Meg Ryan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meg Ryan
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Ryan at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
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Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra
November 19, 1961 Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1981–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Jack Quaid |
| Relatives | Andrew Hyra (brother) |
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra (born November 19, 1961), known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and director. She became famous in the late 1980s for playing fun and charming women. Ryan is especially known for her roles in romantic comedies. She was a top star in Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s. People often called her "America's Sweetheart".
Meg Ryan started acting in 1981 in a drama film called Rich and Famous. In 1982, she joined the TV show As the World Turns. She appeared in popular movies like Top Gun (1986) and Promised Land (1987). Her role in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989) earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Ryan starred in many films. These include Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), The Doors (1991), and Sleepless in Seattle (1993). Other notable movies are When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) and You've Got Mail (1998). In 2015, she directed her first movie, Ithaca, and also acted in it. Ryan returned to the screen in 2023 with the romantic comedy What Happens Later, which she also directed.
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Meg Ryan's Early Life and Education
Meg Ryan was born and grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. Her mother, Susan Jordan, was an actress and English teacher. Her father, Harry Hyra, was a math teacher. Her family raised her as a Catholic. She went to St. Pius X Elementary School in Fairfield. She has two sisters, Dana and Annie, and a brother, Andrew Hyra, who is a musician. Her parents divorced when she was 15 years old.
Ryan finished Bethel High School in 1979. She then studied journalism at the University of Connecticut and later at New York University. To earn money during college, she acted in TV commercials and the soap opera As the World Turns. She became so successful as an actress that she left college just before graduating. When she joined the Screen Actors Guild, she started using "Ryan" as her last name. This was her grandmother's maiden name.
Meg Ryan's Acting Career Journey
Starting Out in Acting
After her first movie, Rich and Famous, Meg Ryan played Betsy Stewart in the TV show As the World Turns from 1982 to 1984. Her character was part of a very popular romantic story.
In the early 1980s, she also appeared in TV commercials for brands like Burger King. She then had roles in several TV films and smaller movies. These included Charles in Charge and Promised Land. For Promised Land, she received her first Independent Spirit Award nomination.
In 1986, Ryan played Carole Bradshaw in Top Gun. She was the wife of Naval Flight Officer Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. Scenes with her character were even used again in the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.
Ryan also appeared in Innerspace (1987) with Dennis Quaid, who later became her husband. She also starred in D.O.A. (1988) and The Presidio (1988).
Becoming a Star in the 1990s
Meg Ryan's first main role was in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989). She starred alongside Billy Crystal. This movie made her very famous and earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
Next, Ryan appeared in The Doors. In 1993, she reunited with Tom Hanks in the very successful romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. They had worked together before in Joe Versus the Volcano (1990). Sleepless in Seattle earned Ryan her second Golden Globe nomination. She was offered a role in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), but she turned it down because of its violent themes.
In 1994, Ryan starred in When a Man Loves a Woman. Critics praised her performance in this film. It was a big success, making $50 million in the U.S. and earning Ryan a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. That same year, Ryan starred with Tim Robbins in the romantic comedy I.Q.. The movie is about a mechanic and a student who fall in love with help from Albert Einstein. Ryan later won the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year award from Harvard. People Magazine also named her one of the "50 most beautiful people in the world."
In 1995, a critic called Ryan "the current soul of romantic comedy." That year, she also starred with Kevin Kline in French Kiss. This comedy fit her "America's Sweetheart" image. She also received the Crystal Award for her excellent work in the entertainment industry.
In 1996, Ryan played a helicopter pilot in the war drama Courage Under Fire. This movie was both critically and financially successful. The next year, she voiced the main character in the animated film Anastasia. This film also received good reviews and did well at the box office. She also starred in the black comedy Addicted to Love.
In 1998, she starred in two more films. City of Angels received good reviews and made almost $200 million worldwide. You've Got Mail, which reunited Ryan with Tom Hanks, earned her a third Golden Globe nomination. This movie made over $250 million worldwide. She also appeared in Hurlyburly in 1998.
