Meg Ryan
Happy birthday, Meg Ryan! Today the star turns 57. Once dubbed “America’s Sweetheart,” Ryan has entertained audiences on the big screen for decades, most notably in several classic romantic comedies.
Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anna Hyra on November 19, 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut to Harry Hyra, a math teacher, and Susan Jordan, a former actress and English teacher.
After attending New York University for a year, she dropped out of school to pursue an acting career full time. She took on the stage name “Ryan,” which was her maternal grandmother’s maiden name. Ryan got her first major role when she was cast on the soap opera, As the World Turns. But it wasn’t until starring as the lead opposite Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally that her career skyrocketed. The hit romantic comedy would be just the beginning of Ryan’s success in the genre. In 1993, she starred in another classic and hugely successful romantic comedy, Sleepless in Seattle. It would be her second time starring alongside Tom Hanks and the pair would team up for a third time in the 1998 hit You’ve Got Mail. More recently, Ryan has taken on more series fair in several dramas and in 2015 she made her directorial debut with the dramatic film, Ithaca.
Ryan was previously married to actor Denis Quaid. The couple divorced in 2001 after ten years of marriage. Earlier this month, she announced her engagement to singer and songwriter John Mellencamp.
What’s your favorite Meg Ryan film?
Explore her family tree and share how you’re related to the actress.
View Meg Ryan’s Geni Profile
iframe{ border: 1px solid #999; }
Image: David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: Geni.com
Be First to Comment