(CNN) Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have a special reason to celebrate this week: they're both officially Greek citizens. In a picture posted on social media by the country's prime minister, the two proudly hold up their brand new passports. The couple and their children became honorary Greek citizens last year -- after officials highlighted Hanks' role in helping raise awareness about the 2018 fires that devastated areas near Athens and claimed the lives of more than 100 people. Hanx pic.twitter.com/b8fmrgjvYP — Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) January 2, 2020"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 a statemen t in December. Wilson, who is part Greek, and Hanks, a Greek Orthodox convert, have often been spotted spending their vacations in Greece, where they also own property on the island of Antiparos.

Source: CNN July 27, 2020 04:41 UTC