Meg Ryan

Blond-haired, blue-eyed with a lively personality, Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Susan (Duggan) (Duggan), an English teacher and one-time actress, and Harry Hyra, a math teacher. Meg Ryan is of Ruthenian, Polish, Irish, and German roots. ("Hyra" is a Ruthenian surname and "Ryan" is her maternal grandmother's maiden name). Meg graduated from Bethel High School in Bethel in May 1979. In the fall of 1979, she relocated to New York, she attended New York University where she majored in journalism. To earn extra money while she was completing her degree, Meg went into acting using her new name Meg Ryan. She made her screen debut in 1981 when she made a brief appearance as Candice Bergen's daughter in George Cukor's last film Rich and Famous (1981). She was cast in the part as Betsy in the soap opera as the World Turns (1956) after she had a go at. She was a part of the cast from 1982 until 1984. Meg was also a part of the TV show One of the Boys (1982) that was later cancelled. In 1984, she moved to Hollywood and was offered her first job with the western TV series Wildside (1985). Meg's role in the blockbuster film Top Gun (1986) led to her being part of Steven Spielberg's Innerspace (1987) in which she co-starred with Dennis Quaid. She again co-starred with Quaid in the remake of D.O.A. (1988) and they married on Saint Valentine's Day in 1991. Meg starred in When Harry Met Sally... (1989), which made the scene in the restaurant famous. Meg was nominated to 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. Also, she was part of the highly successful Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and received nominations for the Golden Globe. In 1994, Meg decided to act against type when she appeared as an alcoholic spouse and mother in the film When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). After that, Meg went back to her "cute" I.Q. (1994) and French Kiss (1996). People Magazine named Meg "Woman Of The Year" in 1994 with the Harvard Hasty Pudding Award.