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Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra --
known as Meg or Peggy to family and friends -- was born November 19, 1961,
in Fairfield, Connecticut. The daughter of Harry, a teacher, and Susan, a
teacher, former actress and casting director, Meg did not intend to become
the Hollywood cutie she is known as today.
With original intentions of pursuing a journalistic career, one would
think that perhaps Meg inherited the acting bug from her mother, who left
a 15-year-old Meg, her two sisters and her brother to become an actress.
Once Meg graduated from Bethel High School, she followed up her academic
studies at the University of Connecticut. In order to pay for her tuition,
Meg landed some acting gigs in several commercials. Her mother helped her
become a member of the Screen Actors Guild, under her maiden name, and
thus "Meg Ryan", as we know her today, was born.
Meg was cast in her feature film debut alongside Candice Bergen in the
film, Rich and Famous in 1981, and decided to leave behind her
journalistic studies to try her hand at acting. The former homecoming
queen got her start on the small-screen, with roles in an After School
Special, Amy the Angel, and appearances on the comedy Charles in Charge.
She also became a regular on the daytime soap, As the World Turns, until
1984.
The series Wildside was the last of Meg's television career; one that
would quickly be overshadowed by her present status as Hollywood's
Sweetheart. After a role in 1983's Amityville III: The Demon, moviegoers
would catch a glimpse of the blonde, perky actress in Top Gun, as Goose's
wife (played by Anthony Edwards).
But her claim to fame came with a starring role in 1989's, When Harry Met
Sally, co-starring Billy Crystal. Her scene-stealing fake orgasm in the
middle of a restaurant went down in movie history, and practically locked
Meg into Hollywood's list of up-and-comers. The Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks team
started when the two paired up to star in Joe Versus the Volcano and the
two were paired again in 1993's chick flick, Sleepless in Seattle.
The latter secured Meg as an A-list actress, and made audiences forget
about her roles in The Doors and Promised Land, which, although were
notable performances, didn't showcase Meg's adorable qualities. The early
to mid '90s were also marked with hits such as When a Man Loves a Woman
and French Kiss.
Other notable performances by Meg were in the period piece Restoration,
Courage Under Fire (co-starring Denzel Washington and Matt Damon), and the
animated feature, Anastasia. In 1999, Meg reunited with her Sleepless in
Seattle co-star Tom Hanks to star in You've Got Mail.
In addition to her acting duties, Meg is also founder of her own
production company, Prufrock Pictures (formerly Fandango Films), as well
as the mother of her son with Dennis Quaid, Jack Henry. Meg first met
Dennis Quaid on the set of 1987's Innerspace and the couple started dating
while filming D.O.A. Their marriage proved to be dead on arrival during
the summer of 2000, when the divorce of one of Hollywood's most enduring
couples was announced, and Meg was rumored to be cuddling up to her Proof
of Life co-star, Russell Crowe.
After a starring role in 1999's Hanging Up, Meg was then seen in Proof of
Life. Her upcoming projects include Kate & Leopold, and a remake of the
1939 classic, The Women, co-starring fellow Hollywood sweetheart, Julia
Roberts.
As an A-list and box-office attracting actress, Meg Ryan has proved to be
lovable, both on and off-screen, and one thing's for certain -- we're glad
she didn't stick to journalism. |
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"People say that chivalry is
dead, I don't think that it's dead, I think it's just got the 'flu!"
(Commenting on the nudity and sex in In the Cut (2003)) "You don't
go, 'Wow! I get to do a nude scene.' But I love the sex scene in
this movie. It was scary, honest and raw. But people could find my
body very unattractive. There could be a backlash against it".
The best thing about modern living is anaesthesia. Definitely.
"Clearly romantic comedy is my franchise genre, I don't mind saying
that, it's true. I love doing them and hopefully always will do
them. I don't feel particularly typecast because I think I do so
many different kinds of things. Whether they're seen or not is
another issue."
"It would be really great if people would realize that stars are
only people with the same weaknesses and flaws, not immaculate
idols." |
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The Women (2008) .... Mary
Haines
The Deal (2008)
My Mom's New Boyfriend (2008) .... Marty Durand
"The Simpsons" .... Dr. Swanson (1 episode, 2007)
- Yokel Chords (2007) TV Episode (voice) .... Dr. Swanson
In the Land of Women (2006) .... Sarah Hardwicke
Against the Ropes (2004) .... Jackie Kallen
... aka Promoterin, Die (Germany)
... aka The Promoter (Germany)
In the Cut (2003) .... Frannie
Kate & Leopold (2001) .... Kate McKay
Proof of Life (2000) .... Alice Bowman
Hanging Up (2000) .... Eve Mozell Marks
... aka Aufgelegt! (Germany)
You've Got Mail (1998) .... Kathleen Kelly
Hurlyburly (1998) .... Bonnie
City of Angels (1998) .... Dr. Maggie Rice
... aka Stadt der Engel (Germany)
Anastasia (1997) (voice) .... Anya/Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanov
Addicted to Love (1997) .... Maggie
... aka Forlorn
Courage Under Fire (1996) .... Captain Karen Emma Walden
Restoration (1995) .... Katharine
French Kiss (1995) .... Kate
... aka Paris Match
I.Q. (1994) .... Catherine Boyd
When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) .... Alice Green
... aka To Have and to Hold
Flesh and Bone (1993) .... Kay Davies
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) .... Annie Reed
Prelude to a Kiss (1992) .... Rita Boyle
The Doors (1991) .... Pamela Courson
"Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (1990) TV Series .... Dr. Blight
(unknown episodes, 1990-1991)
... aka The New Adventures of Captain Planet (USA: fourth season
title)
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) .... DeDe/Angelica Graynamore/Patricia
Graynamore
When Harry Met Sally... (1989) .... Sally Albright
... aka When Harry Met Sally (USA: DVD box title)
The Presidio (1988) .... Donna Caldwell
... aka The Presidio: The Scene of the Crime (UK)
D.O.A. (1988) .... Sydney Fuller
Innerspace (1987) .... Lydia Maxwell
Promised Land (1987) .... Beverly 'Bev' Sykes
... aka Young Hearts
Armed and Dangerous (1986) .... Maggie Cavanaugh
Top Gun (1986) .... Carole
"Wildside" (1985) TV Series .... Cally Oaks (unknown episodes, 1985)
"Charles in Charge" .... Meagan Parker / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
- Charles 'R' Us (1985) TV Episode .... Meagan Parker
- War (1984) TV Episode .... Megan
Amityville 3-D (1983) .... Lisa
... aka Amityville III: The Demon
... aka Amityville: The Demon
"One of the Boys" (1982) TV Series .... Jane (unknown episodes,
1982)
"ABC Afterschool Specials" .... Denise (1 episode, 1982)
- Amy & the Angel (1982) TV Episode .... Denise
"As the World Turns" .... Betsy Stewart Montgomery Andropoulos (1
episode, 1982-1984)
- Episode dated 3 March 1982 (1982) TV Episode .... Betsy Stewart
Montgomery Andropoulos
Rich and Famous (1981) .... Debby Blake, 18 Years |
