Rita Wilson: How to Be Brave Enough to Start Over At Any Age

Rita Wilson: How to Be Brave Enough to Start Over At Any Age

May 18, 2026 · 51 min · Episode 80

About this episode

Rita Wilson discusses her journey of starting a music career at 56 and the lessons learned about aging and purpose.

What if it’s not too late to do the thing you always wanted to do? At 56 years old, Rita Wilson decided to find out, and the woman she became on the other side of that decision is the one she sits down with Tamsen to talk about today on The Tamsen Show. For decades, Rita built one of the most respected careers in Hollywood as an actress and producer behind some of the biggest films of our generation. Then, in her 50s, she walked into a recording studio and started writing her own music for the first time in her life. She is now 69 years old, six studio albums in, currently on tour with her newest and most personal record yet, Sound of a Woman. If you have ever wondered if it’s too late to start over, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: - The one question to ask yourself to find your purpose - How Rita started a music career at 56, and what it taught her about the lies we tell ourselves about aging - Why sharing a bathroom with her husband (Tom Hanks) is the secret to their long-lasting marriage - What changed when she stopped trying to be the good girl her parents raised her to be - The questions she wishes she would have asked her mother, and what Tamsen…

People in this episode

Host: Tamsen Fadal

Guest: Rita Wilson

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