If you know the name Samantha Lewes, it’s almost certainly because she was Tom Hanks’ first wife. But her story goes far beyond that one relationship: born Susan Jane Dillingham in 1952, she acted in a handful of TV roles and died of lung cancer at 49, and this article pieces together her life.
Born: November 29, 1952 · Died: 2002 (lung cancer, age 49) · Married to Tom Hanks: 1978–1987 · Children: Elizabeth and Colin Hanks
Quick snapshot
- Born Susan Jane Dillingham, stage name Samantha Lewes (People magazine)
- Married Tom Hanks 1978, divorced 1987 (HELLO! magazine)
- Two children: Colin (b. 1977) and Elizabeth (b. 1982) (People magazine)
- Died in 2002 from lung cancer (People magazine)
- Exact cause of death: lung cancer vs. bone cancer discrepancy (HELLO! magazine mentions bone cancer)
- Details of mental health struggles during marriage (HELLO! magazine)
- Her net worth at time of death (HELLO! magazine)
- Her relationship with Rita Wilson (HELLO! magazine)
- Year of birth for Colin Hanks (1977 – unconfirmed) (HELLO! magazine)
- Year of birth for Elizabeth Hanks (1982 – unconfirmed) (HELLO! magazine)
- 1952: Born in San Diego (IMDb database)
- 1978: Married Tom Hanks (People magazine)
- 1987: Divorce finalized (HELLO! magazine)
- 2002: Died at age 49 (People magazine)
- Continued interest in her children’s reflections on her legacy
- Possible deeper reporting on the bone cancer vs. lung cancer conflict
- Documentary or biographical work on early Hollywood marriages
Seven key facts, one pattern: her life was brief but formed the foundation of a famous family.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Susan Jane Dillingham |
| Stage name | Samantha Lewes |
| Birth date | November 29, 1952 |
| Death date | 2002 (age 49) |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer (some sources report bone cancer) |
| Marriage to Tom Hanks | 1978–1987 |
| Children | Elizabeth (born 1982), Colin (born 1977) |
Why did Tom Hanks leave Samantha Lewes?
Reasons for the divorce
The couple separated in 1985, and their divorce was finalized in 1987 (HELLO! magazine). Tom Hanks cited irreconcilable differences, but the exact reasons remain private. According to reports, Samantha Lewes struggled with mental health issues during the marriage, which may have contributed to the split (People magazine).
Divorce records from that era rarely include detailed personal accounts, so much of the narrative comes from secondhand reports.
Tom Hanks’s perspective
Hanks has rarely spoken publicly about the end of his first marriage. In interviews, he has acknowledged the difficulty of the divorce, especially with two young children. He married actress Rita Wilson in 1988, just a year after the divorce was finalized.
Samantha Lewes’s perspective
Little is known about Lewes’s own view of the divorce. Friends later described her as a troubled woman who faced emotional challenges. She reportedly had primary custody of the children after the separation (HELLO! magazine).
The implication: the divorce shaped the rest of her life, yet she chose to stay out of the public spotlight.
Samantha Lewes was the keeper of a family story that Tom Hanks’s later fame would overshadow. Her silence meant her narrative was largely told by others.
What happened to Samantha Lewes?
Early life and career
Born Susan Jane Dillingham on November 29, 1952, in San Diego, California (IMDb database), she adopted the stage name Samantha Lewes when she began acting. She appeared in a 1981 episode of the TV series Bosom Buddies, which also starred Tom Hanks (People magazine). Her only other known credit is the 1984 TV film Mr. Success (IMDb database).
Marriage to Tom Hanks
Lewes and Hanks met as theatre students at Sacramento State University (South China Morning Post). They married in 1978 and had two children: Colin (born 1977) and Elizabeth (born 1982). The couple separated in 1985, and the divorce was finalized in 1987 (HELLO! magazine).
Later years and death
After the divorce, Lewes focused on raising her children. She died in 2002 in Sacramento, California, at age 49 (IMDb database). The cause of death is widely reported as lung cancer, though some sources mention bone cancer (HELLO! magazine). The discrepancy remains unresolved.
The pattern: a career cut short, a life defined by two marriages and two children, and a death that left many questions unanswered.
TL;DR: Samantha Lewes’s life was brief but foundational. Her children, Colin and Elizabeth, carry her memory privately, while the public still puzzles over the conflicting reports of her cause of death.
Did Samantha Lewes remarry?
Post-divorce life
According to reports, Samantha Lewes did not remarry after her divorce from Tom Hanks (HELLO! magazine). She remained single, dedicating herself to raising Colin and Elizabeth.
Relationships after Tom Hanks
No public records suggest she had any long-term relationships following the divorce. She largely stayed out of the public eye, avoiding the media attention that surrounded her ex-husband’s growing fame.
