Samantha Lewes Biography, Wiki, Acting Career, Death
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If you haven’t met Samantha Lewes, you have to pay attention to Elizabeth Hanks or Colin Lewes Hanks, the most famous of the two descendants she left behind, to get an insight into her life.

Or you can hope and pay attention the next time the famous actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks talks about his loneliness and the woman who helped him suppress the feeling of friendlessness and the great unhappiness that oppressed him.

Although the remarkable filmmaker, who has received several prestigious awards and nominations for his work, divorced Samantha Lewes to marry another actress, Rita Wilson, he would not deny that his relationship with Samantha made him the man he is today. Although not directly, he once associated one of the greatest things that ever happened to him with Samantha.

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It is known that Lewes and Tom first became friends when they were learning about acting at Sacramento State University. Tom struggled with loneliness, and the behavior that came with it spoke to Lewes’ heart. As their friendship blossomed, it was only a matter of time before they became lovers. As love grew, they decided to become life partners. Finally, they celebrated their love and became man and wife. That was 1978; they had their first child, Colin, the year before – 1977.

According to Tom, the fact that Colin was with Samantha when he was just 21 years old gave him a huge and real sense of responsibility, he couldn’t bring himself to take drugs, smoke, or engage in excessive alcohol consumption. This, of course, helped him to concentrate and reach the heights of his career.

For unknown reasons, things started to fall apart between Samantha and Tom. Though one might be tempted to assume that Tom’s loneliness returned or that he experienced striking successes in his career and paid less attention to what he had with Samantha, the problems the couple had that eventually led to a divorce in 1987 were best known to them. The next year, after they separated, Tom married Rita. Nevertheless, he and Samantha remained friends, not only because of the children they had together but also because of what they had.

Samantha Lewes Biography, Wiki

From the foregoing, we have learned that Samantha Lewes was Tom Hanks’ first love and the mother of his first two children, Colin and Elizabeth Hank.

Records show that she was born on November 29, 1952. Her birthplace was the California Pacific Coast city of San Diego. When she grew up, she was known as Susan Jane Dillingham until she adopted Samantha Lewes as her acting name.

Samantha would have been a proud mother if she were still alive. While her first child Colin is gaining fame as an actor and filmmaker, her daughter is also popular as an actress and writer. Known for his roles in several successful film and television productions, Colin has received a handful of nominations for prestigious awards.

Unfortunately, Samantha has not been able to witness or celebrate most of these successes. She died the same year that Colin received his first nomination. That was in 2002 when he was nominated for the MTV Movie Awards in the Best Male Breakthrough Performance category for his role in Orange County. What’s more, she never got to attend his son’s wedding or meet her daughter-in-law Samantha Bryant or her granddaughters Olivia and Charlotte, born in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

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Samantha Lewes Acting Career, Death

There is not much known about Lewes’ acting career. All most people know is that she was an actress and Tom Hanks’ first wife, who died 15 years ago. However, we have discovered that Samantha has appeared as an actress in a handful of film and television productions. You can find her in the 1980 sitcom starring Tom – Bosom Buddies. And you’ll also see her in the 1984 comedy directed by Jack Shea – Mr. Success.

It is common knowledge that Samantha Lewes died on March 12, 2002, in Sacramento, California. That was after it was disclosed that she had bone cancer the previous year. When Tom found out about it, he called in specialists and paid the bill for Samantha’s treatment.

But as fate would have it, the doctors could only manage the pain that Samantha had from the disease, cancer has already affected her lungs and brain and she can only stay alive for a few months.

Quick Facts About Samantha Lewes

Date of Birth:29 November 1952
 Age:67 years old
 Birth Nation:United States of America
NameSamantha Lewes
Birth NameSusan Jane Dillingham
NationalityAmerican
Birth Place/CitySan Diego, California
EthnicityWhite-American
ProfessionActress
MarriedTom Hanks- 1978
ChildrenColin Hanks, and Elizabeth Hanks
DivorceTom Hanks- 1987