A once-called “America’s Sweetheart” and moviegoers’ top pick, Meg Ryan, is an American actress who held the title for a considerable amount of time. She is famously known for her portrayals of various roles in the romantic comedy genre, even though the majority of her acting roles have historically been a blend of dramas and thrillers, mainly because nearly every single one of those movies was a huge hit.
For instance, Meg has leading or supporting roles in several films, including “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “French Kiss,” “Addicted to Love,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and “Kate and Leopold.”
With her films grossing close to $900 million at the box office, “America’s Sweetheart” was also one of America’s most lucrative leading women for a large portion of the 1980s and 1990s.
Meg Ryan's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 5 ft 8 in 1.73 m |
|---|---|
| Weight | 126 pounds 57 kg |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Body Type | Slim |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Meg Ryan
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $85 million |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Birthplace | Fairfiel, Connecticut, the United States |
| Birthday | November 19, 1961 |
Meg Ryan's Net Worth
In the current year, 2022, Meg Ryan has an accumulated net worth of $85 million, with her primary source of income being a remarkable actress in the entertainment industry, mainly portraying hit roles in rom-com films that helped her rose to prominence. (1)
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Meg Ryan's Early Life
Margaret Mary Emily Hyra is the real name of the professional and famously known actress Meg Ryan, whose birth date was November 1961, and she is currently 61 years old as of 2022. Her parents are math instructor Harry Hyra and former actress Susan Jordan (Susan Duggan). Her mother and father, however, got a divorce in 1976 after separating.
In addition, she was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, and grew up in a Roman Catholic household. She is one of three siblings. Her brother, Andrew Hyra, is a musician by occupation and a business associate of Billy Pilgrim. The names of her sisters are Dana Hyra and Annie Hyra.
Meg Ryan's Education
St. Pius X Elementary School in Fairfield, Connecticut, where Meg Ryan attended, was where she finished her early education. She later attended Bethel High School and received her diploma in 1979.
Then soon from her hometown, Meg relocated to New York City to enroll at New York University. The actress took up the course journalism as her major. However, she couldn’t finish her course in her final year as she pursued her career in Hollywood.
Meg Ryan's Husband/Boyfriend and Family Life
America’s sweetheart, Meg Ryan, her relationship status is divorced from the actor Dennis Quaid. They started their relationship way back in 1988 and decided to marry on February 14, 1991. The divorced couple gave birth to their first child, Jack Quaid, on April 24, 1992. And later, Meg adopted a girl from China, Daisy True Ryan, when she was only 14 months old. (2)
However, by 2000, their relationship was beginning to deteriorate, and they eventually agreed to split up that year. On July 16, 2001, they formally divorced after their separation. Thus, a marriage of ten years came to an end. On the movie set of “Proof of Life in 2000,” she became involved with New Zealander Russell Crowe.
However, Meg and Russel did not confirm the rumor whether they actually dived into a relationship. Moving on, she then made the decision to risk entering another relationship again, but now with American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp in the latter part of 2010.
Meg Ryan's Career
The outstanding American actress Meg Ryan first started her journey in her acting career in 1982, when she did a small role before joining the CBS soap opera’s cast. Meg Ryan was only 20 years old when she made her film debut in George Cukor’s “Rich and Famous.” She made a swift transition to television, where in 1982, she was cast in the brief cameo of the sitcom “One of the Guys.”
However, later on, Meg joined the daily drama “As the World Turns,” she only featured in 31 episodes before the show was canceled following the pilot. The daily drama she was featured in was last from 1982 to 1984, and the actress portrayed Betsy Stewart.
Before she left the role in 1984, her unrequited love affair with another character in the show helped the show’s plummeting ratings. Then, Meg portrayed the character of Carole Bradshaw, the wife of Naval Flight Officer Nick Bradshaw, in the hit movie “Top Gun,” which launched Tom Cruise to fame in 1986.
The year after, she starred in the drama “Promised Land” and the science-fiction comedy “Innerspace,” which led to her first nomination for an Independent Spirit Award. However, way back at the end of the 1980s, Meg Ryan had felt more and more anxious about her show business career. Although she had enjoyed some early success, still the demand to become well-known was constantly growing.
Meg Ryan was unexpectedly offered the character of Sally Albright in “When Harry Met Sally,” alongside Billy Crystal and Carrie Fisher. In this movie, the actress’s commercial breakthrough came with her portrayal of the attractive girl next door with a high-maintenance attitude. With that, the remarkable actress won the hearts of the audience. However, Meg did not only captivate the people’s interest but also received a nomination for a Golden Globe as the “New Star of the Year.”
