Meg Ryan's was the queen of comedies in the 90s and fell in love with a nation.
If we talk about Hollywood romantic comedies, we close our eyes and think of an actress, and one of the first names that appear is that of Meg Ryan, a natural candidate for the reign. Her journey through the world of her interpretation led her to discover the honey of her success at a very young age.
However, just as she was at the top, she also kissed the canvas for a situation of a personal nature that earned her an unjustified public crucifixion and directly affected the workplace. It is clear that they were other times, in which #MeToo was not even on the horizon, but Meg continues to pay for it to this day, while, little by little, she seeks to leave behind that cross that she carried for a long period.
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra –says her birth certificate- was born on November 19, 1961, in Fairfield, United States. She had an uneventful childhood, she finished her secondary studies at Saint Pius X Elementary School and after that step, on the recommendation of her parents –Susan Jordan Duggan and Harry Hyra, she studied journalism. At the same time, she also enrolled in a dramatic art school and began to film as an actress starring in some commercials. At first, she only wanted to earn money from her and be able to cover her expenses, but she gradually fell in love with her profession which made her known worldwide.
Her first opportunity came almost immediately when she was only 20 years old when she was summoned for the movie Rich and Famous. According to what she said on some occasions, she had no more experience in advertising, but that did not prevent her from appearing in the casting for the leading role. Out of 117 colleagues who auditioned for her, they chose her. That was her kick-to start working in the industry uninterruptedly. A few years later, she rose to worldwide fame, more precisely in 1986, when she starred in Armed and Dangerous, but above all, when she was alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
Her life – and that of comedy – changed completely in 1989, after the indelible mark she left in When Harry Met Sally, alongside Billy Crystal. By then she was already a figure and she was encouraged to put her stamp on her character, making small tweaks to the script that the director accepted. The most emblematic, which remained a movie classic, is the scene where she fakes an orgasm in the middle of a restaurant.
In that wake, she entered the new decade and during the 90s, all the rom-com resonated and left a stamp-starred Ryan. Joe vs. the Volcano, a movie he did with Tom Hanks in 1990, Spell of a Kiss (1992), Love Tune (1993), When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), I Want to Tell You I Love You (1995), Addicted to love (1996), An angel in love and You have an e-mail (1998), among many other works. As one of the figures of that time, the directors always had her phone number at hand and her filmography grew year after year.
However, the turn of the century was a real shock for everyone's favorite, which until then had only known how to walk to the top. In addition to shining on the screen, she had formed one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood with actor Dennis Quaid. They married in 1991 and a year later they had their son, Jack. This whole fairy tale broke like glass after her infidelity. This episode stole all eyes on her and her treatment of Meg for this was as unfair as it was ruthless, to the point that he took her away from the cinema, her place in her world.
By then Meg had decided to run away from romantic comedies and try drama, accepting the lead role in Proof of Life. Due to those things of fate, paradoxically, that change also took place in her personal life. In the film, she starred with Russell Crowe, the Gladiator actor, among many successes. Those who were close to him assured that as soon as they saw each other, they fell in love. She had no problem ending her relationship with Quaid, when the whisper of deceit had already turned into an open secret. She never imagined the shock that would come next.
They were one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood and from that moment the finger was pointed at her, accusing her of little less than breaking the American dream. The first bucket of cold water was experienced by the creators of that film, since, far from that soap opera serving as promotion, it generated the opposite: it was a true failure. As a result of this, the producers began to look askance at her. In her word of mouth, they said that it was not the best thing to hire her because people did not want to see her. The label was not that she had cheated on her husband but on the entire United States. As if America's sweetheart had betrayed the country.
The courtship with Crowe was whitewashed but lasted barely a year. She was running in 2001 and, when she found out that he had left her, many came out to celebrate. The United States media treated the case with such cruelty. Ryan tried to run away from everything, at work he took refuge again in comedy, taking one of the leading roles in Kate & Leopold, but there was no case. The product didn't deliver and, once again, she was blamed.
Already without much to lose, in 2003 she risked her skin by making her In the Raw. An erotic thriller, in which she had several N-, but it didn't work either. The critics at the time stated that the script was fine, and that the cast was up to par, but that the viewer did not want to see Meg Ryan. Beyond this, she continued working, but her films did not break any barriers and fell far short of what her record marked. America's girlfriend no longer fell in love with anyone and she moved away from the cinema to try her luck on the small screen.
However, it was a play just to get away and come back with even more momentum. It is far from the retirement that many announced and many others wanted. After 14 years away, Meg is ready to return, and with honors. She will wipe the slate clean and make a nation fall in love again. She recently announced that she will star in and direct What Happens Later, a romantic comedy in which she will pair with actor David Duchovny. The project is underway and will hit theaters in 2023. Will it be her rebirth?
