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.”