In addition, the actress also appeared in the romantic comedy movie “Joe Versus the Volcano,” which was released in 1990. John Patrick Shanley directed the film, and she worked along with Tom Hanks, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Amanda Plummer, etc.
She received $5 million for her portrayal as an alcoholic high school counselor in “When a Man Loves a Woman” in 1994 and another $5 million for her portrayal of Catherine Boyd in “I.Q.” Then, Meg also developed skills in the previous year’s film “Sleepless in Seattle,” which marked the first time she had acted alongside Tom Hanks.
Furthermore, she was paid a considerable amount for her following portrayals in “City of Angel,” as Dr. Maggie Rice alongside actor Nicolas Cage, and “You’ve Got Mail,” in which she was cast opposite Tom Hanks again. She amassed approximately $20 million from her acting jobs alone, making her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood thanks to the movies mentioned above. In addition, the movie “You’ve Got Mail” in which the commercially successful actress also received her third Golden Globe nomination.
Meg Ryan also transitioned in her image, especially now that she was the immensely wealthy and well-known Meg Ryan, earning $15 million for each film role. The total amount of money that she received for the 2000 films “Proof of Life,” the movie in which she starred with Russel Crowe, and “Kate & Leopold,” in which she was able to work with the famous actor Hugh Jackman. (3)
Meg appeared in the movie “The Deal” by Steven Schachter in 2008. The movie, “The Deal,” also had its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival that year, to varying degrees of critical acclaim. Meg Ryan first appeared in the 2012 documentary “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” which is focused on women and girls who live in challenging circumstances and how they overcome those circumstances after being cast in the ensemble drama “Lives of The Saints” in October 2010.
In 2013 the year witnessed the completion of her improvisational comedy series, five episodes in total, “Web Therapy.” Then in 2015, Meg had a portrayal role in the ABC Family Film “Fan Girl,” which also premiered at a film festival (Los Angeles Film Festival). Moreover, that same year, the drama movie “Ithaca,” based on William Saroyan’s book “The Human Comedy,” marked Meg Ryan’s debut as a filmmaker. Along with Meg Ryan, the movie also stars her son Jack Quaid, Christine Nelson, Sam Shepard, Tom Hanks, and Hamish Linklater. (4)
In August 2018, Meg Ryan received the Leopard Club Award at the 71st Locarno Festival in recognition of her contributions to romantic comedies, with the statement, “No one could portray irony, kindness, wit, and fragility as Meg Ryan did.”
Meg Ryan’s Directing Career
With “Ithaca,” a drama movie based on William Saroyan’s 1943 book “The Human Comedy,” Meg made her debut in directing. She also played Mrs. Macauley in the movie. It was filmed alongside Tom Hanks in Petersburg, Virginia, and premiered in its entirety at the Middleburg Film Festival in October.
Meg Ryan Current Status in Entertainment Industry
The romantic-comedy actress has resigned from acting. She revealed in an interview published in The New York Times Magazine that she is no longer interested in acting. She did, however, begin working as a producer and director. The remarkable artist successfully directed “Ithaca,” her debut film, in 2015.
Meg Ryan also started putting more attention on her family and started spending more time with her kids. However, despite having retired from acting, she is making a comeback in the romantic comedy “What Happens Later,” in which she also serves as director and the lead actress. The movie is scheduled to release next year, in 2023. (5)
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Real Estate
Meg has probably spent between $4 and $5 million of her job earnings on her personal life, but she also presumably has assets, excluding investments, that are worth roughly $2 million. Moreover, the actress may have produced financial returns of $17–18 million from her investments.
For instance, Meg has made money by selling her New York City loft, among other assets in real estate, in California and New York. Meg bought the house in 2013 for $4.6 million and sold it to Hank Azaria, who plays Homer Simpson, in 2017 for $9.85 million. Her earnings from the US stock market will have been substantial as well.
References
- Joncy Goyani, Meg Ryan Age, Net Worth, Husband, Family & Biography, retrieved from https://www.thewikifeed.com/meg-ryan-2/
- Janani Durga Perumal, Who Is Married To Meg Ryan?, retrieved from https://latestnews.fresherslive.com/articles/who-is-married-to-meg-ryan-meg-ryan-age-husband-movies-net-worth-and-children-538814
- Filmzone, Meg Ryan Net Worth, Wiki, Height, Age, Biography, Family & More, retrieved from https://filmzone.com/meg-ryan-net-worth-height-age-biography/
John Mulder, Meg Ryan Net Worth, retrieved from https://wealthygorilla.com/meg-ryan-net-worth/
- Elizabeth Randolph, What Happened to Meg Ryan? The Actress Admittedly Felt “Isolated” During Her Fame, retrieved from https://www.distractify.com/p/what-happened-to-meg-ryan