The acclaimed actor, singer and producer was born in Los Angeles to a Greek mother and a Bulgarian father who emigrated to the United States in 1949.
You might know her from early roles like Bosom Buddies, where she met her future husband Tom Hanks, and from standout turns in films including Runaway Bride, It's Complicated and her unforgettable scene-stealing in Sleepless in Seattle.
Behind the camera, she helped bring My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mamma Mia! to the big screen.
Alongside her film career, Wilson has built a powerful musical voice, releasing albums since 2012 and collaborating with artists like Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson. She now returns to her solo work with her sixth album, Sound Of A Woman, released on 1st May.
In this episode, we talk about growing up in a traditional, private family but later living in the public eye, bringing My Big Fat Greek Wedding to the screen, her friendships with Nora Ephron and Bruce Springsteen - and how her experience of breast cancer reshaped her life and friendships.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
02:39 Sleepless In Seattle Scene Secrets
04:32 Finding Her Voice
07:53 Labels and Late Blooming
13:07 Privacy to Speaking Out
14:56 Greek Wedding Breakthrough
17:43 Drama School Rejections
27:57 Proving Them Wrong
29:03 Onscreen Friendship Magic
31:03 What Friendship Means
32:12 Breast Cancer and Blame
35:07 Honoring Her Father
39:55 Family Secrets and Privacy
45:50 Building Family Values
47:20 Fired as Ticket Taker
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I’ve come to a stage in my life where I’m only now just finding my voice, both metaphorically and literally.
We spend so much of our lives shedding those identities that don't work for us anymore until we get to a place where I am now, which is literally the most unfiltered place you can be when you get to a certain age where you just don’t care what anybody thinks and you can tell the truth more fully.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Sound Of A Woman is out on 1st May
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Ruth Wilson – on refusing Botox, being rejected from Oxford and living with her father’s Alzheimer's: swap.fm/l/ZbkfbAmZFOX0zB2u1iiC
Melanie Chisholm – the former Spice girl on mental health, identity and navigating fame: swap.fm/l/OAU4TwoXfjVLvCdrcSYY
Gloria Steinem – my personal hero: on activism, ageing and redefining success: swap.fm/l/WbcOneXzQpdLfYriAQXE
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
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Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
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Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
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