Attended Hollywood High School in California and later studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England.

Made her Broadway debut as a Roxie Hart replacement in "Chicago".

Her father chose to change their last name to Wilson, because that was the name of the street they lived on.

She is widely credited with landing Nia Vardalos a movie deal for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) (now the top money making independent film of all time, surpassing the $200 million mark), after seeing Vardalos perform her autobiographical one-woman show. She got her husband (Tom Hanks) to set up the film at his company, Playtone, which shopped it around to financiers and distributors on the strength of the Hanks-Wilson seal of approval. (Side note: Rita and Tom had a "Big Fat Greek Wedding" of their own in 1988).

She originally met Tom Hanks in 1981 on the set of "Bosom Buddies" (1980) when she guest-starred as Peter Scolari's Satan-worshiping girlfriend. But their relationship wasn't kindled until they were reunited on the set of Volunteers (1985).

Older sister, Lily (teacher); and her younger brother, Chris Wilson is the composer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Children with Tom Hanks: Chester Marlon (b. 4 August 1990) and Truman Theodore (b. 26 December 1995).

Half Greek (mother Dorothy, born and raised in a Greek village on the Albanian border) and Pomak (Bulgarian Muslim) from Bulgaria (father, born in Greece and lived in Bulgaria and Turkey, and who worked at a racetrack).

Sister-in-law of Jim Hanks.

Niece, Kristen Reeves, is an entertainment reporter for Orange County TV.

Stepmother of Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks.

Her niece, Carly Reeves, appears on-screen with her in the movie Raise Your Voice (2004) starring Hilary Duff.

Won a Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award for Best Actress for her stage performance in "As You Like It".