What happened to Samantha Lewes (Tom Hanks' late wife)?

What happened to Samantha Lewes (Tom Hanks' late wife)?

Samantha Lewes may have been better known as actor Tom Hanks' former wife, but she was a successful Hollywood actress in her own right before her split with the star and subsequent untimely death. Who is Tom Hanks’ ex-wife and what happened to her?

Samantha Lewes’ age
Tom has been married twice. Photo: Kristy Sparow
Source: Getty Images

Samantha Lewes’ spouse may be the better-known actor, but she was also in the entertainment world as an actress. However, Samantha seemed to have stepped back from acting once her marriage to Tom ended.

Profile summary and bio

Full nameSusan Jane Dillingham
NicknameSamantha Lewes (professional moniker)
Date of birth29 November 1952
Age49 years old at the time of passing (12 March 2002)
Zodiac signSagittarius
BirthplaceSan Diego, California, USA
Romantic orientationHeterosexual
Religious beliefsGreek Orthodox
Current residenceSacramento, California, USA, at the time of passing
Current nationalityAmerican
Marital statusDivorced from Tom Hanks (1978–1987)
EthnicityCaucasian
GenderFemale
Height165 cm (most commonly reported)
Hair colourBrown
Eye colourBrown
ParentsJohn Raymond Dillingham and Harriet Hall Dillingham
ChildrenElizabeth Ann Hanks and Colin Hanks
ProfessionActress
EducationSkyline High School and California State University
Native languageEnglish
Net worthBetween $1 million and $15 million

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Samantha Lewes and Tom Hanks were together during the height of her acting career while Tom started making a name for himself at the same time. As Samantha cooled off on the acting, Tom's career soared. She eventually seemed to shy away from the spotlight before her untimely death in 2002.

How many children did Tom Hanks have with his first wife?

Samantha Lewes’ children she shared with Tom Hanks include Elizabeth Ann Hanks and Colin Hanks. Colin went on to follow in his parents' acting footsteps and is a decorated actor today. Elizabeth's career is widely reported as a writer, but according to IMDb, she is also credited as an actress and producer.

Tom has two other children with his current wife Rita Wilson: Chet and Truman. Chet has also dabbled in some acting, while Truman graduated from Stanford University in 2018 and has kept a relatively low profile since.

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What ethnicity is Tom Hanks?

Tom is Caucasian. His mother's family is surnamed initially 'Fraga' and is Portuguese, while his father's ancestry is predominantly English.

death funeral death Samantha Lewes
Little to no images of Samantha exist today. Photo: @celeb_critics and @naijawapaz on Twitter (modified by author)
Source: UGC

What happened to Samantha Lewes?

The actress passed away in Sacramento, California, USA, on 12 March 2002. Samantha Lewes’ cause of death was cancer, specifically bone cancer. Samantha battled the disease for a few months before unfortunately succumbing to it.

How old is Samantha Lewes?

Samantha Lewes was 49 years old when she passed on. Her former husband, Tom, is 66 years old at the time of writing.

Samantha Lewes’ parents

Samantha's mother, Harriet Hall Dillingham, was an English teacher to elementary-aged children and allegedly worked as an exchange teacher in England for some time.

Her father, John Raymond Dillingham, was a US marine that spent 26 years in the military. He received the Purple Heart award and served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

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Samantha Lewes’ Wikipedia
Tom Hanks is now married to Rita Wilson. Photo: Kristy Sparow
Source: Getty Images

What did Samantha Lewes star in?

Samantha Lewes’ movies and TV show appearances are not abundant, and her acting career seemed to kick off alongside her ex-husband's. According to Samantha Lewes’ IMDb profile, she starred in Bosom Buddies (1980) and Mr. Success (1984).

Samantha Lewes’ net worth

Although reports vary, Samantha's net worth was believed to be anywhere between $1 million and $15 million at the time of her death. In comparison, Tom Hanks' net worth is most widely reported at an impressive $400 million.

Samantha Lewes’ life story is filled with tragedy. But, many aspects of her life, including her children, can be considered the silver lining among her otherwise challenging life and untimely death.

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Keep reading for more on what we know about Raymond's life and passing, including details on his famous mother, his career background, and his associated net worth.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Justine De Lange avatar

Justine De Lange (Lifestyle writer) Justine De Lange has over 6 years of experience in lifestyle, corporate and freelance writing. She started at Now Media for their lifestyle publication 'Let's Go', then joined 'travSIM' and 'Metavaro'. She now writes for Briefly News as a content writer, working with beats such as studies, services, business tips, and celebrity biographies (joined in 2022). In 2023, Justine finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can contact her directly via JustinedeLange14@gmail.com.