Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan, blonde-haired and blue-eyed she was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra in Fairfield Connecticut to Susan (Duggan) who was a former actress and English teacher and Harry Hyra, a maths teacher. Meg 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 has graduated from Bethel High School in Bethel in May 1979. Moving to New York, she attended New York University where she majored in journalism. In order to earn money while she was completing her degree, Meg went into acting under her new name Meg Ryan. She made her screen debut in 1981 with a short appearance as Candice Bergen’s daughter in George Cukor’s final film Rich and Famous (1981). She was a candidate for auditions and was cast as Betsy in the daily television soap"As the World turns (1956). She was a part of the cast from 1982 to 1984. Meg also played a role in the TV series One of the Boys (1982) which, however, was later cancelled. In 1984, she relocated to a tinsel town, and got her first job with the western television series Wildside (1985). Meg's tiny role in the blockbuster film Top Gun (1986) led to her being selected for Steven Spielberg's Innerspace (1987) in which she co-starred alongside Dennis Quaid. In D.O.A.'s remake, she again starred alongside Quaid. (1988) and they were married on Saint Valentine's Day in 1991. In 1989, Meg appeared in When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and the scene at the restaurant was a hit. Meg was nominated 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. In 1993, she appeared with Tom in Sleepless in Seattle (1993) for which she was nominated again for the Golden Globe. Meg took a stand against the norm in 1994 when she played the part of Meg's alcoholic wife and motherin "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1994). Then, she returned to her "cute" I.Q. (1994) and French Kiss (1995). People Magazine voted Meg as one of the 50 most beautiful individuals on earth in 1994.