The Key to Being a Good Grandparent? Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Say ‘Getting Active’ and Perfecting the Art of Macaroni and Cheese

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have established themselves as two of the coolest grandparents, but have you ever wondered how they manage? The power couple recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of Asteroid City in New York City on Tuesday (June 13) and shared some of their best secrets. 

Rita Wilson credits her success as a grandmother to staying active and spending time with the little ones outside. “You got to get on the trampoline with them, you got to get in the pool with them, you got to get on the tennis court, you got to do all the sports,” she tells ET, before adding: ‘You just got to hang out.’

On the other hand, Tom Hanks credits his success as a grandfather to his delicious food and excellent culinary skills. “You have to make their macaroni and cheese just perfectly,” he said on Tuesday. So, there you have it – getting outside and perfecting the art of macaroni and cheese will help you earn their love. 

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Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples and have been for the past 35 years. They first met in 1981 while on the set of Bosom Buddies – a show starring Hanks, but Wilson made an appearance in Season 2, Episode 7. They met again in 1985 when they starred in Volunteers. 

Hanks and Wilson started dating shortly after and tied the knot on April 30, 1988 – they celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary two months ago. On August 4, 1990, they welcomed their first child together – a son named Chet Hanks. His brother, Truman Hanks, followed five years later on December 26, 1995. 

Wilson is also a stepmother to Hanks’ two children from his past marriage to Samantha Lewes. The two were married between 1978 and 1987, and they share two children together – a son, Colin Hanks (b. November 24, 1977), and a daughter, Elizabeth Hanks (b. May 17, 1982). Samantha died in 2002. 

Now that Tom Hanks’ four children have grown up, they’re starting to build families of their own. Colin shares two daughters – Olivia Jane (b. 2011) and Charlotte Bryant (b. 2013) – with his wife, Samantha Bryant. Meanwhile, Chet has a daughter – Michaiah (b. 2016) of his own with his former partner. 

Tom Hanks Always Has High Praise for His Family

Tom Hanks has always been a proud father and is now a proud grandfather as he watches his children enter the world of parenthood. It’s something he couldn’t help but acknowledge when the 66-year-old was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2020 Golden Globes – his speech was beautiful. 

“A man is blessed with a family sitting down front like that. A wife who is fantastic in every way, who has taught me what love is. Five kids who are braver, stronger, and wiser than their old man is, a loving group of people who have put [up] with me being away for months and months and months at a time,” he said. 

He also opened up about his parenting style in a 2019 interview with The New York Times, where he pointed out the difference between raising his first two children and last two children – Colin and Elizabeth were born prior to Hanks’ rise to fame in Hollywood, while Chet and Truman were born well after the fact. 

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“The only thing … a parent can do is say, ‘I love you, there’s nothing you can do wrong, you cannot hurt my feelings, I hope you will forgive me on occasion and what do you need me to do?’ You offer up that to them: ‘I will do anything I can possibly do in order to keep you safe.’ That’s it. Offer that up and then just love them,” he said.