Samantha Lewes was an American actress whose life has continued to attract public interest because of her connection to Hollywood and her family. Born Susan Jane Dillingham, she became known professionally as Samantha Lewes and worked in television and film during the early stages of her acting career. She is perhaps best remembered as the first wife of actor Tom Hanks and the mother of Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks. Although her professional acting career was relatively brief, her place in the history of the Hanks family has made her a subject of continued interest. IMDb records her birth as November 29, 1952, in San Diego, California, and her death as March 12, 2002, in Sacramento, California.
Lewes lived much of her adult life away from the intense celebrity spotlight that eventually surrounded her former husband. Her story therefore involves more than Hollywood appearances, as it also includes marriage, motherhood, divorce, family challenges, and an early death. Her children later developed their own careers and public identities, keeping her name connected to the entertainment world. Recent attention surrounding Elizabeth Hanks’ 2025 memoir has also encouraged renewed discussion about Samantha Lewes and the family’s complicated history. Because some details about her private life are reported differently by different sources, it is useful to distinguish documented facts from later interpretations when discussing her biography.
| Quick Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Susan Jane Dillingham |
| Professional name | Samantha Lewes |
| Born | November 29, 1952 |
| Birthplace | San Diego, California |
| Profession | Actress |
| Former spouse | Tom Hanks |
| Children | Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks |
| Died | March 12, 2002 |
| Age at death | 49 |
Who Was Samantha Lewes?
Samantha Lewes was the professional name used by Susan Jane Dillingham, an American actress who worked in television and film. She was born in San Diego, California, in 1952 and later became associated with Sacramento, where she spent important years of her adult life. Her acting career included appearances connected with productions such as Bosom Buddies and Mr. Success. IMDb lists her among the cast of Bosom Buddies and credits her with a role in the 1984 television movie Mr. Success.
Public interest in Samantha Lewes has often focused on her relationship with Tom Hanks, but reducing her entire story to that relationship overlooks her own identity and career. She was an actress during a period when Tom Hanks was still developing his career, and the couple experienced the pressures of young adulthood, parenthood, and professional uncertainty together. Her career was not as extensive as that of many Hollywood stars, yet her appearances provide an important glimpse into the entertainment world surrounding the Hanks family before Tom Hanks became one of America’s most recognizable actors.
Samantha Lewes’ Early Life and Background
Samantha Lewes was born Susan Jane Dillingham on November 29, 1952, in San Diego, California. Available biographical records identify her parents as John Raymond Dillingham and Harriet Hall Collins, although family details are not as extensively documented as those of more prominent Hollywood performers. Growing up in California placed her relatively close to the entertainment industry, but she did not immediately become a major public celebrity. Her later decision to pursue acting brought her into the same theatrical environment where she would meet Tom Hanks.
Her early adulthood was particularly important because it was during her college years that she became involved in theater and met the young Tom Hanks. Sources describe the two as having met while studying at Sacramento State University, where both were connected with theater. Their relationship developed while they were still young, and they became parents before their marriage. This period occurred before Hanks had achieved the international fame associated with films such as Big, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away, meaning their early family life unfolded long before his later celebrity status.
Samantha Lewes and Tom Hanks
Samantha Lewes and Tom Hanks began their relationship when both were young and pursuing interests in theater. Their partnership developed during a formative stage of Hanks’ life, before he became a major Hollywood star. The couple welcomed their first child, Colin Hanks, in 1977, and they married in 1978. Their second child, Elizabeth, was born in 1982. These milestones made Samantha an important part of the actor’s early personal life and family history.
Their marriage eventually came under strain as their personal circumstances and professional lives changed. Hanks’ acting career was gaining momentum, while the responsibilities of marriage and raising children placed additional demands on the young family. Sources generally agree that the marriage ended in divorce in 1987. Hanks later spoke about the emotional difficulty of the period and acknowledged his own feelings of failure during the breakup. His reflections provide some context for how difficult the transition was for the family, although private family experiences cannot be completely understood through public interviews alone.
| Relationship Timeline | Year |
| Samantha Lewes born | 1952 |
| Colin Hanks born | 1977 |
| Samantha Lewes and Tom Hanks married | 1978 |
| Elizabeth Hanks born | 1982 |
| Divorce finalized | 1987 |
| Samantha Lewes died | 2002 |
Her Acting Career
Samantha Lewes’ acting career was relatively short, but she received credits in recognizable television productions. One of her best-known credits was an appearance on Bosom Buddies, the television comedy starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari. IMDb lists Lewes as appearing as a waitress in one episode in 1981. The program is notable because it was part of Hanks’ early television career before his transition into major film roles.
