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Rita Wilson BiographyBorn Margarit Ibrahimoff on October 26, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, actress and producer Rita Wilson is known for such projects as "Sleepless in Seattle" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." With her father changing the family surname to "Wilson" during her childhood, the future TV and film star attended Hollywood High School. During this time she worked at the high-end clothing store Fred Segal, but Wilson didn't last there for long. As she told Harper's Bazaar, "I got fired because I talked too much."
Wilson had better luck with her acting career. Beginning in the 1970s, she made guest appearances on TV shows like "The Brady Bunch," "Lou Grant" and "Flying High." In the '80s, Wilson got a role on "Bosom Buddies," starring future husband Tom Hanks, but the pair didn't begin their romance until years later.
Having traveled to England to study her craft at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Wilson eventually landed a leading film role opposite Hanks in the 1985 comedy "Volunteers," with John Candy. While the movie proved to be a commercial and critical disappointment, Hanks and Wilson would become one of Hollywood's greatest romances. Though at the time of filming "Volunteers" she was engaged and Hanks was married, the pair eventually found their way to each other and wed in 1988. They have two children together, sons Chester and Truman.
More TV and movie roles soon followed for the actress. On the big screen, notable performances included work in "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993), "Mixed Nuts" (1994) and "Psycho" (1998), and Wilson also made appearances on series like "Mad About You," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Frasier."
One of Wilson's biggest successes, however, came as a producer: She was instrumental in bringing Nia Vardalos's play "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2003) to the screen and fighting to keep Vardalos as the project's star. Of Greek heritage herself, Wilson felt close to the subject matter.
Wilson continued to tackle a range of interesting projects. A talented singer, she made her Broadway debut in 2006 in the musical "Chicago" as Roxie Hart. She explained to People magazine that the part was "one of the top three jobs I've ever had." Around this time, Wilson also became a contributing editor to "Harper's Bazaar" magazine and went on to explore her love of music, releasing her debut album "AM/FM" in 2012.
Wilson continues to be a creative force in the world of entertainment. She has enjoyed recurring roles on hit shows like "The Good Wife" and "Girls" and also worked on a screenplay entitled "Terms of Embarrassment."
In 2015, Wilson returned to Broadway to appear in Larry David's popular play "Fish in the Dark," co-starring Rosie Perez. Wilson's health, however, forced her to take a leave of absence from the project. That April, Wilson announced that she had a double mastectomy after discovering she had breast cancer. She gave a statement about her condition, saying that she is "expected to make a full recovery." Wilson credits this positive outcome to early detection of her cancer, "excellent doctors and because I got a second opinion."
In 2016, Wilson released her second album, "Rita Wilson" and also co-produced "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2."
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Rita Wilson and other top speakers and celebrities.
-Speculative Identities: Contemporary Italian Women's Narrative (Italian Perspectives)
Happy birthday, Rita Wilson! The actress, producer, writer, singer and Huff/ Post50 editor-at-large turns 57 today.
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Born Margarit Ibrahimoff on October 26, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, actress and producer Rita Wilson is known for such projects as "Sleepless in Seattle" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." With her father changing the family surname to "Wilson" during her childhood, the future TV and film star attended Hollywood High School. During this time she worked at the high-end clothing store Fred Segal, but Wilson didn't last there for long. As she told Harper's Bazaar, "I got fired because I talked too much."
Wilson had better luck with her acting career. Beginning in the 1970s, she made guest appearances on TV shows like "The Brady Bunch," "Lou Grant" and "Flying High." In the '80s, Wilson got a role on "Bosom Buddies," starring future husband Tom Hanks, but the pair didn't begin their romance until years later.
Having traveled to England to study her craft at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Wilson eventually landed a leading film role opposite Hanks in the 1985 comedy "Volunteers," with John Candy. While the movie proved to be a commercial and critical disappointment, Hanks and Wilson would become one of Hollywood's greatest romances. Though at the time of filming "Volunteers" she was engaged and Hanks was married, the pair eventually found their way to each other and wed in 1988. They have two children together, sons Chester and Truman.
More TV and movie roles soon followed for the actress. On the big screen, notable performances included work in "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993), "Mixed Nuts" (1994) and "Psycho" (1998), and Wilson also made appearances on series like "Mad About You," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Frasier."
One of Wilson's biggest successes, however, came as a producer: She was instrumental in bringing Nia Vardalos's play "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2003) to the screen and fighting to keep Vardalos as the project's star. Of Greek heritage herself, Wilson felt close to the subject matter.
Wilson continued to tackle a range of interesting projects. A talented singer, she made her Broadway debut in 2006 in the musical "Chicago" as Roxie Hart. She explained to People magazine that the part was "one of the top three jobs I've ever had." Around this time, Wilson also became a contributing editor to "Harper's Bazaar" magazine and went on to explore her love of music, releasing her debut album "AM/FM" in 2012.
Wilson continues to be a creative force in the world of entertainment. She has enjoyed recurring roles on hit shows like "The Good Wife" and "Girls" and also worked on a screenplay entitled "Terms of Embarrassment."
In 2015, Wilson returned to Broadway to appear in Larry David's popular play "Fish in the Dark," co-starring Rosie Perez. Wilson's health, however, forced her to take a leave of absence from the project. That April, Wilson announced that she had a double mastectomy after discovering she had breast cancer. She gave a statement about her condition, saying that she is "expected to make a full recovery." Wilson credits this positive outcome to early detection of her cancer, "excellent doctors and because I got a second opinion."
In 2016, Wilson released her second album, "Rita Wilson" and also co-produced "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2."
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Rita Wilson and other top speakers and celebrities.
Rita Wilson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Rita Wilson for your event is $100,000 - $200,000. Rita Wilson generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Kathy Bates, Joan Lunden, Hoda Kotb, Giuliana Rancic and Geena Davis. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Rita Wilson for an upcoming event.
Happy birthday, Rita Wilson! The actress, producer, writer, singer and Huff/ Post50 editor-at-large turns 57 today.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent, and wish to request removal from this catalog or report an issue with your profile, please click here.
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