Roles in the 2000s
Ryan's first film of the 2000s was Hanging Up. This family comedy-drama was about three sisters dealing with their father's approaching death. The film received poor reviews from critics.
In the same year, Ryan was in the action thriller Proof of Life with Russell Crowe. She played the worried wife of a kidnapped engineer. The film was a moderate success, making $63 million worldwide.
A year later, she returned to romantic comedies with Kate & Leopold (2001), starring alongside Hugh Jackman. This film is about a British Duke who travels through time from 1876 to modern New York. He falls in love with a market researcher. The film was mostly charming and made $70 million, making it Ryan's highest-grossing film of that decade.
She continued to take on different types of roles. In 2004, she starred in Against the Ropes. This sports drama was about Jackie Kallen, the first woman to become a successful boxing manager. The film did not do well at the box office and received negative reviews.
Independent Films and Directing
After a three-year break, Ryan returned to film in 2007 with In the Land of Women. She played Sarah Hardwicke, a mother facing breast cancer. She connects with her neighbor's younger grandson. Critics gave the film mixed reviews, but Ryan received praise for her performance.
In 2008, Ryan's film The Deal was released. It was a comedy about Hollywood. The film did not attract much interest from studios and was released directly to DVD. Ryan also starred in My Mom's New Boyfriend, which was released straight to DVD in 2008. This action comedy received very negative reviews.
Ryan's last film of 2008 was The Women, a remake of a 1939 movie. It had an all-female cast, including Annette Bening and Jada Pinkett Smith. Ryan played a wealthy woman whose husband was cheating on her. Critics gave the film very bad reviews, but it was a financial success, making $50 million worldwide.
In 2009, Ryan starred in the independent comedy film Serious Moonlight. She played a lawyer who holds her husband captive when he tries to leave their marriage. The film had a limited release and received mixed reviews, but Ryan's performance was praised. She also appeared on the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In 2012, Ryan's audiobook recording of The Human Comedy was released. In 2013, she reunited with Lisa Kudrow on her comedy series Web Therapy.
In 2015, Ryan made her directing debut with Ithaca. This drama film was based on the 1943 novel The Human Comedy. Ryan also starred in the film. In 2023, Ryan returned to the screen with David Duchovny in the romantic comedy What Happens Later, which she also directed.
Meg Ryan's Personal Life
Meg Ryan married actor Dennis Quaid on February 14, 1991. They had one child together, Jack Quaid, born in 1992. They announced their separation in June 2000, and their divorce was finalized in July 2001.
In January 2006, Ryan adopted a 14-month-old girl from China. She named her Daisy True. From 2010 to 2014, Ryan was in a relationship with American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. They got back together in 2017, and Ryan announced their engagement in November 2018. However, in October 2019, it was reported that Ryan had ended their engagement.
Meg Ryan's Political Views
Meg Ryan has publicly supported the Democratic Party. She especially supports their programs for protecting the environment. In 2003, she supported Wesley Clark's campaign for U.S. president. She also supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.
Meg Ryan's Filmography
Meg Ryan's Awards and Nominations
Meg Ryan has received many awards and nominations during her career. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. These nominations were for her roles in When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You've Got Mail (1998).
She has also received several honors:
- In 1989, she was named the Female Discovery of the Year.
- In 1994, she was recognized as the Woman of the Year by the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
- In 1995, she received the Crystal Award from Women in Film.
- In 1999, she was honored with the Icon Award by Elle magazine.
- In 1999, she was recognized as the Actress of the Year by the ShoWest Convention.
- In 2008, she received the Francois Truffaut Award at the Giffoni Film Festival.
- In 2015, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Savannah Film Festival.
- In 2018, she received the Leopard Club Award at the Locarno International Film Festival.
- In 2024, she received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
Images for kids
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Ryan at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
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Ryan in September 2006
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Ryan at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
See also
In Spanish: Meg Ryan para niños
