Meg Ryan became one of America’s favorite actresses when she played lovable roles in romantic movies during the 80s and 90s.

With her charming personality and blond shaggy haircut, she’s best known for classics like *Sleepless in Seattle* and *You’ve Got Mail*.

Back then, no one thought Ryan’s career would slow down, but she disappeared from the big screen after 2018.

Today, the 90s “girl next door” stays out of the spotlight.

However, the now 61-year-old recently made a rare appearance on the red carpet, catching everyone’s attention.

I can’t be the only one who had a crush on Meg Ryan in the 80s and 90s. With her blonde hair and blue eyes, she was the queen of romantic comedies and earned the title “America’s sweetheart.”

For two decades, she was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood, with her career shining brightly.

But it wasn’t obvious that Meg Ryan would become famous worldwide.

Born in 1961, Ryan grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. Her father, Harry Hyra, was a math teacher with Polish roots. Ryan’s mother, Susan Jordan, was also a teacher but had once worked as an actress, so performing ran in the family.

Changed her name
However, Meg’s parents divorced in 1976 when she was just 15, and her relationship with them became strained as she grew older.

In fact, Meg eventually cut ties with her mother after some difficult events. She also decided to change her last name to “Ryan,” which was her grandmother’s maiden name, when she joined the Screen Actors Guild.

As a young woman, Ryan studied journalism at the University of Connecticut and later at New York University. Her college years would change her life, but not in the way most people might have expected.

Meg Ryan started acting in TV commercials and soap operas to make some extra money. Then, she got a role in *As the World Turns*, and many producers noticed the talented young actress.

Ryan decided to drop out of college and focus on her entertainment career. Her big break came with a role in the hit movie *Top Gun*, where she played Carole Bradshaw, the wife of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards).

*Top Gun* became the highest-grossing movie of 1986 and helped Meg Ryan get bigger roles.

She also found love on the set of *Top Gun*. Ryan began dating her co-star Anthony Edwards, and the couple even moved in together for a while.

In 1987, Meg Ryan starred in the science fiction movie *Innerspace* alongside her future husband, Dennis Quaid.

“She had already been in *Top Gun*, but in a small part. She also had the lead in *Armed and Dangerous* with John Candy, which had come out recently. But *Innerspace* was a big step up for her, and of course, she met Dennis, and later they got married,” the film’s director, Joe Dante, told *Cinema Retro*.

Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid quickly fell in love and got married on February 14, 1991.

“It was like a thunderbolt,” Dennis Quaid said about their relationship. “We both felt, ‘This is it. We’re going to be together.’”

The couple’s wedding was a private ceremony held in their hotel room on Valentine’s Day. Ryan’s mother was not invited to the wedding.

“I was laughing and crying at the same time,” Meg told the *New York Post*. “And I realized I could’ve never gotten married in front of a whole group of people.”

**Queen of rom-coms**
Meg Ryan’s stardom skyrocketed when she landed the lead role in the romantic comedy *When Harry Met Sally…*. She played Sally Albright alongside Billy Crystal. While the movie wasn’t an instant hit with critics, it’s now considered a cult classic.

This film cemented Meg Ryan’s place as the undisputed queen of romantic comedies.