Acclaimed American actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks and his wife, actress and producer Rita Wilson, posted a short clip on YouTube urging people to participate in Greece’s bicentennial celebrations of the launch of Greece’s War of Independence against Ottoman rule.

“We are so excited to celebrate with Greeks all over the world the bicentennial of 200 years of Greek independence. It’s an amazing thing to celebrate my Greek heritage and we hope that you’ll all join us in celebrating what’s to come in this amazing event,” Wilson said.

She called on viewers to visit the website of the country’s official 2021 committee (greece2021.gr) where people can submit ideas for events or submit applications to participate in various ways.

“Greece the land of beauty, the land of democracy, the land of great thinkers, the land of wonderful people,” adds Hanks.

The actors also urge people to visit Greece.

Hanks, Wilson and their children were offered honorary Greek citizenship by the Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in 2019 in part for their assistance following deadly wildfires in Attica in 2018. Wilson’s mother, Dorothea, was Greek.

This article was first published on ekathimerini.com