Rita Wilson (born October 26, 1956)[1] is an American film and stage actress and producer. She is the wife of actor Tom Hanks.

She’s 51!

Wilson was born as Margarita Ibrahimoff in Los Angeles, California. Her father, a Greek Pomak who worked at a racetrack, was born in Greece. Before immigrating to the U.S. she had lived in Bulgaria and Turkey; her mother, Dorothy, was born and raised in a Greek village on the Albanian border.

Wilson’s family changed their surname from “Ibrahimoff” to “Wilson”, which was a name of a local street in Southern California. She has been married to Tom Hanks since April 1988, and has two children. She contributed to the Moffitt Cancer Center by donating “True Hearts” jewelry made of sterling silver and 14k gold. The proceeds will benefit several charities. Wilson credits good friend Rosie O’Donnell as inspiration for her charitable work, particularly with cancer and children’s charities. She is also a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Wilson is often credited with being the driving force behind Nia Vardalos’s movie deal for My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which became the highest-grossing independent film of all time.

She has had recurring roles in various television series, and appeared in several movies. These include Midnight Caller, Volunteers, Teen Witch, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Barbarians at the Gate, Mixed Nuts, Sleepless in Seattle, Now and Then, That Thing You Do!, Frasier, Jingle All the Way, Runaway Bride, and Raise Your Voice. She played Susan Borman, wife of astronaut Frank Borman, in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.

Jingle All the Way for the Win!

Wilson is reported to have coached her husband, actor Tom Hanks, to speak basic Bulgarian phrases which he used in the film The Terminal to portray the fictional Krakozhian language.

In the director’s cut of her husband Tom Hanks’ movie That Thing You Do, her brief appearance as a cocktail waitress named Marguerite, in another scene has main character Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) drunkenly calling her Margarita (a play on Wilson’s real-life first name).

Other October 26th Birthdays:

Shelley Morrison-Actress -71
Bob Hoskins-Actor -65
Jaclyn Smith-Actress -62
Pat Sajak-Wheel of Fortune Host -61
James Pickens Jr.-Actor -55
Dylan McDermott-Actor -46
Natalie Merchant-Singer -44
Keith Urban-Country Singer -40