Whatever happened to Meg Ryan?

She attended the Oscars' Afterparty by Vanity Fair in 2024. Meg Ryan still sees her Hollywood colleagues occasionally, but she is no longer the dominant star of the 90s. What happened?

Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1961, Meg Ryan was a big Hollywood star in the 1990s. She achieved fame with titles such as 'When Harry Met Sally', 'French Kiss,' and 'The Doors'. But then, she went under the radar for a while.

Meg Ryan started off with a bang, playing a significant role in 'Rich and Famous' in 1981. It was the last film by George Cukor. At the age of 20, Ryan was playing with stars like Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen.

She also tried her luck with the horror genre in 'Amityville III: The Demon' (1983). She made one title after another on television and the silver screen. Her path to success was relatively fast.

While you may not remember it, Meg Ryan played a supporting role in the legendary 'Top Gun' (1986).

In 'Innerspace,' the actress met Dennis Quaid, whom she would marry in 1991 and divorce in 2001 after forming a family with a son and daughter.

In 1989, Meg Ryan filmed a true classic: 'When Harry Met Sally.' It was a mature romantic comedy with echoes of Woody Allen, thanks to Nora Ephron's perfect script. One of her best films, 'When Harry Met Sally' contains the famous scene of Ryan faking an orgasm in a restaurant. This scene is cinema history.

This was also the time when she met her professional companion Tom Hanks. In 1990 , they filmed the comedy 'Joe versus the Volcano.' Meg Ryan began the high point of her Hollywood stardom.

Just as Doris Day and Rock Hudson enchanted audiences in the 1960s, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were the film couple of the 1990s. 'Sleepless in Seatlle' and 'You've Got Mail' were two great titles.

She also had a legendary connection with Val Kilmer. While trying to break out of her typecasting in the comedy genre, Meg Ryan played a part in 'The Doors', Jim Morrison's hallucinatory biopic directed by Oliver Stone.

Following the successes of the 1990s, she starred in 'Hanging Up' with Diane Keaton and Lisa Kudrow in 2000. The arrival of the 21st century did not bring any box office triumphs anymore, though. The brilliance of her stardom began to fade.

In 2001, she gave romantic comedy another shot with 'Kate & Leopold,' but it did not work. Her film partner was a very young Hugh Jackman.

Meg Ryan's performance in 'The Women' (2008) was nominated for a Razzie, the Oscar for the worst performance. After directing her in the film 'In the Cut,' Janie Campion (director of 'The Piano') gave the following harsh judgment: "As much as Meg Ryan wants to win an Oscar, unfortunately she doesn't make the cut."

In 2011, Meg Ryan participated in the series 'Web Therapy,' inspired by an idea of Lisa Kudrow.

In 2016, Meg Ryan directed 'Ithaca.' She reunited with Tom Hanks in front of the cameras. Meg Ryan's directorial debut was an adaptation of a novel by William Saroyan, staged in rural, off-the-beaten-track America during World War II. The reviews were not bad (at all).

By 2016 we could already see the amount of "retouching" on her face, which made a lot of headlines.

Instead of the passing of time, it was probably the large amount of cosmetic surgeries that changed Meg Ryan's angel face. She's now on the list of stars who unfortunately resort more and more to cosmetic surgery to reach the absurd beauty standards imposed in Hollywood.

In the years thereafter, Meg Ryan's work seems to have been phased out. She admitted in 2019 that she realized she never really had a vocation for acting.

This is what Meg Ryan looked like at a reunion with Billy Crystal in 2019. You can't ignore the fact, unfortunately, that an actress's career gets more complicated in Hollywood as her age increases. Patriarchism is still prevalent and there are fewer roles for mature women.

Meg's private life meanwhile continued with more excitement. During the shoot of 'Proof of Life,' she had an affair with Russell Crowe, and she also dated the rocker John Mellencamp (in the photo) for quite some time.

John Mellencamp and Meg Ryan began their relationship in 2010 and broke off their engagement in 2019. Various media reported that they had serious wedding plans.

Meg Ryan's public activity has also continued. Whether it's charity work with Queen Noor of Jordan or campaigning for the Democratic Party, her progressive interests have always been strong.

In 2023, we saw Meg Ryan return for a film that she herself directed: 'What Happens Later.' She is still a star, even if she says she feels a bit removed from Hollywood. Any time an interesting project comes up, Meg Ryan could step back into the spotlight.