---
name: "Meg Ryan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/meg-ryan"
fi1m_id: "meg-ryan"
imdb_id: "nm0000212"
tmdb_id: 5344
wikidata_id: "Q167498"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "19 November 1961"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-05T01:19:29.756541+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Meg Ryan

## Identity

Meg Ryan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/meg-ryan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** meg-ryan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000212
- **TMDB ID:** 5344
- **Wikidata ID:** Q167498
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg_Ryan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q167498, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000212/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5344

Actor. Born 19 November 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 19 November 1961, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
- **Active:** 1986–2000
- **Also known as:** 梅格·瑞恩, 맥 라이언, メグ・ライアン, Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra, مگ رایان
- **Frequently works with:** [Nora Ephron](https://film.one/person/nora-ephron.md), [Delia Ephron](https://film.one/person/delia-ephron.md), [Tom Hanks](https://film.one/person/tom-hanks.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as actor, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 78 (2), 1990s 64 (5)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 60 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 6 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Romance 6, Drama 5, Comedy 4, Fantasy 2, Action 1, Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,369m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg_Ryan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q167498, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000212/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5344

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Sleepless in Seattle*](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md) (78)
- **Apple TV:** [*You've Got Mail*](https://film.one/film/youve-got-mail.md) (66)
- **Disney+:** [*Anastasia*](https://film.one/film/anastasia.md) (64)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*City of Angels*](https://film.one/film/city-of-angels.md) (55)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Meg Ryan

> Meg Ryan finds the humour in romantic longing without making the person doing the longing ridiculous. We rate that judgement highly, even when the films around her press harder for our affection than they need to.

In *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), Meg Ryan gives Annie Reed's longing enough humour to stop it becoming a nuisance. Wanting this much can be difficult to watch, especially when a film is so reluctant to question it. Ryan lets us recognise the excess while keeping us on Annie's side. We were touched by her because the humour made the tenderness feel earned. Tom Hanks's Sam Baldwin has other things on his mind, and that contrast gives Ryan the more exposed job: making the wanting bearable.

*When Harry Met Sally...* (1989) made her a star as Sally Albright. Its deli sequence gives a conspicuous example of her precise comic timing. Through the 1990s, she became a leading romantic-comedy actor, frequently working with Hanks and Nora Ephron. *You've Got Mail* (1998), in which she plays Kathleen Kelly, belongs to that run. It is easy to remember the charm and take the timing for granted.

Ephron gets good work from Ryan in *Sleepless in Seattle*, but the film does not always know when to leave its actors alone. Marc Shaiman's music sometimes tells us how to respond before they have had their chance. Hanks and Ryan can suggest tenderness without that instruction, and the quieter humour needs even less assistance. The leisurely pace and firm belief in destiny also ask for indulgence. Ryan makes the romance worth that indulgence, but her comic judgement is often sounder than the film's.

The dramatic roles in *When a Man Loves a Woman* (1994) and *Courage Under Fire* (1996) came during that romantic-comedy run. Jane Campion's *In the Cut* (2003), with Ryan as Frannie Avery, pushed further from the familiar heroine into an erotic thriller. The resistance it met from audiences and critics is no reason to wish she had stayed put. She later made her feature directing debut with *Ithaca* (2015), then wrote, directed and starred in *What Happens Later* (2023). Start with *Sleepless in Seattle* if romantic comedy is your sort of evening, and be prepared to forgive the music.

## Biography

Meg Ryan is an American actress. Born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra on 19 November 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut, she attended New York University before leaving to pursue acting. She made her screen debut in *Rich and Famous* (1981) and appeared on the soap opera *As the World Turns* from 1982 to 1984.

Ryan gained prominence with supporting roles in *Top Gun* (1986) and *Innerspace* (1987). Her performance as Sally Albright in *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989) brought wider recognition. She starred in numerous romantic comedies, including *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993) as Annie Reed, *You've Got Mail* (1998) as Kathleen Kelly, and *Kate & Leopold* (2001). She made her directorial debut with *Ithaca* (2015).

Ryan was married to actor Dennis Quaid from 1991 to 2001.

*Sources: imdb.com, britannica.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *City of Angels* (1998), Fi1m 55, as Maggie — [page](https://film.one/film/city-of-angels.md)
- *You've Got Mail* (1998), Fi1m 66, as Kathleen Kelly — [page](https://film.one/film/youve-got-mail.md)
- *Anastasia* (1997), Fi1m 64, as Anastasia (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/anastasia.md)
- *French Kiss* (1995), Fi1m 55, as Kate — [page](https://film.one/film/french-kiss.md)
- *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), Fi1m 78, as Annie Reed — [page](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md)
- *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989), Fi1m 84, as Sally Albright — [page](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally.md)
- *Top Gun* (1986), Fi1m 71, as Carole — [page](https://film.one/film/top-gun.md)

