Rita Wilson reveals Tom Hanks turned down 'When Harry Met Sally' because he 'could not understand' the role
'Castaway' star, Wilson have been married for 35 years
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Hanks had two rom-com hits with Meg Ryan, "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You’ve Got Mail," and it turns out there could have been a third if he hadn’t turned down "When Harry Met Sally."
On the "Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi" podcast, Hanks’ wife, Rita Wilson, revealed the reason he turned down the iconic movie.
"People probably don’t know this, but Tom was offered ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ and he turned it down because he was going through a divorce, and he was very happy to be not married," Wilson explained.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And so, he could not understand that a person going through a divorce would have anything other than just like, ‘I’m so happy,’" she continued.
Rita Wilson revealed that Tom Hanks turned down the lead role in "When Harry Met Sally" because he was going through a divorce at the time and was "very happy to be not married." (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
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Hanks was married to his first wife, Samantha Lewes, from 1978 to 1987. They had two children together, actor Colin Hanks and daughter Elizabeth Hanks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hanks and Wilson married in 1988 and had two sons together, Chet and Truman.
"When Harry Met Sally," starring Ryan and Billy Crystal, whose character goes through a divorce, was released in 1989.
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal pose for the movie "When Harry Met Sally" circa 1989. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Crystal shared a fun throwback photo on his 75th birthday this year, celebrating his role in the movie.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Crystal donned a white sweater, jeans and sneakers and took a photo of himself in a low squat, putting it side by side with a near-identical looking moment in the movie.
He simply captioned the images "Thank you all…" on Twitter.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In speaking with the Library of Congress about making the movie, Crystal said, "I just felt so plugged into the process of making the movie. … Not that anything is ever easy, but it was just such a joy to see it come to life."
As for the movie’s ongoing appeal, the actor said, "The movie is beautiful and simple and appropriate, and every shot is just right."
The movie was written by Nora Ephron, who also wrote "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You’ve Got Mail."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wilson said she loved Ephron’s scripts and ran into her at a party, asking to audition for a role in "Sleepless in Seattle." She ended up appearing in the film as Hanks’ sister, Suzy, and delivered the memorable monologue about "An Affair to Remember."
Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks both performed in "Sleepless in Seattle" in 1993. (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
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"That ended up being one of the most fun, most memorable acting experiences I’ve ever had," Wilson said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The "Forrest Gump" star and Wilson recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary earlier this year.
Wilson shared a photo of Hanks presenting her with a cake with the words "Happy Anniversary" written on it with icing while he looks at her lovingly.
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"35 years of marriage. April 30, 1988. Love is everything," she captioned the photo in which she can be seen looking down and smiling at the cake.
Fox News Digital's Lori Bashian contributed to this report.