Meg Ryan Conquered Hollywood but Left the Cinema for Many Years. And Now She’s Making a Triumphant Return in a Rom-Com

Meg Ryan’s ascent to the top was rapid — she starred in many films that have already become classics. But over the course of her career, the actress took several long breaks from filming, during which she gained new experience as a director and learned to focus on her life and family. But now, after many years, loyal fans have had some good news; Meg will return to the big screen next year in her new film.

She gained enormous popularity very quickly.

Meg Ryan was one of the most popular stars of romantic films in the 90s. She made her film debut back in 1981, which was followed by a string of successful projects: Top Gun, Sleepless in Seattle, When a Man Loves a Woman, City of Angels, and You’ve Got Mail. Her movies became a favorite of many. The restaurant scene from When Harry Met Sally is considered to be one of the best scenes in cinema. It wasn’t in vain that critics called her “the soul of romantic comedies.”

Her work hasn’t gone unrecognized — Meg was nominated for a Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and received a special Women in Film award, which celebrated outstanding women in the film industry. Moreover, People magazine dubbed her one of the 50 most attractive people in the world.

Experienced failure in more serious roles

In the new millennium, Meg decided to break her stereotype and starred in several action films and dramas. However, no matter how much she tried on set, the films were not successful at the box office. Though critics did praise her acting; for example, Sarah Hardwicke, the protagonist of the film In the Land of Women, who struggles with breast cancer, turned out exceptional, this role was even regarded as the best and most ’real’ in Meg’s career.

But acting talent doesn’t always equal success. The films The Deal and My Mom’s New Boyfriend were even refused cinema screenings, predicting a complete failure. Gradually Meg’s popularity began to decline, and the number of roles decreased. In 2010, she decided to take a break from her acting career.

She got disappointed and decided to leave the big screen.

Fans have various theories as to why the actress decided to take a break from filming. One of the most popular speculations is that Meg got too into plastic surgery and seriously changed herself, ending up no longer looking like herself.

Meg, however, doesn’t pay attention to such talk and doesn’t give any obvious answers. But at one time, she did speak out about her desire to leave the big screen. The actress felt burned out and like she no longer had anything to say to her viewers. And though she continued to receive various offers, she chose to focus on her life.

She decided to concentrate on her personal life.

The actress’s personal life has also been in the focus of the cameras. Her first marriage lasted almost 10 years, but on the set of the film Proof of Life in 2000, Meg found herself in romantic ties with Russell Crowe. A year later, the actress divorced her husband and became single.

Since 2010, Ryan has been in a relationship with singer John Mellencamp. The couple kept breaking up and getting back together, and in the meantime, Meg was raising her children — a son from her first marriage, born in 1992, and an adopted girl from China, who became part of Meg’s family in 2006.

Decided to try something new in the film industry

The drama Ithaca, in which Meg played one of the leading roles, was released in the cinemas in 2015. The music for this film was written by the actress’s partner John. However, there was something else that was special about Ithaca — it was Meg Ryan’s debut as a director. The film was received without much success, but it was still the return of the famous actress to the screen. After the premiere, Meg once again distanced herself from acting and devoted more and more time to her family.

She lived her life to the fullest.

During this break, Meg, although she wasn’t acting, continued to live an active life — going to festivals, doing a lot of traveling, going as a guest to fashion shows, spending time with her family, and simply enjoying life. Her son Jack Quaid also became an actor, and the actress was very supportive and proud of his achievements.

Meg was also determined to prove that she was talented at everything and took a keen interest in photography. Her work can be seen on her Instagram profile.

She returned to the familiarly reliable genre.

Ryan announced her return to film via social media by sharing the poster of the film, which is still currently in the making. Meg is directing the story and playing one of the lead roles. Her on-screen partner is David Duchovny. Not much is known about the film yet, but it’s safe to say that it’s a rom-com. We all know that Meg can create real magic in such movies.

Meg Ryan once said that she fully realizes her genre is that of romantic comedies. And that there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s more, she hopes she will always be making these movies. So all that’s left for us to do is wait for the premiere of What Happens Later in 2023 and watch the beautiful actress return to the big screen.

Meg’s fans are also very much looking forward to it. Many said that she has been sorely missed in the world of cinema and that they’ve been waiting for their idol to return to romantic films for a long time.

Which Meg Ryan movie is your favorite?