She is Greek and has produced the most successful independent film of all time. Being married to a very successful actor/ husband for many many years is also something of an achievement since most actors and actresses aren’t known for their long term relationships. Rita Wilson was in front of the camera along with her husband Tom Hanks for the past 30 years. They started being very visible in the 1980’s TV series Bosom Buddies.

Her latest project of sorts is new and part nostalgic. She has now decided to become a singer and has performed at a theater called the Troubadour in West Hollywood. How do you all of a sudden decide that? Either you sing or you don’t? Well she is rich and famous. Once you reach that status, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Who cares what the critics say? They will never have as much money as you have so who cares what they even think.

It is a friendly theater where all the good old singers have performed. Greats like Carole King, Carley Simon, James Taylor, Cat Stevens to name a few. Ok, anyone under 50 years old probably doesn’t know these people but they are great and we have all sang along to their songs. We just don’t get paid to do it! Rita Wilson gets paid. She is a big star. Tom will buy every ticket if no one comes anyway. He has money and loves her.

She has a deep alto voice as any 55 year old woman should from years and years of talking. She performs with some moves but does she know that Shakira is a Colombian Pop Singer too? Shakira has some serious sexy moves. Sigh! Well, she wants to sing anyway. Check her out if you want, but go to You Tube first and see if you want to give her even more money by buying her CD first. Your choice.

Being more known for her acting career, more recently she was in the 2009 movie starring Meryl Streep and her in “It’s Complicated.” Having performed in 28 films, you will recognize her. She is also known for her appearances in the HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” that began in 2001. Few people know she was on Broadway in a production of “Chicago.” Despite her career achievements, she is still best known for being a wife to one of Hollywood’s leading men, Tom Hanks.

Her new Album called AM/FM features songs from the 60’s and 70’s with back up vocalists that are more famous than she is. Jackson Brown, Chris Cornell, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Patti Scialfa and Jimmy Webb all perform on this 14 classic songs album. Who gets that kind of help? Unless it is a charity event concert rarely do you even assemble a cast of talented people like that together. Yeah, she is rich and famous.

As a not so rich teenager she ironically was an usher at the theater where she debuted her singing career where she also cleaned the bathrooms after performances. Now she won’t even go near the public bathrooms. Did I tell you she is rich and famous? Few know that at the same time she was cleaning bathrooms she auditioned and appeared on the TV show ‘The Brady Bunch” where she played a cheerleader.

It was on the set of a movie called “Volunteers” where she met and stared with the love of her life Tom Hanks. They had a romance on screen and off screen, married a few years later and after 24 years of marriage they are considered to have one of the most successful marriages in Hollywood. She is thrilled for his successes and he is thrilled for successes and never in competition. Perhaps that is the secret to a good marriage.

They have starred most recently together in the 2011 film “Larry Crowne.” Together they own a production company called ”Playtone” and produced “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.“ She admits that it could have been home movies about her Greek family. They moved to the states from Bulgaria before she was born and her name is Margarita Ibrahimoff until her dad saw the street sign that they lived on, said Wilson, and changed her name.

So, it is a good story of one’s life and career filled with success, love, humor and friendship. We should all be so lucky to have the life of Rita Wilson. It all starts with trust and belief that you can be successful without being too boastful and even have the guts to add a career to your life at age 55 with a little help from your friends. Did she sing that song too? I’ll get by with a little help from my friends was from another famous artist.