hanks Turned Down When Harry Met Sally…

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Tom Hanks‘s wife, Rita Wilson recently appeared on Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast and shared about how her husband actually rejected the leading role of Harry in the film. She spilled the beans on her husband being offered to play the role, however, he turned it down as he was going through a difficult time at the time. She shared,

“People probably don’t know this, but Tom was offered When Harry Met Sally…, and he turned it down because he was going through a divorce and he was very happy to be not married.”

Due to being new in the divorce phase, he was happy to undo the marriage which is why he was unable to relate with the character he was offered at the time.

“And so he could not understand that a person going through a divorce would have anything other than just like, ‘I’m so happy.’”

While the Apollo 13 actor was unable to work alongside Meg Ryan who played Sally’s role in the film, he worked with her in 1993’s Sleepless in Seattle and 1998’s You’ve Got Mail. As for Harry Burns’s role, it eventually ended up in Billy Crystal’s hands. The film grossed nearly $93 million in North America, with critics praising the film immensely.

The Ctor Was Engaged in Divorce Battle with Lt. Samantha Lewes

At the time of the rom-com film release, Hanks was engaged in divorcing his ex-wife, Samantha Lewes. Having met as acting students at California State University, their relationship soon turned romantic. After getting married in 1978, they struggled to make ends meet. The duo shared two kids, Colin and Elizabeth.

As the hurdles continued in their life, it led to several complexities and misunderstandings which caused them to live separately. It eventually contributed to their split, with the duo getting divorced in 1987.  As per Hanks, getting married at an early age which came with additional responsibilities was what contributed to their divorce.  His ex-wife passed away at 49 in 2002 due to bone cancer.

As for how the Forrest Gump star met his now wife, they encountered each other in 1981 on the set of Hanks’ sitcom Bosom Buddies. He was still married to his first wife but the duo had already bonded as a friend. They later went public with their relationship in 1986. After dating each other for two years, they got married in 1988 and going stronger ever since then. They share two kids, Chester “Chet” Hanks, and Truman Theodore Hanks.

Source: Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast