Meg Ryan became one of America’s beloved stars by portraying charming romantic leads in the 80s and 90s. With her signature blonde shag haircut, she is best remembered for iconic films like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail.

No one anticipated that Ryan’s star would fade, yet she stepped away from the film industry after 2018. Although the 61-year-old actress has been out of the limelight, she recently made headlines on the red carpet.

I wasn’t the only fan of Meg Ryan from the 80s and 90s. The blue-eyed blonde was a rom-com icon and truly “America’s sweetheart.” Her star shone brightly for two decades as a Hollywood favorite.

It was unexpected that Meg Ryan would achieve global fame. Born in 1961, she grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, with her father, Harry Hyra, a Polish-born math teacher, and her mother, Susan Jordan, a teacher and actress, which likely influenced her stage presence.

After her parents divorced in 1976 when Meg was just 15, her relationship with them became strained. Following several events, she lost contact with her mother and changed her surname to “Ryan,” adopting her grandmother’s maiden name when she joined the Screen Actors Guild.

Ryan pursued journalism at Connecticut and New York Universities, but her college experience didn’t lead to the expected career path. Instead, she began appearing in commercials and soap operas to make extra money. Her breakthrough came when she was cast in As the World Turns, which caught the attention of producers.

She left college to pursue a career in entertainment, making a memorable appearance in Top Gun as Carole Bradshaw, the wife of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. The film became a massive success, and Ryan’s career took off.

During the filming of Top Gun, she began dating her co-star Anthony Edwards, and they lived together for a time. In 1987, she starred alongside Dennis Quaid in Innerspace. The two fell in love and married on February 14, 1991, after a whirlwind romance. “It was like a thunderbolt,” Quaid recalled, noting their immediate connection.

Ryan’s rise to fame was solidified when she starred in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally…, playing Sally Albright alongside Billy Crystal. Despite initial criticism, the film has since become a cult classic, establishing Ryan as the queen of romantic comedies.

In 1993, she starred with Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, further endearing herself to audiences. “I think her ‘cuteness’ sometimes blinds people to how genuinely gifted she is as a comic actress,” director Nora Ephron remarked in 1995. Hanks noted that Ryan had a depth beyond her rom-com roles, stating, “Meg is not perky; I always got the distinct impression that this woman is not to be messed around with.”

Interestingly, Ryan was not the first choice for the role of Annie Reed in Sleepless in Seattle, as she was the sixth pick after several other actresses turned it down.

After the success of Sleepless in Seattle, Ryan turned down the opportunity to star in The Silence of the Lambs, opting instead to continue her focus on romantic comedies. In 1996, she took on a darker role in Courage Under Fire, co-starring with Denzel Washington and Matt Damon. The film was a box office success, and 1998 proved to be another standout year for her with City of Angels, which grossed nearly $200 million. That same year, she starred in You’ve Got Mail, a film that further defined her career and earned her a third Golden Globe nomination.

However, the 2000s brought challenges for Ryan. She faced several flops and personal struggles, including a highly publicized romance with Russell Crowe while filming Proof of Life. In 2000, she and Quaid separated, and Ryan faced intense scrutiny from tabloids for her relationship with Crowe, which contradicted her image as the all-American girl next door.

Ryan later reflected on her marriage to Quaid, describing it as “very unhealthy,” while he fondly remembered their time together. Despite their divorce, they remain connected through their son, Jack Quaid, who has followed in their footsteps and made a name for himself in Hollywood.

After her divorce, Ryan took a break from acting to focus on her family. In 2006, she adopted a 14-month-old girl from China named Daisy, stating, “I wanted a baby and wanted to connect with someone, and Daisy and I met this way.”

Ryan’s last major role was in the 2008 comedy-drama The Women. Following that, she stepped back from acting, although she attempted directing with Ithaca, which she later found unfulfilling. In recent years, the former star has made only occasional appearances on screen.