Why did Tom Hanks get Greek citizenship?
TOM Hanks and his family have received honorary Greek citizenship for helping the country recover in 2018 from a damaging wild fire in Athens.
The honorary citizen of will host an special for President and Vice President .
Here's more on the actor's relationship with the country.
Why did Tom Hanks and his wife get Greek citizenship?
and wife last month.
The famous couple were handed their Greek passports by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as he revealed the news on Instagram.
The move came six months after Tom and Rita were made honorary citizens of Greece for helping the victims of the devastating wildfire that tore through the resort town of Mati in 2018.
Greece has extended citizenship to their entire family, including their children Colin, 42, Elizabeth, 38, Chet, 29, and Truman, 24.
"Tom Hanks is a person who showed real interest in the people who suffered from the fire in Mati and promoted this issue in the global media," Greek Interior Minister Takis Theodorikakos told CNN in in December.
Are they Greek?
Both Tom and Rita both grew up in and are American citizens, although Rita's mother is Greek.
Tom has said before that he is a big admirer of the country and reportedly spends nearly every summer on the Aegean island of Antiparos.
Tom has also converted to Greek Orthodox Christianity.
Did Tom Hanks move to Greece?
Tom and Rita do not live in Greece full time, but visit often.
The actor and Mamma Mia star regularly travel to the country – including earlier this month as they celebrated Tom's 64th birthday on Paros island.
The couple, who have been married for 32 years, own a home on the island of Antiparos, where they bought a plot of land in 2004 to build their own house.
And in 2018, they purchased a second home in the Skala area of the Greek island of Patmos.
When did Tom Hanks become a Greek citizen?
The actor was awarded honorary citizenship last month.
- Tom Hanks became a Greek citizen in July 2020
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis broke the news on his Instagram
- The country is grateful for Tom and his family's help after a wildfire devastated the town of Mati
- Tom and his family own property in the country
Is he still a US citizen?
Tom and his family were not required to give up their American citizenship's in order to receive their Greek citzenship.
The actor will perform his civic duty by hosting an that will feature several star-studded performances as a tribute.
Among the big name performers are Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, and Demi Lovato.
What are the rumors about Tom Hanks being arrested?
A bizarre conspiracy theory that .
He was not arrested and the rumors are unfounded.
Social media buzzed about his "arrest" after a meme emerged of Tom .
The photos show Tom in wearing a green bandanna face covering on May 20, 2020.
The fake news photo caption reads: “Look who has a new ankle bracelet! Tom Hanks. Some of you don’t know it but Mr Hanks was arrested in Australia for pedophilia.
"He went on national TV to say he had COVID-19 and he was quarantine himself. Not true. He was in custody for a time then house arrest is in his hotel. Now, he’s a flight risk.”
While his pants appear to be ruffled, there is no ankle monitor visible.
Several fact checking outlets have debunked the rumor as false.
When did Tom Hanks get coronavirus?
Tom and Rita both contracted in early March.
The couple was in before continuing their recovery in quarantine.
They returned home to LA after recovering and continued to self-isolate.
Tom and Rita were the amid the global pandemic crisis.
Speaking to The National Defense Radio Show, he explained: " went through a tougher time than I did. She had a much-higher fever and she had some other symptoms.
"She . She got absolutely no joy from food for a better part of three weeks."
He added: "She was so nauseous, she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities. It lasted a while."
Tom, who "had some body aches and was very fatigued," revealed he was "wiped" after trying to do a 30-minute exercise routine.
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How long have Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson been married?
Tom and Rita have been married for 32 years.
"The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity, and our willingness to have an intimate connection," Tom back in 2001.