Lewes also appeared in the 1984 television movie Mr. Success. These roles show that she had her own connection to acting rather than simply entering public attention because of her marriage. However, her screen career did not develop into a long list of major roles. After her marriage ended, she largely remained outside the entertainment spotlight, and later accounts describe her as living a comparatively private life while raising her children. Her limited filmography is one reason researchers often describe her career as brief but significant within the context of early Hollywood life surrounding Tom Hanks.
Samantha Lewes and Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies holds a special place in Samantha Lewes’ biography because it connects her directly to an important stage of Tom Hanks’ early acting career. The ABC sitcom ran in the early 1980s and starred Hanks alongside Peter Scolari. Lewes appeared in the series in 1981, making the production one of the clearest documented examples of her work as an actress. Her appearance was small, but it remains one of the credits most frequently mentioned in biographies about her.
The connection is also interesting because Samantha and Tom were already a married couple and parents during this period. Hanks’ career was beginning to grow, and the entertainment industry was becoming an increasingly important part of their family circumstances. While Samantha did not become a major television star herself, her appearance on Bosom Buddies provides a direct record of her participation in the professional world that helped establish Hanks. It also demonstrates that she was not simply a figure known through marriage but had her own experience working in television.
Her Role as a Mother
Motherhood was one of the most important parts of Samantha Lewes’ life. She and Tom Hanks had two children, Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Anne Hanks. Colin was born in 1977, while Elizabeth was born in 1982. Both children later became connected with the entertainment and creative industries, creating a continuing link between Samantha and Hollywood even after her own acting career had ended.
Following the divorce, Samantha played an important role in raising her children, although accounts of the family’s later years are complicated and differ in emphasis. More recent public discussion has been influenced by Elizabeth Hanks’ 2025 memoir, The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road. In the memoir, Elizabeth describes difficult experiences from her childhood and attempts to understand her mother’s life and struggles. These accounts are personal recollections and should be distinguished from independently documented biographical facts.
Divorce and Life After Tom Hanks
Samantha Lewes and Tom Hanks finalized their divorce in 1987 after several years of marriage. The separation occurred as Hanks’ professional career was entering a period of rapid growth. Public records and biographies consistently identify 1987 as the year their marriage ended. Hanks subsequently married actress Rita Wilson in 1988, while Samantha remained largely outside the Hollywood spotlight.
After the divorce, Lewes lived a more private life and was primarily associated with raising her children. This period is less thoroughly documented than her marriage to Hanks, partly because she did not maintain the same public profile. Her life away from Hollywood illustrates how different the paths of former celebrity partners can become after a high-profile relationship ends. Rather than continuing to pursue fame, Lewes largely withdrew from public attention, making reliable information about her later years relatively limited.
Her Children, Colin and Elizabeth Hanks
Samantha Lewes’ legacy is closely connected to her two children, Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks. Colin became an actor and director, building a career independent of his father’s achievements. Elizabeth, who is also known as E.A. Hanks, pursued writing and journalism and later published her memoir in 2025. Their careers demonstrate how the creative influence of the family continued into the next generation.
Colin and Elizabeth have also contributed to public understanding of their family history in different ways. Colin has maintained a career in film and television, while Elizabeth has written about her childhood and relationship with her parents. Her memoir brought renewed attention to Samantha Lewes because it examines family memories and attempts to understand the circumstances surrounding her mother’s life. This newer material adds complexity to Samantha’s biography while also showing why discussions about her should be handled carefully and respectfully.
| Family Member | Relationship to Samantha Lewes | Public Career |
| Tom Hanks | Former husband | Actor, filmmaker |
| Colin Hanks | Son | Actor, director |
| Elizabeth Hanks | Daughter | Writer, journalist, author |
| Rita Wilson | Former husband’s second wife | Actress, singer, producer |
Samantha Lewes’ Later Years
The years following Samantha Lewes’ divorce were considerably more private than the period when she was married to Tom Hanks. She spent much of her later life in California and was focused largely on her family rather than maintaining a public entertainment career. Because she was not frequently appearing in major productions or giving interviews, fewer first-hand records about her everyday life are available. This relative privacy has contributed to the many simplified or sometimes conflicting descriptions found online.
Her later years have become a subject of renewed attention because of information shared by her daughter as an adult. Elizabeth Hanks’ memoir discusses difficult memories from childhood and attempts to place those experiences within the broader context of her mother’s life. Such accounts provide personal perspective but should not automatically be treated as complete historical records of Samantha’s mental or emotional state. A balanced biography should acknowledge these accounts while separating personal testimony from independently verified information.
