Biography

Blond-haired, blue-eyed with an effervescent personality, Meg Ryan is the daughter of a casting agent. Her parents divorced in 1976. She graduated from Bethel HS, Bethel in June 1979. Moving to New York, she attended New York University where she majored in journalism. To earn extra money while working on her degree, Meg went into acting using her new name Meg Ryan. In 1981, she had her big screen debut as Candice Bergen's daughter in George Cukor's last film Rich and Famous (1981). She tried out and was cast as Betsy in the daytime television soap "As the World Turns" (1956). She would be part of the cast from 1982 to 1984. Meg also had a part in the television series "One of the Boys" (1982), but this show was soon cancelled. In 1984, Meg moves to tinsel town and lands a job in the western Television Series "Wildside" (1985) With her part in the highly successful movie Top Gun (1986) Meg becomes a star with "take me to bed or lose me forever". This led Meg to being cast in Steven Spielberg's movie Innerspace (1987) where she co-starred with Dennis Quaid. She would again co-star with Quaid in the remake of D.O.A. (1988) and they would marry on Valentine Day in 1991. In 1989, Meg would appear in another blockbuster called When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and the scene at the restaurant would become famous. Meg would be nominated for both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA. In 1990, she co-starred with Tom Hanks in Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and this time she played three roles as DeDe/Angelica/Patricia. She would appear again with Tom in the very successful Sleepless in Seattle (1993) for which she would again be nominated for the Golden Globe. In 1994, Meg decided to act against type when she appeared as the alcoholic wife and mother in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). After that, she went back to "cute" with both I.Q. (1994) and French Kiss (1995). In 1994, Meg won the Harvard Hasty Pudding Award as "Woman of the Year" and was voted as being one of "The 50 most beautiful people in the world 1994" by People Magazine.

Filmography

Against the Ropes (2003) .... Jackie Kallen
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Tom Hanks (2002) (TV) .... Herself
In the Cut (2003) .... Franny Thorstin
Searching for Debra Winger (2002) .... Herself
"Revealed with Jules Asner" (2001) TV Series .... Herself
Kate & Leopold (2001) .... Kate McKay
Concert for New York City (2001) (TV) .... Herself
America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001) (TV) .... Herself
How Harry Met Sally... (2000) (V) .... Herself
Making of 'Hanging Up', The (2000) (TV) .... Herself
... aka Getting Connected: The Making of Hanging Up (2000) (TV) (Australia: DVD title)
... aka HBO Look: The Making of 'Hanging Up' (2000) (TV) (USA)
Proof of Life (2000) .... Alice Bowman
Hanging Up (2000) .... Eve

You've Got Mail (1998) .... Kathleen Kelly
Hurlyburly (1998) .... Bonnie
City of Angels (1998) .... Maggie Rice
... aka Stadt der Engel (1998) (Germany)
Anastasia (1997) (voice) .... Anastasia
Addicted to Love (1997) .... Maggie
... aka Forlorn (1997)
Courage Under Fire (1996) .... Captain Karen Emma Walden
Restoration (1995) .... Katharine
French Kiss (1995) .... Kate
... aka Paris Match (1995)
Century of Cinema, A (1994) .... Herself
I.Q. (1994) .... Catherine Boyd
When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) .... Alice Green
... aka Cuando un hombre ama a una mujer (1994) (Argentina)
... aka To Have and to Hold (1994)
Flesh and Bone (1993) .... Kay Davies
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) .... Annie Reed
Prelude to a Kiss (1992) .... Rita Boyle
Doors, The (1991) .... Pamela Courson
"Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (1990) TV Series (voice) .... Dr. Blight (1990-1991)
... aka "New Adventures of Captain Planet, The" (1993) (USA: fourth season title)
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) .... DeDe/Angelica/Patricia

When Harry Met Sally... (1989) .... Sally Albright
Presidio, The (1988) .... Donna Caldwell
... aka Presidio: The Scene of the Crime, The (1988) (UK)
Promised Land (1988) .... Bev
... aka Young Hearts (1988)
D.O.A. (1988) .... Sydney Fuller
Innerspace (1987) .... Lydia Maxwell
Armed and Dangerous (1986) .... Maggie Cavanaugh
Top Gun (1986) .... Carole Bradshaw
"Wildside" (1985) TV Series .... Cally Oaks
Amityville 3-D (1983) .... Lisa
... aka Amityville III: The Demon (1983)
... aka Amityville: The Demon (1983)
"One of the Boys" (1982) TV Series .... Jane
"As the World Turns" (1956) TV Series .... Betsy Stewart #6 (1982-1984)
Amy and the Angel (1981) (TV) .... Denise
Rich and Famous (1981) .... Debby at 18 years