Meg Ryan

Blue-eyed blonde with an effervescent personality, Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Susan (Duggan), the English teacher and one-time actress, and Harry Hyra, a math teacher. She is of Ruthenian, Polish, Irish, and German roots. ("Hyra" is an Irish and Ruthenian surname, and "Ryan" is the maiden name of her maternal grandmother). Meg graduated in June 1979 from Bethel highschool, Bethel. After moving to New York, she attended New York University where she majored in journalism. Meg Ryan was her new name and she began acting in order to earn a little extra cash while she completed her degree. 1981 was her debut on the big screen. She portrayed Candice Bergen's child in the film by George Cukor Rich and Famous (1981). She was chosen for the part of Betsy in the TV soap as the World Turns (1956) after she auditioned. From 1982 to 1984, she was a member of the cast. Meg was also part of the television series One of the Boys (1982) and was cancelled. In 1984, she moved to Hollywood and was offered an opening in the western television series Wildside (1985). Meg's tiny 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. For the remake of D.O.A., she starred again with Dennis Quaid. (1988) and then got married on Saint Valentine's Day 1991. Meg made an appearance in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally... (1989), and the scene at the restaurant became 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 critically acclaimed Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and received nominations for the Golden Globe. In 1994, Meg decided to act in a different way when she appeared as the alcoholic wife and mother in the film When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). Then, she went back to "cute" with both I.Q. (1994) & French Kiss (1995). People Magazine voted Meg as one of the top 50 beautiful women on earth in 1994.