Rita Wilson

How have your 60s been?

69, a very sexy age.

It's the sexiest age.

Your whole job, if you're an actor, is mostly failing.

You don't get every job that you go up for.

You know, it's one out of 10, I suppose.

And there's something really great about working with women.

Hello and welcome to How to Fail with me, Elizabeth Day.

This is the podcast that believes at the root of failure, there is the chance for growth.

Before we get into this episode, please do remember to like, follow and subscribe so that you never miss a single conversation.

My guest today is quite possibly the only woman who bears the distinction of having both a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Greek postage stamp to her name.

She is Rita Wilson, acclaimed actor, singer and producer, born Margarita Ibrahimov in Los Angeles to a Greek mother and a Bulgarian father who emigrated to the States in 1949.

Wilson wanted to be a singer from a young age, but she ended up at the London Academy for Dramatic Arts and soon got parts in sitcoms including Bosom Buddies, where she starred opposite her future husband, Tom Hanks.

Notable movie roles followed, including Runaway Bride, It's Complicated and a scene-stealing turn in Sleeps As...

I love this scene so much I can't get it out.

And a scene-stealing turn in Sleepless in Seattle when she memorably bursts into tears recounting the plot of an affair to remember.

As producer, she was the driving force behind developing theatrical productions of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mamma Mia into some of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

Alongside this, she has a successful musical career, releasing albums since 2012 and reaching the top of Amazon's singer-songwriter chart.

Known for her collaborations with major artists such as Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson, she now returns to her solo work with her sixth album, Sound of a Woman, released in May.

I've come to a stage in my life where I'm only now just finding my voice, both metaphorically and literally, Wilson says.