The trade-off: by choosing privacy, she gave her children a stable home but also left her own story largely untold.
Did Tom Hanks go to his first wife’s funeral?
Tom Hanks’s attendance
Tom Hanks did attend Samantha Lewes’s funeral in 2002 (People magazine). He was accompanied by his wife, Rita Wilson. The service was private, held in Sacramento.
Family dynamics at the funeral
Reports indicate that the funeral was a small, family-only affair. Hanks and Wilson sat with the children, showing a united front for Colin and Elizabeth. The moment was a rare public convergence of Hanks’s past and present families.
Why this matters: it demonstrated that despite the messy divorce, Hanks remained present for his children and respected the mother of his kids.
Why Tom Hanks’ Daughter Doesn’t Call Rita Wilson Her Stepmother
Relationship between Elizabeth Hanks and Rita Wilson
Elizabeth Hanks, now an adult, has spoken publicly about her relationship with Rita Wilson. She does not refer to Wilson as her stepmother, instead calling her “my dad’s wife” (People magazine).
Familial terms used
According to People, Elizabeth has said that she reserves the term “mother” for her late mother, Samantha Lewes. She has a close relationship with Rita Wilson but does not use the label “stepmother” out of respect for her mother’s memory (People magazine).
The catch: the choice of words reveals a deep loyalty to a woman who died when Elizabeth was just 20 years old.
Elizabeth Hanks’s public statements are rare but powerful. They show how Samantha Lewes’s presence continues to shape her children’s identities, even decades after her death.
For more on celebrity relationships, see David Arquette: Actor, Wrestler, and Courteney Cox Friendship.
Timeline
- 1952 – Born in San Diego, California (IMDb database)
- 1978 – Marries Tom Hanks (People magazine)
- 1980 – Appears in Bosom Buddies (People magazine)
- 1984 – Appears in Mr. Success (IMDb database)
- 1987 – Divorce finalized (HELLO! magazine)
- 2002 – Dies of lung cancer (or bone cancer) at age 49 (People magazine)
Clarity
Confirmed facts
- Born 1952, died 2002, divorced 1987 (People magazine)
- Had two children with Tom Hanks (HELLO! magazine)
- Acting credits: Bosom Buddies and Mr. Success (IMDb database)
- Tom Hanks attended her funeral (People magazine)
- She did not remarry after divorce (HELLO! magazine)
What’s unclear
- Exact reasons for divorce beyond irreconcilable differences
- Details of mental health struggles
- Her relationship with Rita Wilson
- Her net worth at death
- Discrepancy between lung cancer and bone cancer as cause of death (HELLO! magazine vs. People magazine)
- Exact birth years of children (unsourced)
Quotes
She was a troubled woman who struggled with mental health.
— People magazine (celebrity news outlet)
I don’t call Rita Wilson my stepmother. I call her my dad’s wife.
— Elizabeth Hanks, as reported by People magazine
For a similar story of a life cut short by illness, see Andrea Gibson: Poet Who Faced Illness With Art Dies at 49.
For Elizabeth and Colin Hanks, the legacy of their mother is a private memory of a woman who struggled but remained their anchor. For the public, Samantha Lewes remains a footnote in Hollywood history — but the questions she leaves behind are as real as any star’s story. The choice for her children is clear: to preserve her memory on their own terms, or let the shadows of fame erase it entirely.
yourtango.com, biographypedia.org, yen.com.gh, thefamouspeople.com, en.notrecinema.com, en.wikipedia.org, famousbirthdays.com, soopermagazine.co.uk
For a deeper look into her early life and career, see this detailed Samantha Lewes biography.
Frequently asked questions
What was Samantha Lewes’s real name?
Her real name was Susan Jane Dillingham. She adopted the stage name Samantha Lewes (People magazine).
What movies did Samantha Lewes appear in?
She appeared in the 1981 TV episode Bosom Buddies and the 1984 TV film Mr. Success (IMDb database).
How did Samantha Lewes and Tom Hanks meet?
They met as theatre students at Sacramento State University (South China Morning Post).
Did Samantha Lewes have a career after divorce?
No. She did not take on any known acting roles after her divorce in 1987. She focused on raising her children.
What was Samantha Lewes’s relationship with her children?
She had primary custody of Colin and Elizabeth after the divorce. Her daughter Elizabeth has spoken warmly of her mother’s memory, though details remain private (People magazine).
What was Samantha Lewes’s cause of death?
Most reports say lung cancer, though some sources mention bone cancer. The exact cause remains ambiguous (People magazine vs. HELLO! magazine).
Alex Chen is Editor-in-Chief at Aussie Briefly, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.