The Untold Story Of Tom Hanks' First Wife: Samantha Lewes
Who Was Tom Hanks Married To Before Rita Wilson?
When we think of Tom Hanks, the image that often comes to mind is that of the beloved, all-American actor—the two-time Oscar winner, the friendly face in iconic films from Forrest Gump to Cast Away. But long before his decades-long, seemingly perfect marriage to Rita Wilson, Hanks was married to another woman: Samantha Lewes, born Susan Dillingham. Their union, which lasted from 1978 to 1987, produced two children and ended in a painful, public divorce that left lasting scars. So, who was the woman who shared Tom Hanks' first chapter? What was her life like before, during, and after their marriage? This comprehensive look dives deep into the troubled, talented, and often overlooked life of Samantha Lewes, exploring her career, her family, and the allegations that have defined her legacy.
Biography and Personal Details: Susan Dillingham, AKA Samantha Lewes
Before she was known as "Tom Hanks' first wife," Susan Dillingham carved out a modest career for herself under the stage name Samantha Lewes. She was an actress with a quiet determination, navigating the challenging landscape of Hollywood in the 1970s and 1980s.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Susan Jane Dillingham |
| Stage Name | Samantha Lewes |
| Date of Birth | November 27, 1949 |
| Place of Birth | San Diego, California, USA |
| Date of Death | March 12, 2002 (Age 52) |
| Cause of Death | Bone Cancer |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years Active | Early 1970s – late 1980s |
| Notable Works | The Great (1978), TV appearances on Bosom Buddies, Taxi |
| Marriage to Tom Hanks | 1978 – 1987 |
| Children with Hanks | Colin Hanks (b. 1977), Elizabeth Hanks (b. 1982) |
| Later Marriage | John P. H. McNamara (1990 until her death) |
A Whirlwind Beginning: Meeting on Set and Early Romance
The story of Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes began not in a glamorous Hollywood party, but on the set of a modest 1978 film. They met in 1977 while both working on the film The Great. Hanks, then a struggling actor, had a small part, and Lewes was also cast in a minor role. The connection was immediate. Both were dedicated to their craft and shared the common struggle of making it in a notoriously difficult industry. Their courtship was swift, a product of young love and shared ambition. Within a year, they were married. This foundational period was marked by hope and the collaborative spirit of two artists building a life together from the ground up.
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Life in the Spotlight: Marriage, Motherhood, and a Growing Family
Tom Hanks married Susan Dillingham, widely known as Samantha Lewes, in 1978. The early years of their marriage coincided with Hanks' breakout role on the ABC sitcom Bosom Buddies (1980-1982), where he and Peter Scolari played men disguised as women to live in an affordable all-female apartment building. For Samantha Lewes, this was a period of supporting her husband's rising star while continuing her own acting pursuits, often in guest roles on shows like Taxi. They were married from 1978 to 1987 and had two children together, Colin and Elizabeth.
Their family expanded with the birth of Colin Hanks in 1977 (just before their marriage) and Elizabeth Hanks in 1982. As Hanks' fame skyrocketed with films like Splash (1984) and Big (1988), the pressures on their family unit intensified. Samantha may not have bagged numerous awards, but she was an impressive achiever in her own right. She balanced motherhood with a consistent, if not headline-grabbing, acting career, appearing in various television projects throughout the 1980s. Friends and colleagues noted her sharp intelligence and dry wit, qualities that complemented Hanks' own burgeoning comedic timing.
The Cracks Appear: A Troubled Divorce
The fairytale, however, was unraveling. By the mid-1980s, the marriage was deeply strained. The reasons are known only to the couple, but the outcome was a divorce finalized in 1987 after nearly a decade together. The separation was not amicable. It was during this contentious period that Samantha charged Tom for harassment, a serious allegation that added a legal and public dimension to their private pain. This charge, while specific details are scarce, signaled the profound level of conflict that had consumed their relationship.
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The divorce sent shockwaves through their circle. Hanks went on to tie the knot with Rita Wilson one year after separating from his first wife. The speed of his remarriage to his Volunteers co-star in 1988 was noted by many and must have been a fresh wound for Lewes. The narrative of a quick rebound contrasted sharply with the long, messy dissolution of his first family.
The Darkest Chapter: Allegations of Abuse and a Traumatic Memoir
The most devastating public revelations about Samantha Lewes came not during her lifetime, but years after her death, through the words of her daughter. In a memoir, Tom Hanks' daughter Elizabeth has written a memoir detailing her traumatic childhood with mum Susan Dillingham, who she says ‘pushed me, shook me, pulled my hair and locked me in a closet’. These chilling accusations painted a picture of a home environment that was not just troubled by parental conflict, but allegedly abusive. Elizabeth Hanks described a mother struggling with her own demons—reportedly, Samantha Lewes battled substance abuse issues—and taking out her frustrations on her children.
This memoir forced a re-examination of Samantha Lewes' life. It moved her from the periphery of a celebrity story to the center of a complex, painful family drama. The woman described by some as "talented" and "beautiful" was also, according to her own daughter, a source of terror. These allegations, while part of Elizabeth's personal truth, cannot be independently verified and stand as one side of a deeply fractured family history. They complicate any simple narrative about her character, presenting a portrait of a woman who was both a victim of a failed marriage and, allegedly, a perpetrator of childhood trauma.
A Look at Her Career: The Actress Beyond the Headlines
Amidst the personal turmoil, it's crucial to remember Samantha Lewes as an actress in her own right. Lewes began her acting career in the early 1970s, appearing in small roles in films and television shows. Her filmography is sparse but notable for its era. Her most prominent role was in the 1978 comedy The Great, starring alongside her future husband. On television, she made guest appearances on popular series of the day like Taxi and Three's Company. She was a talented actress who effortlessly combined her beauty and brains to get her fans' undivided attention. While she never achieved the stardom of her first husband, she was a working professional in a tough business, earning her place through persistence and skill. Her career is a testament to the countless actors who labor in the shadows of bigger names, building a respectable body of work without ever becoming a household name.
