Vintage postcard.
British postcard by Heroes Publishing LTD, London, no. SPC 2834.
A faked orgasm in a roadside restaurant
Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1961. She is the daughter of Harry Hyra and Susan Jordan, née Duggan and sister of Dana, Andrew and Annie Hyra. In 1974, the family moved to nearby Bethel, where her father taught maths at a high school. Her mother was a former actress and English teacher. After their mother walked out in 1976, Meg and her siblings grew up with their father.
She graduated from Bethel High School in 1979 and studied Journalism at the University of Connecticut and later communications at New York University. Her mother, who now worked as an acting teacher, got her appearances in television adverts to finance her studies.
After being accepted into the Screen Actors Guild, she decided to perform from then on under the stage name Meg Ryan, her maternal grandmother's maiden name. In 1981, she made her film debut as Candice Bergen's daughter in the drama Rich and Famous (George Cukor, 1981). Then she got the regular role of Betsy in the daytime Soap Opera As the World Turns (1982-1984). Her success as an actress led her to leave college a semester before she planned to graduate.
In 1984, she moved to Hollywood and landed a supporting role in the action film Top Gun (Tony Scott, 1986) starring Tom Cruise. It became a major box office hit, which led to the role of Dennis Quaid's girlfriend in the delicious Science Fiction film Innerspace (Joe Dante, 1987). In real life, the two also got into a relationship and married on Valentine's Day 1991.
In 1989, her big break came with her first leading role in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (Rob Reiner, 1989) opposite comic actor Billy Crystal. The scene in which she fakes an orgasm in a roadside restaurant instantly became a classic. For her role, Ryan received nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. It also formed the basis of her subsequent film career: most of the major films Ryan would star in were romantic comedies à la When Harry Met Sally....
British postcard by Odeon Cinemas. Photo: Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry met Sally... (Rob Reiner, 1989). Caption: Season's Greetings from Harry and Sally, and everyone at Odeon Cinemas. The hit comedy of the year, starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan. When Harry Met Sally..., a new comedy by Rob Reiner. "A clear winner", Jonathan King - The Sun. "Touching, hilarious, honest...There hasn't been a more satisfying film this year" - 20/20. At Odeon Cinemas from Jan 5th.
Vintage autograph card.
Most favourite female movie star of 1999
Meg Ryan played three roles in the comedy Joe Versus the Volcano (John Patrick Shanley, 1990), with Tom Hanks. It was the first film of a successful collaboration between the two actors. The two would go on to successfully star together in the wildly successful Sleepless in Seattle (Nora Ephron, 1993). The romantic comedy cashed over 220 million US dollars worldwide, and Meg received a second Golden Globe nomination for her part.
With her role as the wife of Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer) in The Doors (Oliver Stone, 1991), Ryan proved she could do more than just romantic comedies. In 1994, she played an alcoholic high-school guidance counsellor in When a Man Loves a Woman (Luis Mandoki, 1994) opposite Andy Garcia. The film and her performance were both well-received by critics. Two years later, Ryan starred as a helicopter pilot in the war drama Courage Under Fire (Edward Zwick, 1996) opposite Denzel Washington. In the following year, she was the voice of Anastasia in the animated film Anastasia (Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, 1997), about the Russian Tsar's Romanov family.
Although these films were successful, audiences and critics still appeared to prefer Ryan in romantic films. Big blockbusters were French Kiss (Lawrence Kasdan, 1995) with Kevin Kline, and the fantasy City of Angels (Brad Silberling, 1998) with Nicolas Cage, an American remake of Wim Wenders' Der Himmel über Berlin / Wings of Desire (1985). Her biggest hit was You've Got Mail (Nora Ephron, 1998) again with Tom Hanks. It made more than $250 million worldwide. This inspired remake of Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner (1940) earned her her third Golden Globe nomination. That year, she was voted 'most favourite female movie star' by the readers of People magazine.
In 2000, Ryan got into a relationship with Russell Crowe on the set of the film Proof of Life (Taylor Hackford, 2000). Almost simultaneously, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid announced they were divorcing. Their divorce became official in 2001. That year, she once again appeared in a romantic comedy, the charming Kate & Leopold (James Mangold, 2001) with Hugh Jackman. At a total gross of $70 million, it would be Ryan's highest-grossing film of the decade. In 2003, Ryan seemed to break with her well-behaved image for good by starring in the erotic thriller In the Cut (Jane Campion, 2003). Ryan appeared nude in a lengthy and rather graphic love scene for the first time in her career. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival but failed with critics and grossed only $23 million in cinemas
In 2008, she played the role of Mary Haines in The Women (Diane English, 2008), a role that Norma Shearer also played in 1939. The Women received a disastrous response from critics but was a commercial success. In 2015, she made her debut as a director with Ithaca (Meg Ryan, 2015), in which she also starred. Eight years later, it was followed by the romantic comedy What Happens Later (Meg Ryan, 2023) with David Duchovny. Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid have a son together, Jack Quaid, born in 1992. In 2006, Ryan adopted a 14-month-old girl from China, Daisy True Ryan. Between 2010 and 2019, she was in a relationship with rock musician John Mellencamp.
Belgian postcard in the 'De 50 mooiste vrouwen van de eeuw' (The 50 most beautiful women of the century) series by P-Magazine, no. 39. Photo: Outline.
British postcard by Heroes Publishing LTD, London, no. SPC 2934.
Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and IMDb.
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