Tom Hanks First Wife Samantha Lewes: Marriage, Kids, and Their Life Before Fame
Tom Hanks’ first wife was Samantha Lewes, the woman he married long before he became one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars. The simple answer is that they married in 1978, had two children together, and divorced in 1987. Samantha later stayed mostly out of the spotlight while Tom’s career exploded, which is why so many people search her name today. Here’s the full story of who she was, their family, and how that early chapter fits into Tom Hanks’ life.
Quick Facts
- Tom Hanks Full Name: Thomas Jeffrey Hanks
- Birthdate: July 9, 1956
- Age: 69 (as of February 2026)
- Birthplace: Concord, California, USA
- Height: About 6’0″ (1.83 m)
- Occupation: Actor, producer, filmmaker
- Estimated Net Worth: About $400 million
- First Wife: Samantha Lewes (born Susan Jane Dillingham)
- Married: 1978
- Divorced: 1987
- Children with Samantha: 2 (Colin Hanks, Elizabeth Hanks)
- Suggested Category: Celebrity Relationships
Tom Hanks Bio
Tom Hanks is an American actor and producer known for a career filled with iconic roles, emotional storytelling, and a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most respected figures. He rose through comedy in the 1980s, became a leading man in the 1990s, and has continued working across film, TV, and producing. Long before he was a household name, he was a young actor building a life, and that early chapter includes his marriage to Samantha Lewes.
Samantha Lewes Bio
Samantha Lewes was an actress and the first wife of Tom Hanks. Born Susan Jane Dillingham, she worked in acting and theater and lived much of her life away from the intense spotlight that later followed Tom. She is best remembered publicly as the mother of Tom Hanks’ first two children, Colin and Elizabeth, and as an important part of his early adult years before major fame.
Who Was Tom Hanks’ First Wife?
Tom Hanks’ first wife was Samantha Lewes, born Susan Jane Dillingham. She and Tom met when they were young, and their relationship began long before his career reached superstar level. That timing matters because their marriage happened in a very normal, early-life context: two people trying to build a future while still figuring out work, identity, and adulthood.
Samantha is often described as private, and that’s a big reason her name still sparks curiosity. Many celebrity spouses become public figures on purpose. Samantha did not. Even while married to Tom, she wasn’t trying to become a tabloid personality. That’s why people today often know the basics but still want a deeper picture of who she was.
When Did Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes Get Married?
Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes married in 1978. At that time, Tom was still building his career, and he was far from being a global star. That marriage year matters because it places Samantha at the very beginning of Tom’s adult life in entertainment—before the major film roles, before the cultural icon status, and before the wave of fame that later reshaped everything.
Many people assume famous actors marry after success. In Tom’s case, the first marriage came first. Fame came later.
Their Kids: Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks
Tom and Samantha had two children:
- Colin Hanks (actor)
- Elizabeth “E.A.” Hanks (writer and public figure)
Colin Hanks is well known in his own right, with a long acting career that includes film, TV, and voice work. Elizabeth, often called E.A., has been associated with writing and has spoken publicly at times about family experiences.
Because both children grew up with a famous father, the early family story naturally draws public attention. People want to know what the household was like before Tom became “Tom Hanks” in the global sense, and Samantha’s role is central to that timeline.
What Samantha Lewes Did for Work
Samantha Lewes was connected to acting and theater, and she is sometimes described as an actress. However, her public film and television credits were not as prominent as Tom’s, and much of her life remained private. That’s another reason people search for her: the information is limited compared to most celebrity spouses.
It’s also important to remember that not every person connected to a future star wants a public career. Samantha’s life appears to have been more focused on family and personal stability than building a big Hollywood brand.
Why Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes Divorced
Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes divorced in 1987. The exact personal reasons have not been fully detailed publicly in a way that settles every question, and both maintained a level of privacy about the intimate details. In most long marriages, divorce is rarely about one simple thing. It’s often about growth in different directions, stress, career changes, and the emotional weight of life transitions.
In Tom’s case, the years leading up to the divorce overlapped with the start of major career momentum. When a career begins to rise, the entire structure of a household changes—time, location, identity, and pressure. Some couples evolve together through that, and some don’t.
What is publicly clear is that the marriage ended, and Tom’s life moved into a different chapter soon after.
Tom Hanks After the First Marriage
After divorcing Samantha, Tom Hanks later married actress Rita Wilson in 1988. His second marriage has become one of the most admired long-term relationships in Hollywood, partly because of its longevity and partly because Tom and Rita appear deeply connected as both partners and creative collaborators.
But understanding Tom’s first marriage helps explain the full arc of his life. Tom didn’t start out as an untouchable superstar with a perfect public image. He was a young man building a life, making choices, becoming a father early, and learning how adulthood works in real time.
Samantha Lewes Later Life and Passing
Samantha Lewes later lived mostly outside of intense public attention. She passed away in 2002. Because her life was private, many people only learn about her in pieces—marriage dates, children, a few career notes, and the fact of her passing.
That limited public record can feel frustrating to curious fans, but it also reflects a basic truth: Samantha was not trying to be famous. She was part of a famous person’s story, but she did not build her own identity around public access.
Why People Still Search “Tom Hanks First Wife”
This topic stays popular because Tom Hanks is an enduring icon. When someone is seen as stable and beloved, people become curious about their “before” years. Fans want to know:
- Who he was before the huge fame
- What his early family life looked like
- How his kids grew up
- Who Samantha was as a person
Samantha Lewes represents that earlier chapter. She is a reminder that every celebrity story started as a normal human story.
Tom Hanks’ Net Worth and What It Represents
Tom Hanks’ estimated net worth is around $400 million. That number reflects a decades-long career built on box office success, producing, directing, voice work, and a reputation that allows him to choose high-quality projects. It also reflects longevity—very few actors remain top-tier for as long as he has.
But Samantha’s chapter of his life happened before all that wealth and status. That’s part of what makes it interesting. Their marriage was shaped by normal financial pressures and early-career uncertainty, not by the “Hollywood legend” version of Tom that the world knows now.
The Simple Answer
If you searched “Tom Hanks first wife” for the direct truth: Tom Hanks’ first wife was Samantha Lewes (born Susan Jane Dillingham). They married in 1978, had two children—Colin and Elizabeth—and divorced in 1987. Samantha later lived a mostly private life and passed away in 2002. She remains an important part of Tom Hanks’ early life story because she was there before the fame, during the earliest family years, and as the mother of his first two children.
image source: https://www.biography.com/actors/tom-hanks
