Meg Ryan is an American actress who became known as the queen of romantic comedies in the 1990s and early 2000s. She is most noted for the films “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Ryan got her big break when she landed a supporting role in the popular film “Top Gun” in 1986.
The actress was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra on Nov. 19, 1961, in Fairfield, Connecticut. As an adult, she decided to use the surname Ryan when she joined the Screen Actors Guild, which was her paternal grandmother’s maiden name.
After graduating from Bethel High School in 1979, Ryan enrolled at the University of Connecticut and then transferred to New York University. While still in college, she began appearing in commercials and the soap opera “As the World Turns.”
In 1987, Ryan was cast in the film “Innerspace” alongside Dennis Quaid, who would later become her husband. The couple fell in love on set and began dating. They were married in 1991. Ryan and Quaid share a son named Jack; however, they decided to divorce a decade later, in 2001.
The star decided to adopt a baby girl from China named Daisy in 2006. Ryan dated singer John Mellencamp from 2010 to 2014, and they reunited again in 2017. A year later, it was announced that the couple was engaged. Sadly, Ryan reportedly called off the engagement in 2019.
While Ryan’s career as an actress and director has had its ups and downs, she has found true happiness in raising her children. Sadly, as she made her comeback in Hollywood after a brief hiatus, she has been criticized by people, saying that her alleged cosmetic enhancements didn’t work well for her.
Meg Ryan (2004), (Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
In 2000, when Ryan and Quaid announced that they were separating, she insisted that their reason for divorce was not because of anyone else. “It dissolved before it became a sport for the press,” she said and added, “the public and the press tuned in way after. The reasons we broke up have nothing to do with another person.”
However, in 2008, Ryan opened up about Quaid’s infidelity. “Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time, and that was very painful. I found out more about that once I was divorced,” she shared.
There were also rumors at the time that her boyfriend Russell Crowe was the reason for Ryan and Quaid’s issues. She revealed, “Russell didn’t break up the marriage. He was definitely there at the end, but it wasn’t his fault. I was a mess. I hurt him, too, at the end. I couldn’t be in another long relationship, it wasn’t the time for that. So I got out.”
When Ryan spoke up in 2008 about Quaid, he was understandably upset by her claims.
“It was eight years ago, and I find it unbelievable that Meg continues publicly to rehash and rewrite the story of our relationship,” Quaid said. “Also, I find it regrettable that our son, Jack, has to be reminded in a public way of the turmoil and pain that every child feels in a divorce.”
Ryan never remarried, but she was in a long-term relationship with musical artist John Mellencamp which unfortunately ended in a broken engagement. “She’d had enough and ended (their engagement),” a source explained to Us Weekly in late 2019. “She has no regrets.”
Meg Ryan, Daisy True Ryan (2019), (Stephane Cardinale/Corbis Entertainment via Getty Images)
In the summer of 2019, Ryan shared how she found herself again and said:
“By the time I did my second InStyle cover, in 2003, the page had definitely turned for me. I was divorced (from Dennis Quaid). All of my expectations about everything had been blown up. And that’s a good thing.”
Eight years after announcing her separation from Quaid, Ryan was still struggling to heal. “In the interview for my most recent InStyle cover, in 2008, I said I had an inability to accept myself as lovable. That was harsh,” she explained.
Ryan continued, “I think it stemmed from starting over after my marriage ended. Divorce is hard. I wasn’t easy on myself around then. I retreated. But that tough time was necessary. I became a better person after all of that. And I grew up a lot.”
She also echoed these thoughts in a New York Times interview, “I was burned out. I didn’t feel like I knew enough anymore about myself or the world to reflect it as an actor. I felt isolated.”
Ryan then took a break from show business. In 2007, she adopted a baby from China and named her Daisy. This prompted Ryan to focus her attention on her new family.
She explained to Closer Weekly, how becoming a mom completely changed her life. “I really recalibrated things when I became a mom,” she said. “I felt like I got truer as a person. I’m more myself.”
At the 2016 Tony Awards, Ryan surprised everyone with an unrecognizable new look.
Meg Ryan, Jack Quaid (2004), ( Vince Bucci/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
Ryan’s appearance during the Tony Awards sparked a conversation about whether she had anything done to her face or her body.
Fans on social media were brutal in their comments about the “When Harry Meets Sally” star.
“She looks Disgusting! Get your money back because that’s a huge fail!!” a user commented.
“come on. What’s wrong with these celebrities? Now she looks like an old freak,” another wrote.
“She looks like a Doll that needs repair..Ugly” a third person chimed in.
“honestly, it was hard to look at her,” one pointed out.
Hollywood Life sought the help of a cosmetic surgeon to analyze if Ryan had anything done on her face.
“I think she looked better before this work,” Mark Youssef from Younique Cosmetic Surgery said in a statement. “She may have done too much. I think that’s why people are a little shocked because she doesn’t look like the Meg Ryan that we all love.”
According to Youssef, the most obvious thing that Ryan had done to herself was her cheek fillers.
“It’s definitely too much because the apple of her cheek is too full and too large. When she smiles, all of that filler moves up and makes her eyes look smaller. The reason she looks masculine is because of the placement of the volume in her cheeks. The volume of the filler should have been placed more laterally to give her a softer look,” he added.
Aside from the cheek fillers, Yousseff also said that Ryan allegedly had a rhinoplasty, facelift, and forehead botox.
However, fans still showed Ryan some love on her Instagram photo in her interview with Interview Magazine.
“Sooo pretty and stylish 👏👏😍,” one gushed, while another said “She’s the Queen and still wears the best shoes. Great style.”
Meg Ryan, Jack Quaid (2011), (Ignat/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images)
Ryan has continued to find work in the entertainment industry. She made her directorial debut with “Ithaca” in 2015. Ryan also directed the film “What Happens Later.” The talented woman also starred in both films.
However, focusing on her role as a mother has meant the world to Ryan. Back in 2006, PEOPLE reported that Ryan, who was 44 at the time, had adopted a girl from china. It took months after she initially applied to finally be approved and take her daughter home to Los Angeles.
“It is a personal family situation that she does not feel inclined to share,” Ryan’s rep said.
Ryan gave her own take on the experience. “I never felt like I was on a rescue mission or anything like that,” she explained. “I just really wanted a baby; I was on a mission to connect with somebody, and Daisy and I got to meet each other in this way at this time. We are so compatible.”
Since then, though, Ryan has opened up more about what her children mean to her. Ryan shared:
“This is the best time in my whole life. I’m happy in my skin, I’m happy in my home, I’m happy in my career. I’m just very satisfied all around. I don’t feel like I’m living anybody else’s life, or anybody else’s idea of what I should be doing, and it just feels very good.”
The actress continued, “I know I’m very lucky. I feel that I’ve positioned myself in this way, to have a full life, and I’m doing it.”
We’re glad to see Ryan in such a happy place!
Meg Ryan (2024), (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
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