## Complete filmography (55)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *What Happens Later* (2023), as Willa · Director, Writer, Executive Producer
- *Fan Girl* (2015), as Mary Farrow
- *Ithaca* (2015), as Mrs. Macauley · Director
- *Web Therapy* (2011), series, as Karen Sharpe
- *Serious Moonlight* (2009), as Louise
- *The Deal* (2008), as Deidre Hearn
- *Web Therapy* (2008), series, as Karen Sharpe
- *My Best Friend's Girl* (2008), Thanks
- *The Women* (2008), as Mary Haines
- *My Mom's New Boyfriend* (2008), as Marty Durand
- *In the Land of Women* (2007), as Sarah Hardwicke
- *Against the Ropes* (2004), as Jackie Kallen
- *In the Cut* (2003), as Frannie Avery
- *Desert Saints* (2002), Producer
- *Kate & Leopold* (2001), as Kate McKay
- *The Wedding Planner* (2001), Executive Producer
- *Proof of Life* (2000), as Alice Bowman
- *Curb Your Enthusiasm* (2000), series, as Meg Ryan — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/curb-your-enthusiasm.md)
- *Lost Souls* (2000), Producer
- *Hanging Up* (2000), as Eve Mozell Marks
- *Hurlyburly* (1998), as Bonnie
- *You've Got Mail* (1998), as Kathleen Kelly — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/youve-got-mail.md)
- *Northern Lights* (1998), Executive Producer
- *City of Angels* (1998), as Maggie — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/city-of-angels.md)
- *Anastasia* (1997), as Anastasia (voice) — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/anastasia.md)
- *Addicted to Love* (1997), as Maggie
- *E! True Hollywood Story* (1996), series, Actor
- *Courage Under Fire* (1996), as Captain Karen Emma Walden
- *Restoration* (1995), as Katharine
- *French Kiss* (1995), as Kate · Producer — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/french-kiss.md)
- *I.Q.* (1994), as Catherine Boyd
- *When a Man Loves a Woman* (1994), as Alice Green
- *Flesh and Bone* (1993), as Kay Davies
- *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), as Annie Reed — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md)
- *Prelude to a Kiss* (1992), as Rita Boyle
- *The Doors* (1991), as Pamela Courson
- *Captain Planet and the Planeteers* (1990), series, as Dr. Blight (voice)
- *Joe Versus the Volcano* (1990), as DeDe / Angelica / Patricia Graynamore
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Dr. Swanson (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989), as Sally Albright — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally.md)
- *The Presidio* (1988), as Donna Caldwell
- *D.O.A.* (1988), as Sydney Fuller
- *Promised Land* (1988), as Bev Sykes
- *Innerspace* (1987), as Lydia Maxwell
- *Armed and Dangerous* (1986), as Maggie Cavanaugh
- *Top Gun* (1986), as Carole — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/top-gun.md)
- *Wildside* (1985), series, as Cally Oaks
- *Charles in Charge* (1984), series, as Meagan Parker
- *Amityville 3-D* (1983), as Lisa
- *Nature* (1982), series, as Host
- *Amy and the Angel* (1982), as Denise
- *Rich and Famous* (1981), as Debby Blake, 18 Years
- *How I Met Your Dad*, series, as Future Sally Javits
- *Good Sex*, Actor
- *Rabbit Ears: Goldilocks and the Three Bears*, as Narrator (voice)

## Gallery

- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-4287807402fc.jpg) Meg Ryan — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Meg_Ryan_2009_portrait.jpg/1280px-Meg_Ryan_2009_portrait.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Cheryl Hines and Meg Ryan at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival for the premiere of Serious Moonlight.](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-e6dd08ae2cf8.jpg) Cheryl Hines and Meg Ryan at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival for the premiere of Serious Moonlight. — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Cheryl_Hines_and_Meg_Ryan_portrait_2009.jpg/1280px-Cheryl_Hines_and_Meg_Ryan_portrait_2009.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Katz's interior. Already famous long before Meg Ryan faked an orgasm here and "I'll have what she's having" became a mantra.katzdeli_04.JPG (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-8919a3c2654c.jpg) Katz's interior. Already famous long before Meg Ryan faked an orgasm here and "I'll have what she's having" became a mantra.katzdeli_04.JPG (2006) — Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Katzdeli_04.jpg/1280px-Katzdeli_04.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Meg Ryan na Sarajevo Film Festivalu (2025)](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-5a3d09fac2ed.jpg) Meg Ryan na Sarajevo Film Festivalu (2025) — Adnasaida, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Meg_Ryan-5.jpg/1280px-Meg_Ryan-5.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-ca943ee70c2d.jpg) Meg Ryan — Image via TMDB
- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-5ffe148790f1.jpg) Meg Ryan — Image via TMDB
- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-81b3c89abe0f.jpg) Meg Ryan — Image via TMDB
- ![Promotional image of Meg Ryan in the Television series, As the World Turns. (1983)](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-3376c76e24cd.jpg) Promotional image of Meg Ryan in the Television series, As the World Turns. (1983) — CBS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Meg_Ryan_-_As_the_World_Turns_%281983%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Meg Ryan and Jeff Skoll](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-7bdfdefaf71e.jpg) Meg Ryan and Jeff Skoll — Pierre Omidyar, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Meg_Ryan_01.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-f129dc627869.jpg) Meg Ryan — Image via TMDB
- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-dff98bec5341.jpg) Meg Ryan — Image via TMDB
- ![Meg Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/83196/gallery-71ab2c2e959b.jpg) Meg Ryan — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- Crystal Award 1995: Crystal Award (won)
- Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year 1994: Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/meg-ryan