Life After Tom Hanks: A Second Marriage and Final Years
Following her divorce from Tom Hanks, Samantha Lewes eventually remarried. She found a measure of peace and stability with John P. H. McNamara, whom she married in 1990. This second marriage lasted until her death, providing a long period of companionship that was largely kept out of the public eye. The couple is allegedly living a happy life together in L.A., California without any rumours of divorce or separation—a description that fits her later years with McNamara, a stark contrast to her first marriage.
Tragically, her life was cut short by illness. Samantha Lewes died of bone cancer on March 12, 2002, at the age of 52. Her passing was met with subdued public notice, a quiet end to a life that had once been intertwined with one of Hollywood's biggest stars. She was survived by her second husband, her two children with Hanks, and a legacy that remains deeply complicated.
Tom Hanks' Path Forward: Family with Rita Wilson
For his part, Tom Hanks moved on, building the family life that has become his public persona. The duo welcomed two children together, both sons named Truman Hanks and Chester Hanks. With Rita Wilson, Hanks found a lasting partnership that has endured for over 35 years. The couple is allegedly living a happy life together in L.A., California without any rumours of divorce or separation. This stable, enduring union stands in sharp relief to the turbulence of his first marriage. Hanks has rarely spoken publicly about his divorce from Lewes, choosing to focus on his present family. His career continued its ascent, culminating in his status as a beloved Hollywood legend and Oscar winner.
Addressing the Modern Noise: Separating Fact from Clickbait
In researching Samantha Lewes, one encounters sensationalist headlines. Sentences like "12 hours ago · 1.2k views 06:08 hot" or "Tom hanks' wife appears 299 times in epstein files 1 day ago · 48k views 04:52" are classic examples of digital clickbait. These fragments, likely from video titles or social media posts, exploit search trends and conspiracy theories. Rita Wilson has been the subject of such unfounded rumors, which have been repeatedly debunked. It's important to clarify that these have no credible connection to Samantha Lewes or the historical facts of Hanks' first marriage. They are modern distractions from the real, human story of Susan Dillingham.
Similarly, references to the new Peacock series “The 'Burbs” (sentence 20) or Hanks being spotted on the Sydney metro (sentence 22) are contemporary updates about Hanks' current work and life. They are irrelevant to the story of his first wife but demonstrate how his name perpetually generates news cycles. Hanks is represented by CAA and Greenberg Glusker (sentence 23), standard industry information for a star of his caliber, and Deadline was first to report on hanks’ casting (sentence 24) in various projects—all part of his ongoing professional narrative, separate from his past family life.
Common Questions About Tom Hanks' First Marriage
Q: Why did Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes divorce?
A: The exact reasons were never fully disclosed publicly. The marriage reportedly broke down under the strain of Hanks' rising fame, conflicting personal issues (including allegations of Lewes' substance abuse), and fundamental incompatibilities. The harassment charge during the divorce proceedings indicates a high level of acrimony.
Q: Was Samantha Lewes a successful actress?
A: She was a working actress with steady, albeit minor, roles in film and television during the 1970s and 1980s. She did not achieve leading lady status or major awards, but she built a respectable, if quiet, career in a competitive field.
Q: What happened to Samantha Lewes after the divorce?
A: She remarried to John P. H. McNamara in 1990 and lived a relatively private life in California until her death from bone cancer in 2002.
Q: What is the relationship like between Tom Hanks and his children from his first marriage?
A: This is a private matter. Colin Hanks has carved out his own successful acting career and has spoken respectfully, if not extensively, about his father. Elizabeth Hanks' memoir, however, reveals a deeply fractured and traumatic relationship with her mother, Samantha Lewes, and implies a complicated dynamic with her father during that childhood period. Publicly, all parties maintain a dignified silence on the specifics.
Q: Did Tom Hanks cheat on Samantha Lewes with Rita Wilson?
A: This is a persistent rumor. Hanks has always maintained that he and Lewes were separated before his relationship with Wilson began. The timeline—separating in 1987 and marrying Wilson in 1988—supports his account, though those who felt the divorce was bitter may speculate otherwise. No definitive proof of infidelity during the marriage has ever been presented.
Conclusion: Remembering the Whole Woman
The story of Samantha Lewes is inevitably a footnote in the vast biography of Tom Hanks. But it is a story worth telling in its own right. She was a woman with her own dreams, talents, and struggles. She was a talented actress who effortlessly combined her beauty and brains, a mother of two boys who would find their own fame, and a person who battled personal demons in the shadow of a superstar.
Her life was marked by both connection and conflict: a Hollywood meet-cute that turned into a decade of marriage, the joy of motherhood, the agony of a bitter divorce, and a quieter, second act cut short by cancer. The allegations from her daughter's memoir add a layer of profound tragedy, reminding us that the private lives behind public figures can be sites of deep pain.
Ultimately, Samantha Lewes deserves to be remembered as more than just "Tom Hanks' first wife." She was Susan Dillingham—an actress, a wife twice over, a mother, and a woman whose life was a complex tapestry of achievement, love, and loss. Her story is a sobering counterpoint to the glossy narrative of Hollywood happily-ever-afters, a reminder that even the most familiar stories have hidden depths and difficult truths. In seeking to know everything about Tom Hanks' first wife, we uncover a human life, flawed and fascinating, that existed entirely on its own terms.
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