The rise and fall of a Hollywood star can be a fascinating trajectory to watch. From megastar status to being practically forgotten, fame comes with its own unique ebb and flow.No one knows this better than Meg Ryan, the celebrated actress and performer who found fame during the ’90s rom-com era, only to disappear from the spotlight of Hollywood altogether. Nowadays, she’s all but a footnote to the genre, leaving fans and movie buffs alike wondering what happened to her career.
To help answer the questions surrounding Meg Ryan’s disappearance and the reasons behind it, we’ve compiled this comprehensive list, which covers everything you need to know about the star’s personal and professional life.
Who is Meg Ryan?
Margaret Mary Emily Hyra, professionally known as Meg Ryan, is a popular American actress. She has been quite popular in the film business for more than two decades. Meg Ryan has appeared in a number of iconic films, such as When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, and City of Angels, often described as the “Rom-Com Queen.”
Ryan started her career in the early 1980s, slowly rising to prominence with movies such as The Top Gun and Innerspace in the 1980s, as well as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle,French Kiss,and You’ve Got Mail in the 1990s.
What Happened To Meg Ryan?
One of the most commonly asked questions from movie buffs and fans alike is “what happened to Meg Ryan?” To understand Ryan’s disappearance from the spotlight, we need to understand her professional and personal traits — plus a few crucial moments in her career.
Professional Struggles
Before 2000, Meg Ryan was easily the most popular actress in Hollywood; as such, she decided to take a break from Rom-Com movies and instead chosen to take on more serious roles. According to critics, many of the movies she made in her comeback were mediocre at best, with some critics pointing out that she was out of her league.
The lack of success in these serious and artistic roles meant that Ryan’s box office draw was not nearly as strong, and the money she made from her movies started to take a serious hit. This meant that her status as a popular actress in Hollywood started to ebb and eventually went into decline, as she was no longer the audience draw she was during the 1990s.
Let’s not forget one of her most notorious professional blunders — the 2006 film In the Land of Women, which was a critical and commercial failure. This marked the absolute lowest point of Ryan’s career, causing her to step away from the movie industry for about a decade.
Personal Struggles
Another factor in Meg Ryan’s disappearance is her personal life. She was previously married to actor Dennis Quaid, and together they had a son Jack Quaid. The couple was together for 10 years, but in 2000, their marriage ended in divorce.
In 2006, Ryan started dating singer John Mellencamp, which created some serious controversy at the time. Because Ryan was still legally married to Dennis Quaid (even though they had been separated for a few years), her relationship with Mellencamp was decried by many, adding further fuel to the media fire around her deteriorating career.
The couple ended their relationship abruptly in 2014, which only compounded Ryan’s personal struggles.
What Ryan is Doing Now
After her last film in 2008, Meg Ryan stepped away from the public eye altogether and only re-emerged in the Hollywood circles in 2016 when she was cast to produce, direct and star in an episode of the HBO series Divorce.
Since then, Ryan has remained behind the scenes, preferring to do voiceovers rather than live-action films. Additionally, she got her podcast The MegRyan Project, where she shares her experiences in life and “the ups and downs of being in the public eye.”
Meg Ryan was once the most successful and sought-after woman in the movie industry, but changed due to her personal and professional struggles. She had a string of romantic comedies which made her one of Hollywood’s biggest female stars. However, after a series of lackluster performances, critical disappointments and personal problems, she chose to step away from Hollywood and disappeared from the spotlight almost entirely.
Although she’s not quite as active in the business anymore, Meg Ryan will always be remembered for her iconic roles in iconic films such as When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail. Luckily, she’s appeared to be on good terms with her past, having gone back in her podcast to review her early days and more successful times in show business. Her story is one of determination, resilience, and courage, and we hope she continues to be the inspiring and empowering success she has been for the past two decades.
