Meg Ryan became one of America’s most beloved actresses during the 1980s and 1990s, thanks to her charming performances in romantic comedies. With her signature blond shag haircut and that undeniable sparkle in her eyes, she left an indelible mark on Hollywood through films like Sleepless In Seattle and You’ve Got Mail.

Back in her prime, no one could have imagined that Meg Ryan’s bright star would ever dim. Yet, by 2018, she had completely stepped away from the big screen. Today, now 61 years old, Ryan lives a much quieter life, staying out of the spotlight. Recently, though, she made a rare appearance on the red carpet, sparking conversations about the “girl next door” everyone once adored.

Anyone who grew up watching movies in the ’80s and ’90s likely had a crush on Meg Ryan. Her blonde hair, blue eyes, and sunny personality earned her the title of “America’s sweetheart.” For nearly two decades, she was one of the most adored actresses in Hollywood. But her rise to fame was anything but certain.

Born in 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut, Meg Ryan grew up in a family with deep roots in education. Her father, Harry Hyra, was a math teacher, and her mother, Susan Jordan, had once worked as an actress before becoming a teacher.

So, the arts were already in her blood. However, when Meg was just 15, her parents went through a difficult divorce, which caused tension in her family, especially between her and her mother. This tension would eventually lead Meg to cut ties with her mother completely.

As she pursued acting, Meg made the decision to change her last name to “Ryan,” which was her grandmother’s maiden name. This was the name she registered under with the Screen Actors Guild, setting the stage for her future career.

Initially, Meg didn’t intend to become a movie star. She studied journalism at the University of Connecticut and later at New York University. But to make some extra money, she started acting in commercials and soap operas. One thing led to another, and before long, she landed a role on the popular soap As the World Turns, which got her noticed by several producers.

It wasn’t long before Meg made the leap to Hollywood. Her first significant break came in 1986 with a small but memorable role in Top Gun, playing Carole Bradshaw, the wife of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards). The film was a massive success, becoming the highest-grossing movie of that year, and Meg Ryan was suddenly on Hollywood’s radar.

It wasn’t just her career that took off during Top Gun. Offscreen, she began dating her co-star Anthony Edwards, and the two even moved in together for a time. However, that relationship didn’t last. In 1987, while filming the science fiction movie Innerspace, Meg met Dennis Quaid, her future husband.

Joe Dante, the director of Innerspace, recalled the sparks between Meg and Dennis. “She had already been in Top Gun, but this was a step up for her,” he told Cinema Retro. “She was introduced to Dennis, and they hit it off immediately.”

Meg and Dennis fell deeply in love and tied the knot on Valentine’s Day in 1991. The ceremony was small and intimate, held in their hotel room. Ryan’s mother was notably absent. “I was laughing and crying at the same time,” Meg shared with the New York Post. “I realized I could’ve never gotten married in front of a whole group of people.”

Her career continued to soar. In 1989, she played the iconic role of Sally Albright in When Harry Met Sally…, opposite Billy Crystal. While the film didn’t receive a warm reception from critics initially, it’s now considered a classic. This movie solidified her as the undisputed queen of romantic comedies.

Next came Sleepless in Seattle in 1993, where she teamed up with Tom Hanks in another hit rom-com. Once again, she played the charming “girl next door,” winning over audiences with her performance. Director Nora Ephron praised her in Vanity Fair, saying, “Her ‘cuteness’ sometimes blinds people to how genuinely gifted she is as a comic actress.”

Tom Hanks, who worked with Meg several times, had a more nuanced view. “Meg is not perky,” he told Vanity Fair in 1995. “I always got the distinct impression that this woman is not to be messed around with.” Interestingly, Meg wasn’t the first choice for her role in Sleepless in Seattle. In fact, several big names like Julia Roberts, Kim Basinger, and Michelle Pfeiffer turned it down before Meg was cast.

Despite her success with romantic comedies, Meg Ryan eventually decided to explore different kinds of roles. In 1996, she starred in Courage Under Fire, a war drama alongside Denzel Washington and Matt Damon. This darker, more intense role showed her range as an actress and proved she wasn’t just a rom-com star. The film did well at the box office, and Meg’s star continued to rise.

1998 was a particularly important year in her career. First, she starred in City of Angels with Nicolas Cage, a romantic fantasy that grossed nearly $200 million. Then she reunited with Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail, a film about two business rivals who fall in love over email without knowing each other’s true identities. The movie was another box office hit, and Meg was once again showered with praise. She even earned her third Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

The ’90s were undoubtedly Meg Ryan’s decade, but the 2000s brought a series of challenges. Professionally, she faced several flops. Personally, her life took a dramatic turn when she starred opposite Russell Crowe in Proof of Life. Rumors of an affair between the two spread like wildfire, and at the same time, Meg’s marriage to Dennis Quaid came to an end in 2000.

While the tabloids were quick to blame the affair with Crowe for her divorce, Meg later revealed that her marriage to Quaid had been troubled long before that. “Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time, and that was very painful,” Meg told InStyle in 2008. She clarified that Russell Crowe didn’t cause her divorce, though. “He was definitely there at the end, but it wasn’t his fault,” she said.

Dennis Quaid had a different perspective, expressing his frustration with how Meg had publicly discussed their marriage. “It was eight years ago, and I find it unbelievable that Meg continues to rehash and rewrite the story of our relationship,” he told The New York Daily News.

Despite the difficult end to their marriage, they remained connected because of their son, Jack Quaid, born in 1992. Jack followed in his parents’ footsteps and became an actor, appearing in movies like The Hunger Games and various TV series. In 2015, Meg directed Jack in a film called Ithaca, marking a special mother-son collaboration.

After her divorce and the intense media scrutiny, Meg took a step back from acting, focusing on her family. She adopted a 14-month-old baby girl from China named Daisy in 2006. “I just really wanted a baby,” Meg told Redbook in 2007, describing how deeply she bonded with Daisy.

Meg Ryan’s last significant role was in the 2008 film The Women, after which she largely disappeared from the spotlight. In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, she reflected on her career, saying, “I wasn’t as curious about acting as I was about other things that life can give you. I wanted to live more.”

Even though she’s no longer a regular presence on the big screen, Meg Ryan has remained active in other ways. She has over 600,000 Instagram followers and occasionally makes public appearances. She’s also been working on writing romantic comedies and producing a show for NBC. A source close to her told OK! Magazine in 2020 that a return to Hollywood could be on the horizon.

Today, at 61, Meg Ryan may look a little different, but she’s still the same talented, captivating woman who left an unforgettable mark on the world of romantic comedies. Though her Hollywood star may not shine as brightly as it once did, her legacy is undeniable. Meg Ryan will always be remembered as one of the greats, and many fans are hopeful for a future comeback.

Thank you for all the memories, Meg, and here’s to whatever you do next!