Susan Jane Dillingham was an American actress, widely known under the stage name Samantha Lewis. She mainly specialized as a theater actress (while working in theaters and a pseudonym was taken), but in the 1980s she also appeared in films twice, including with her future husband Tom Hanks.
Briefly about the career
Samantha Lewis’s biography is not as long as that of the famous screen stars. She was not just a star. Samantha was born on November 29, 1952 in San Diego, California, USA. Despite some satisfactory acting career, she is better known for her relationship with her first husband Tom Hanks, and as the mother of Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks, who are also recognized actors.
In 1978, Samantha takes part in the television series Grange Hill. In 1980, she starred with her husband in the series "Side Friends" - Bosom Buddies, but her role there was episodic - a waitress, who very rarely appeared in the series.
“Bosom Friends” - a series in which Tom Hanks plays the main role, but the audience practically does not see Samantha ... Another appearance on the screen of Samantha was in the role of a buyer in a television film called “Mr. Sousses (from the memoirs of friends)” but there are no traces and photos about this film. As you can see, the filmography of Samantha Lewis consists of 2 films with episodic roles.
Romantic relationship Samantha and Tom
In the mid-70s, Samantha, while studying at California State University, met the young Tom Hanks. At this time, he studied at the faculty of dramatic art. She chose Tom precisely because he was not like dreaming of the fame and money of offspring from wealthy families. She was struck by the play of Tom in the play "Cherry Orchard". She convinced him to move to New York and make herself known there. As a result, they drop out of university and begin to live together.
Upon learning that Samantha was pregnant, Hanks promised her that he would do everything so that his family did not need anything.
As a result of passionate love, young parents have a son, Colin Lewis Dillingham (now famous actor Colin Hanks, born on 11.24.1977). A year later, on January 24, 1978, the couple legalized their marriage. Already after the wedding, Samantha Lewis and Tom Hanks had a daughter - Elizabeth Ann Hanks (born May 17, 1982).
Crack in marriage
While the young met, everything was wonderful in their relationship. Everything in their life began to change from the moment children appeared in the family. Samantha Lewis was four years older than Tom and, most likely, mentally was ready for the birth of children. Tom, too, was not opposed to the appearance of children in the family, but mentally he was not ready to become a father. The burden of responsibility fell on the unprepared shoulders. The hardest test was for the young couple lack of money at the beginning of their life's journey. Tom Hanks was not so famous, but he was a fundraiser, so he disappeared at work, almost without appearing at home. To provide for his family, he took on any role, if only it would bring money. At one time, the family lived on Ohio's Hanks unemployment benefit.
The young mother was engaged in children. She had to forget about her career. But she blamed her husband for this, although the accusations were, by and large, absolutely groundless. If you look at her filmography, where films are once or twice and that's all, she had practically no chance to get on the wide screen and start her career.
Divorce from Tom Hanks
Gradually, success began to come to Tom Hanks, he was offered the main roles, his career began. However, it also coincides with the collapse in personal life. In appearance, Samantha and Tom looked like a model couple, they were very close in the eyes of the public. Their friends thought their family life would never crack. However, this has happened. Something in their relationship broke. While her husband disappeared for days on end at work, Samantha began to look at him like a car that makes money.
Samantha, tired of the lack of money, the inattention of her husband to her and the children, accused Tom Hanks of the fact that, even providing for his family financially, he is a bad father and husband. Samantha had all these sentiments because her career failed. She took the children and didn’t even want to hear her husband’s voice on the phone. She also set children against her father, having completely deleted her husband from her life and from the life of children. This happened in 1984. At that time, his son was seven years old, and his daughter was 2 years old. There came a moment when Tom felt that he had become a stranger in his family and at work, as he tried to avoid noisy companies.
Tom went headlong to work, considering himself even more lonely than in childhood. On samples for the next film, he met actress Rita Wilson. And in 1987, Samantha Lewis and Tom Hanks were divorced. After the divorce, her husband Tom Hanks married Rita Wilson, Samantha chose not to marry anyone, but to take care of her children.
Samantha after a divorce
Divorce was perceived differently by former spouses. Tom found him happy, because he did not hear reproaches from his new wife. But Samantha suffered it very hard, although, in fact, she was his initiator. She began to suffer seriously and for a long time. Her life literally juggled between work and health. Samantha began to regularly examine her body. During one of the next examinations, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. Her ex-husband, Tom Hanks, helped find world-class doctors and paid for the treatment of Samantha Lewis, but nothing could stop the disease and only brought closer the day the ex-wife left. Cancer began to metastasize to the lungs and possibly to her brain. Samantha took her last breath on March 12, 2002 in Sacramento, California. According to doctors, the cause of death of Samantha Lewis was bone cancer and metastasis to important vital organs.
Children of Samantha Lewis
The children of actress Samantha Lewis and Tom Hanks, like their parents, are actors who currently have several films. Colin Hanks has been working in the film industry since 1996 and is known for his performance in Orange County and The Good Guys. He is also known for playing Talking Tom in the animated Talking Tom and Friends series. He has been married to Samantha Bryant since 2010 and has two children with her. If Samantha still lived, she would see her beautiful granddaughters Olivia Jane Hanks and Charlotte Bryant Hanks.
As for Elizabeth Hanks, she is an actress who plays supporting roles in films. But known for her popular work in Forrest Gump (1994), That Thing You Do! (1996) and Anchoraged (2015).