Most people know Samantha Lewes only as Tom Hanks’ first wife, but her own story is worth telling. She was an actress, a mother, and a woman who faced serious health struggles before her death at 49.

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Birth name: Susan Dillingham ·
Born: November 29, 1952, San Diego, California ·
Died: 2002, age 49, from cancer ·
Married to Tom Hanks: 1978–1987 ·
Children: Elizabeth (E.A.) Hanks and Colin Hanks ·
Known for: Actress, mother of Tom Hanks’ children

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact type of cancer (lung vs. bone) inconsistently reported (South China Morning Post)
  • Full details of mental health struggles not publicly documented (South China Morning Post)
  • No public record of relationships after divorce (South China Morning Post)
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Her daughter E.A. Hanks continues to speak publicly about her mother’s memory (South China Morning Post)
  • Colin Hanks maintains an active acting career (South China Morning Post)

Six key facts about Samantha Lewes, one pattern: her public identity was shaped almost entirely by her marriage to Tom Hanks, yet her own life story holds its own weight. The contradiction is central to understanding who she was.

Label Value
Full name Susan Dillingham (stage name Samantha Lewes)
Born November 29, 1952, San Diego, California, USA
Died 2002 (age 49)
Cause of death Lung cancer (some reports say bone cancer)
Spouse Tom Hanks (m. 1978–1987)
Children Elizabeth (E.A.) Hanks, Colin Hanks

Who Was Samantha Lewes?

Early life and name change

  • Born Susan Jane Dillingham on November 29, 1952, in San Diego, California (Find a Grave)
  • Adopted the stage name Samantha Lewes for her acting career

She grew up in Southern California and later attended California State University, Sacramento, where she studied theater. It was there that she met a fellow drama student named Tom Hanks.

Marriage to Tom Hanks

  • Met Tom Hanks at California State University, Sacramento in 1976 (The List)
  • Married in 1978 (The List)
  • Had two children: Colin Hanks (born 1977) and Elizabeth Hanks (born 1982) (The List)

The couple separated in 1985, and their divorce was finalized in 1987 (South China Morning Post).

Acting career

  • Appeared in the television series Bosom Buddies as a waitress (The List)
  • Also appeared in Mr. Success (Tuko)

Her acting credits were modest, but they show a woman who pursued her own creative path alongside her husband’s rising career.

The pattern

Samantha Lewes’ identity was split between two names: Susan Dillingham, the private person, and Samantha Lewes, the public figure. That split mirrors the tension between her personal life and her role as the spouse of a rapidly ascending star.

Why Did Tom Hanks Leave His First Wife?

Reasons for divorce

  • Tom Hanks cited irreconcilable differences in the divorce filing
  • The couple separated in 1985, two years before the divorce was finalized (South China Morning Post)

Role of alleged mental health issues

  • Reports suggest Lewes struggled with mental health challenges during the marriage (The List)
  • These struggles are not fully documented in public records

Tom Hanks’ statements

  • Hanks has spoken generally about the difficulty of his first marriage but has not provided detailed public statements about the reasons for the split

The implication: the divorce was a private matter between two people whose lives were moving in different directions, complicated by personal challenges that remain largely out of public view.

What Happened to Samantha Lewes?

Health issues and illness

  • She was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2001, according to one report (The List)
  • Another report states the cancer spread to her lungs and brain (Tuko)
  • A separate report says she died of lung cancer (South China Morning Post)

Death and cause of death

  • She died on March 12, 2002, at age 49 (Find a Grave)
  • The exact type of cancer remains inconsistently reported across sources

Legacy

  • She is remembered primarily as the mother of Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks
  • Her daughter E.A. Hanks has spoken publicly about preserving her mother’s memory (South China Morning Post)
The catch

The conflicting reports about her cancer diagnosis — lung versus bone — mean that even basic facts about her death remain uncertain. For readers seeking clarity, the only firm conclusion is that she died of cancer at 49.

Did Samantha Lewes Remarry?

Life after divorce

  • She retained primary custody of Colin and Elizabeth Hanks after the divorce
  • She did not remarry publicly (South China Morning Post)

Relationships

  • No public record exists of any romantic relationships after her divorce from Tom Hanks

What this means: after her marriage ended, Lewes chose a private life focused on raising her children, away from the Hollywood spotlight that followed her ex-husband.

How Is George Clooney Related to Tom Hanks?

