The Shocking Transformation of Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan became America’s sweetheart in the 1980s as the star of many popular romantic comedies like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Addicted to Love.” This blond bombshell was the perfect mix of the cute girl next door and alluring beauty, telling People in an October 2023 interview that she’s lucky because “I can feel a lot of affection in the world,” especially from those recovering from surgery or illnesses who found solace in her movies. But what happened to the queen of rom-coms? Here’s her inspiring story, from a humble upbringing to an inspirational comeback.
Born Margaret Hyra in 1961
In the 60s, Meg Ryan was Margaret Hyra, born to parents Susan and Harry, who were both teachers at the time. At one point, her mother was an actor, which would eventually help Meg get commercial work. The starlet changed her name to Meg Ryan in 1978 when she joined the Screen Actors Guild, taking her maternal grandmother’s maiden name. Surprisingly, she never saw herself as a performer when she was growing up.
Her parents divorced when she was 15 years old
In 1974, Ryan’s family moved from Fairfield, Connecticut, to Bethel, a few towns over but in the same state. After enrolling in Bethel High, Ryan quickly became popular in school, and everyone wanted to be her friend. However, things weren’t as rosy at home, and after her mother decided she wanted to be more than a housewife, her parents divorced. Her father became a stay-at-home dad, while her mother left and sought out a career. When she found that career, Ryan had already moved out of the house and had a strained relationship with her mother and father.
She paid for college with commercials
To pay her way at the University of Connecticut, Meg Ryan met agents through her mother, who landed her ads for brands like Campbell’s Soup, Burger King, and Aim toothpaste. These roles took her from a part-time gig to a full-time job. She dropped out of NYU, where she was studying journalism, to pursue acting.
Meg Ryan started starring in soap opera
After acting in commercials, Ryan got her first real role in 1975, in “As the World Turns,” where she also landed a recurring role in 1982. She starred in over 30 episodes of the soap and also appeared in shows like “Charles In Charge” and “One of The Boys”; she even appeared in the movie “Top Gun” as Goose’s wife Carol.
She finally got her breakthrough role in “When Harry Met Sally”
In 1989, the world finally saw Meg’s full potential in “When Harry Met Sally,” leading to her landing many other rom-com roles. Ryan has often discussed that awkward but hilarious scene when Sally faked an orgasm to Harry in the now-famous Katz’s Deli, where there’s an arrow pointing to the table where the actress shot that scene.
She partnered with Tom Hanks in 1990
The two actors collaborated in 1990 on “Joe Versus The Volcano,” and their undeniable onscreen chemistry led to a few other well-known movies, such as “You’ve Got Mail” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” In 2015, they collaborated again on the war drama “Ithaca.” In a 2018 interview with Today, she opened up about her love for Hanks, explaining how she appreciates that he roots for other people, is drama-free, keeps things free, and is a good listener.
She married Dennis Quaid in 1991 and had a baby soon after
Although her romantic history isn’t particularly sordid, she has been with a few famous Hollywood A-listers, including Dennis Quaid, whom she met while they were filming “Innerspace.” The next year, they worked on “D.O.A,” and Quaid made his move by putting his arm around her at a bar, which felt electric, according to Ryan. Ryan stood by the actor when he was in rehab for cocaine, and they got married in 1991 with an intimate ceremony. In 1992, they had a son who would eventually become a successful actor and face criticism for being a “nepo baby.”
Quaid and Ryan divorced in 2001
Unfortunately, after a decade of marriage, the high-profile celebs called it quits. Rumors swirled around her relationship with Russell Crowe, as the two started dating after filming “Proof of Life” together. The divorce occurred due to different career paths, and while Quaid called their marriage his most successful relationship ever, Ryan said in an interview with the NYT that “the complexity of a life or a marriage is never going to exist in a headline or a tabloid”
She shifted her focus to indie movies
After being in the spotlight for all of her instant classics, Meg Ryan moved towards the indie world with films like “The French Kiss” and “In The Land of Women.” She also starred in “Serious Moonlight” in 2009, in which she plays a woman whose husband plans to leave her, so as a result, she kidnaps and holds him hostage.
She made her debut as a director in 2015
After over 30 years of acting, Ryan experimented on the other side of the camera with her movie “Ithaca,” in which she also starred. She told Vanity Fair that starring in her own film wasn’t a great idea as it split her attention. The actress spoke about the transition from acting to directing to NPR, telling the outlet that it was all about preparing and specific stages involving different groups of people.
Meg Ryan’s 8-year hiatus
Meg Ryan disappeared from the spotlight for almost a decade. Between 2016 and 2022, she took a step back from the Hollywood gaze because she wanted to develop other parts of her experience as a human being beyond acting, thinking of being an actor more as a job than a lifestyle. In her time off, she enjoyed time with her children, Jack Quaid and her daughter Daisy True Ryan, who she adopted in 2006.
She came back to the screen in 2023
The blond beauty came back with her own romantic comedy in 2023, “What Happens Later,” which she co-wrote, directed, and acted in with actor David Duchovny. She avoided the classic romantic comedy tropes by including more heartbreak and mixing up the “happily ever after” cliche without a meet-cute. The movie was dedicated to Nora Ephron, who passed away in 2012 but directed “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail” and had a touching relationship with Meg Ryan.