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Meg Ryan(I)

  • Actress
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,00099
Meg Ryan
Take a closer look at the various roles Meg Ryan has played throughout her acting career.
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Meg Ryan: Memorable Roles
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51 Videos
99+ Photos
Blonde-haired, blue-eyed with an effervescent personality, Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Susan (Duggan), an English teacher and one-time actress, and Harry Hyra, a math teacher. She is of Ruthenian, Polish, Irish, and German ancestry ("Hyra" is a Ruthenian surname, and "Ryan" is her maternal grandmother's maiden name). Meg graduated from Bethel high school in June 1979. Moving to New York, she attended New York University where she majored in journalism. To earn extra money while working on her degree, Meg went into acting using her new name Meg Ryan. In 1981, she had her big screen debut with a brief appearance as Candice Bergen's daughter in George Cukor's last film Rich and Famous (1981).

She tried out and was cast as Betsy in the day time television soap As the World Turns (1956). She was part of the cast from 1982 to 1984. Meg also had a part in the television series One of the Boys (1982), but this show was soon canceled. In 1984, she moved to tinsel town and landed a job in the western television Series Wildside (1985). Meg's small part in the blockbuster movie Top Gun (1986) led to her being cast in Innerspace (1987) where she co-starred with Dennis Quaid. She again co-starred with Quaid in the remake of D.O.A. (1988) and they married on Saint Valentine's Day in 1991. In 1989, Meg appeared in When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and the scene at the restaurant became famous. Meg was nominated for both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA.

In 1990, she co-starred with Tom Hanks in Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and this time she played three roles as DeDe/Angelica/Patricia. She appeared again with Tom in the very successful Sleepless in Seattle (1993) for which she was again nominated for the Golden Globe. In 1994, Meg decided to act against type when she appeared as the alcoholic wife and mother in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). After that, she went back to "cute" with both I.Q. (1994) and French Kiss (1995). In 1994, Meg won the Harvard Hasty Pudding Award as "Woman of the Year" and was voted as being one of "The 50 most beautiful people in the world 1994" by People Magazine.
BornNovember 19, 1961
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornNovember 19, 1961
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,00099
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 15 wins & 32 nominations total

    Photos475

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    + 470
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    Known for

    Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
    When Harry Met Sally...
    7.7
    • Sally Albright
    • 1989
    Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail (1998)
    You've Got Mail
    6.7
    • Kathleen Kelly
    • 1998
    Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
    Sleepless in Seattle
    6.8
    • Annie Reed
    • 1993
    Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan in City of Angels (1998)
    City of Angels
    6.7
    • Dr. Maggie Rice
    • 1998

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actress



    • Good Sex
      • Pre-production



    • David Duchovny and Meg Ryan in What Happens Later (2023)
      What Happens Later
      4.8
      • Willa
      • 2023
    • Cut and Run (2020)
      Cut and Run
      6.9
      Podcast Series
      • Meg Ryan the narrator
      • 2020
    • Picture Paris
      TV Series
    • Ithaca (2015)
      Ithaca
      5.5
      • Mrs. Macauley
      • 2015
    • Kiernan Shipka in Fan Girl (2015)
      Fan Girl
      4.5
      TV Movie
      • Mary Farrow
      • 2015
    • How I Met Your Dad (2014)
      How I Met Your Dad
      4.6
      TV Short
      • Narrator
      • 2014
    • Lisa Kudrow in Web Therapy (2011)
      Web Therapy
      6.7
      TV Series
      • Karen Sharpe
      • 2013
    • Web Therapy (2008)
      Web Therapy
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Karen Sharpe
      • 2013
    • Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
      Curb Your Enthusiasm
      8.8
      TV Series
      • Meg Ryan
      • 2009
    • Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton in Serious Moonlight (2009)
      Serious Moonlight
      5.3
      • Louise
      • 2009
    • Meg Ryan, Jada Pinkett Smith, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, and Eva Mendes in The Women (2008)
      The Women
      5.0
      • Mary Haines
      • 2008
    • Antonio Banderas and Meg Ryan in My Mom's New Boyfriend (2008)
      My Mom's New Boyfriend
      5.3
      • Martha Durand
      • 2008
    • Meg Ryan and William H. Macy in The Deal (2008)
      The Deal
      5.6
      • Deidre Hearn
      • 2008
    • Adam Brody and Kristen Stewart in In the Land of Women (2007)
      In the Land of Women
      6.4
      • Sarah Hardwicke
      • 2007
    • Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)
      The Simpsons
      8.6
      TV Series
      • Dr. Swanson (voice)
      • 2007

    Producer



    • David Duchovny and Meg Ryan in What Happens Later (2023)
      What Happens Later
      4.8
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • Picture Paris
      TV Series
      • executive producer
    • Kiefer Sutherland and Melora Walters in Desert Saints (2002)
      Desert Saints
      6.0
      • producer
      • 2002
    • The Wedding Planner (2001)
      The Wedding Planner
      5.4
      • executive producer (uncredited)
      • 2001
    • Lost Souls (2000)
      Lost Souls
      4.8
      • producer
      • 2000
    • Northern Lights (1997)
      Northern Lights
      5.2
      TV Movie
      • executive producer
      • 1997
    • Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan in French Kiss (1995)
      French Kiss
      6.6
      • producer
      • 1995

    Director



    • David Duchovny and Meg Ryan in What Happens Later (2023)
      What Happens Later
      4.8
      • Director
      • 2023
    • Ithaca (2015)
      Ithaca
      5.5
      • Director
      • 2015

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos51

    Meg Ryan: Memorable Roles
    Clip 1:56
    Meg Ryan: Memorable Roles
    1211
    Sleepless in Seattle
    Clip 1:26
    Sleepless in Seattle
    22
    Sleepless in Seattle
    Clip 1:26
    Sleepless in Seattle
    22
    Sleepless in Seattle
    Clip 1:38
    Sleepless in Seattle
    2
    Anastasia (1997)
    Clip 1:59
    Anastasia (1997)
    44
    Now Playing In Theaters
    Trailer 0:31
    Now Playing In Theaters
    93
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Official Trailer
    1

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
    • Height
      • 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
    • Born
      • November 19, 1961
      • Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
    • Spouse
      • Dennis QuaidFebruary 14, 1991 - July 16, 2001 (divorced, 1 child)
    • Children
        Jack Quaid
    • Parents
        Susan Ryan (Duggan)
    • Other works
      V commercial (Japan only): GDI Dingo cars.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Biographical Movie
      • 1 Print Biography
      • 12 Interviews
      • 27 Articles
      • 14 Pictorials
      • 254 Magazine Cover Photos

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Returned to work three months after giving birth to her son Jack Quaid to begin filming Sleepless in Seattle (1993).
    • Quotes
      People say that chivalry is dead, I don't think that it's dead, I think it's just got the 'flu!
    • Trademark
        Striking blue eyes
    • Nickname
      • Meg
    • Salaries
        Kate & Leopold
        (2001)
        $15,000,000

    FAQ

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is Meg Ryan?
      63 years old
    • When was Meg Ryan born?
      November 19, 1961
    • Where was Meg Ryan born?
      Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
    • What is Meg Ryan's birth name?
      Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra
    • How tall is Meg Ryan?
      5 feet 8 inches, or 1.73 meters

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