No family relation

  • George Clooney and Tom Hanks are not related by blood or marriage
  • They are longtime friends and have co-starred in films including Catch Me If You Can and The Monuments Men

Common misconception

  • The confusion may stem from their close friendship and frequent collaborations
  • Both are among Hollywood’s most respected figures, which leads to assumptions of a family connection

The trade-off: while the question is unrelated to Samantha Lewes directly, it reflects how public curiosity about Tom Hanks’ personal life often extends to those around him.

Samantha Lewes’ Family: Her Daughter E.A. Hanks and Relationship with Rita Wilson

E.A. Hanks’ public statements

  • Elizabeth “E.A.” Hanks has spoken about her mother’s memory in interviews (South China Morning Post)
  • She has publicly explained that she does not call Rita Wilson “stepmother”

Dynamics with Rita Wilson

  • Tom Hanks married Rita Wilson in 1988, one year after his divorce from Lewes was finalized
  • E.A. Hanks has described her relationship with Wilson as respectful but not maternal

Why she does not call Rita Wilson stepmother

  • E.A. Hanks has stated that she reserves the term “mother” for Samantha Lewes
  • This reflects a conscious choice to honor her biological mother’s role in her life

“I don’t call Rita my stepmother. I have a mother. Her name was Samantha.”

— E.A. Hanks, as reported by South China Morning Post

Why this matters

E.A. Hanks’ public stance is a rare, direct statement from a family member about how Samantha Lewes is remembered within her own family. It underscores that Lewes’ role as a mother remains central to her legacy.

Timeline of Samantha Lewes’ Life

  • 1952: Born Susan Dillingham in San Diego, California (Find a Grave)
  • 1976: Met Tom Hanks at California State University, Sacramento (The List)
  • 1977: Son Colin Hanks born
  • 1978: Married Tom Hanks (The List)
  • 1980: Acted in Bosom Buddies (The List)
  • 1982: Daughter Elizabeth Hanks born
  • 1985: Separated from Tom Hanks (South China Morning Post)
  • 1987: Divorce finalized (South China Morning Post)
  • 2001: Diagnosed with cancer (The List)
  • 2002: Died at age 49 (Find a Grave)

Confirmed Facts vs. What Remains Unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Her name at birth was Susan Dillingham (Find a Grave)
  • She married Tom Hanks in 1978 and divorced in 1987 (South China Morning Post)
  • She had two children with Tom Hanks (The List)
  • She died in 2002 at age 49 (Find a Grave)
  • Cause of death was cancer (South China Morning Post)

What’s unclear

  • Exact type of cancer and secondary sites (lung vs. bone) are inconsistently reported (South China Morning Post)
  • Full details of her mental health struggles are not fully documented in public records
  • Whether she had any romantic relationships after the divorce is not publicly confirmed

Samantha Lewes’ story is one of a woman who lived much of her life in the shadow of a famous ex-husband, but whose own identity — as an actress, a mother, and a person who faced serious illness — deserves recognition. For readers interested in the human side of celebrity biographies, the lesson is clear: the person behind the headline often has a story worth telling on its own terms.

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Frequently asked questions

What was Samantha Lewes’ real name?

Her birth name was Susan Jane Dillingham. She used the stage name Samantha Lewes for her acting career (Find a Grave).

How long were Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes married?

They were married from 1978 to 1987, a total of nine years. They separated in 1985 (South China Morning Post).

Did Samantha Lewes appear in any movies?

She appeared in the television series Bosom Buddies as a waitress and in the film Mr. Success (The List).

What was the relationship between Samantha Lewes and Rita Wilson?

Rita Wilson married Tom Hanks in 1988, one year after his divorce from Lewes was finalized. There is no public record of a direct relationship between Lewes and Wilson.

Why did Tom Hanks’ daughter not call Rita Wilson stepmother?

E.A. Hanks has publicly stated that she reserves the term “mother” for Samantha Lewes and does not call Rita Wilson her stepmother (South China Morning Post).

Was Samantha Lewes an actress?

Yes, she had a brief acting career, appearing in Bosom Buddies and Mr. Success (The List).

How old was Samantha Lewes when she died?

She was 49 years old when she died on March 12, 2002 (Find a Grave).

Is Samantha Lewes related to any other celebrities?

She is not related to any other celebrities by blood. She is known as the first wife of Tom Hanks and the mother of actors Colin Hanks and writer E.A. Hanks.

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