Rita Wilson

Rita Wilson, born Margarita Ibrahimoff, on October 26, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, is an American actress, singer, and film producer of Greek and Bulgarian descent. Her father, Hassan Halilov Ibrahimoff, a Pomak from Oraio, Greece, immigrated to the U.S. in 1949 and changed his name to Allan Wilson in 1960. Her mother, Dorothea Tzigkou, was an ethnic Greek from Sotirë in southern Albania. Rita was raised in the Greek Orthodox faith. She made her television debut in 1972 on “The Brady Bunch” and her film debut in 1977 in “The Day It Came to Earth.” Throughout the 1980s, Wilson regularly appeared in guest roles on television series including “M*A*S*H,” “Happy Days,” “Three’s Company,” “Who’s the Boss?,” and “Moonlighting.” Her film roles became more frequent in the 1990s, with notable appearances in “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), “Now and Then” (1995), “That Thing You Do!” (1996), “Jingle All the Way” (1996), and “Runaway Bride” (1999).

In 2002, Wilson marked a significant career turning point by making her debut as a producer with the film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” This project was a major success and earned her the “Visionary Award” at the Producers Guild of America. She continued her producing efforts with films such as “Connie and Carla” (2004), “Mamma Mia!” (2008), “My Life in Ruins” (2009), “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” (2016), “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” (2018), “A Simple Wedding” (2018), “A Man Called Otto” (2022), and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” (2023). In 2012, Wilson launched her singing career with the release of her debut solo album, “AM/FM.” She released subsequent albums, “Rita Wilson” (2016), “Bigger Picture” (2018), “Halfway to Home” (2019), and “Now & Forever: Duets” (2022). She has performed for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 2014 and toured with the music band Chicago. In 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was granted Greek citizenship for her efforts in assisting Greece after a devastating wildfire.

Wilson is an activist for additional funding to combat women’s cancers, serving as an honorary co-chair of the Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) for over two decades. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. In 2020, she and her husband, Tom Hanks, contracted COVID-19 and later donated their blood antibodies for virus research. Alongside her career, Wilson has contributed as an editor to “Harper’s Bazaar” and launched Huff/Post50 for “The Huffington Post,” focusing on issues for individuals over fifty. Her career highlights also include Broadway performances, such as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” (2006) and a role in Larry David’s “Fish in the Dark” (2015).