Samantha Lewes’ Death
Samantha Lewes died on March 12, 2002, in Sacramento, California, at the age of 49. IMDb records her death as being associated with cancer and specifically identifies bone cancer, while several biographical sources repeat the same description. However, some more recent publications have described her illness differently, including reports referring to lung cancer. Because the published accounts are inconsistent, it is safest to state that she died from cancer while noting that sources differ regarding the specific diagnosis.
Her death was especially significant for her children, who were still relatively young adults at the time. Samantha’s passing also marked the end of a life that had been connected to Hollywood without ever becoming dominated by celebrity. She was 49, making her death notably early. Although her professional acting credits were limited, her role as a mother and her place in Tom Hanks’ early life have ensured that her story remains part of the broader history of one of Hollywood’s best-known families.
Samantha Lewes’ Legacy
Samantha Lewes’ legacy is more complicated than a simple description as Tom Hanks’ first wife. She was an actress, mother, and an individual who lived through significant personal and professional changes during a relatively short life. Her acting credits provide a small but documented contribution to television and film, while her children continued the family’s involvement in creative fields. Her story also demonstrates how people connected to famous personalities can have histories that deserve examination in their own right.
Her legacy has gained additional attention through the work of Elizabeth Hanks, whose 2025 memoir revisits childhood memories and family history. The renewed interest has encouraged audiences to look beyond a celebrity relationship and consider Samantha’s life as part of a much larger family story. At the same time, discussions about private family experiences require care because not every detail can be independently verified. Samantha Lewes remains remembered through her children, her limited acting work, and her connection to the early life of Tom Hanks.
Why Samantha Lewes Is Still Remembered
Samantha Lewes remains a subject of interest because several important aspects of American popular culture intersect in her biography. She was connected to Tom Hanks before his rise to worldwide fame, appeared in early television productions, and became the mother of two children who later pursued creative careers. Her story also reflects the less visible side of celebrity life, where family relationships can be complicated even when one person becomes internationally famous.
Interest in Samantha has increased whenever new information about the Hanks family becomes public. The publication of Elizabeth Hanks’ memoir is a recent example of how family history can bring renewed attention to someone who had largely lived outside the spotlight. Today, Samantha Lewes is remembered not simply as a former celebrity spouse but as a woman whose life included acting, motherhood, marriage, divorce, family difficulties, and an early death. Her story continues to invite a more nuanced look at the people behind famous Hollywood families.
Conclusion
Samantha Lewes lived a life that intersected with Hollywood but was never completely defined by it. Born Susan Jane Dillingham in 1952, she pursued acting and appeared in productions including Bosom Buddies and Mr. Success. Her marriage to Tom Hanks placed her in the public eye, while her role as the mother of Colin and Elizabeth Hanks created a lasting connection to the entertainment world. After her divorce, she largely lived away from celebrity attention and focused on her family.
Her death in 2002 at age 49 ended a relatively private life that continues to generate interest decades later. Recent family writing, particularly Elizabeth Hanks’ memoir, has added new perspectives to the public understanding of Samantha Lewes while also highlighting the importance of treating personal family accounts with care. Ultimately, Samantha Lewes is remembered as an actress, mother, former spouse of Tom Hanks, and an important figure in the early history of the Hanks family.
Frequently Asked Questions About Samantha Lewes
Who was Samantha Lewes?
Samantha Lewes was the professional name of Susan Jane Dillingham, an American actress and Tom Hanks’ first wife.
She was also the mother of actors Colin Hanks and writer Elizabeth Hanks.
Was Samantha Lewes an actress?
Yes, Samantha Lewes worked as an actress and appeared in productions including Bosom Buddies and Mr. Success.
Her acting career was relatively brief compared with Tom Hanks’ later career.
How many children did Samantha Lewes have?
Samantha Lewes had two children with Tom Hanks: Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Anne Hanks.
Both later developed careers connected to acting, writing, and the entertainment industry.
When did Samantha Lewes die?
Samantha Lewes died on March 12, 2002, at the age of 49.
Sources consistently record her death in Sacramento, California, although some sources differ about the precise type of cancer involved.
Why is Samantha Lewes famous?
She is remembered for her acting work, her marriage to Tom Hanks, and her role as the mother of Colin and Elizabeth Hanks.
Recent attention surrounding Elizabeth Hanks’ memoir has also brought renewed interest in Samantha’s life.
