Highlights

• Meg Ryan's affair with Russell Crowe damaged her wholesome image, while he faced no backlash.
• Ryan was labeled as "difficult" for wanting to take on challenging roles, hindering her career.
• The press and talk show host Michael Parkinson played a role in Ryan's cancelation, highlighting the industry's ageism and sexism.

Hollywood is a notoriously cutthroat industry that can be woefully cruel at times. More often than not, it’s women who bear the brunt of the industry’s callousness. Despite the many attempts by MeToo advocates to assuage the prevalent sexism of the industry, many women are still having their careers halted in their prime. Meg Ryan is one such celeb who was canceled by Hollywood after an illustrious career in the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s.

How exactly did the star of such critically lauded and culturally significant films such as When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle become persona non grata? This is the truth about why Meg Ryan was canceled by Hollywood.

Updated in October 2023: Despite years of taking on more low-key roles, Meg Ryan is set to return to her rom-com roots in November 2023, in What Happens Later. Starring opposite David Duchovny, she also directed the film. Here's hoping this marks a triumphant return for the icon.

8 Her Affair With Russell Crowe Affected Her Wholesome Persona

Due to her rom-com roles, Meg Ryan was typecast as the sweet, bubbly girl next door. So, when she embarked on an affair with fellow actor Russell Crowe, this tarnished her personal brand in a major way. In the spirit of double standards, Crowe was not subjected to the same backlash. Far from it, he's continued to be cast in major blockbusters over the years.

7 She Developed A Reputation As Being "Difficult"

Being branded a "difficult" actress is a common weapon used against women in Hollywood. But once that "difficult" rumor begins, it doesn't take long for speculation to turn into reputation. Ryan's unwillingness to be defined by her earlier rom-com roles and desire to branch out into more challenging movies did not please Hollywood producers. In fact, her first role out of the norm, In The Cut marked the beginning of a rocky path.

6 She Was Shamed For 'In The Cut'

In the 2003 movie In the Cut, both Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo have nude and intimate scenes, yet it was solely Ryan who faced a backlash for her scenes. This reflected the pervasive slut shaming of the era.

"The reaction was vicious," Ryan reflected to The New York Times in 2019, adding, "Since then, I've had publicists say to me, 'You should've prepared your audience for your doing something different.' … I'd never presented myself like that before; it was so different from my assigned archetype. Probably I had a very neutered image."

5 Harvey Weinstein Was A Total Creep To Her

Before he was put away in jail for the remainder of his life, Harvey Weinstein was the most powerful producer in Hollywood. As such, he had the power and influence to end actresses' careers. Weinstein acted in a grotesque manner towards Ryan during the screening of her first nude scene for In the Cut. More specifically, he's said to have acted inappropriately, all while referring to her as being "America's Sweetheart."

Though Ryan wasn't present at the time, and has said that she didn't experience harassment first-hand, she has also said that the constant labeling of her as "America's Sweetheart" had had major ramifications on her. In fact, she's revealed that part of her leaving Hollywood was her own choice, to get away from the expectations placed on ger.

4 This British Talk Show Host Helped Ruin Her Career

To promote In the Cut, Ryan appeared on British host Michael Parkinson's talk show for what she assumed would be a chat about her movie and career. But Parkinson ended up asking the actress some highly personal questions and became increasingly confrontational towards her. "You’re wary of me. You’re wary of being interviewed, you don’t like being interviewed. You can see it in the way you sit, the way you are," accused Parkinson.

"In other words if you were me, what would you do now?" the host continued, to which Ryan replied, "I’d just wrap it up."

3 The Press Turned On Her

The press played a vital role in Ryan being canceled by Hollywood. Following the Parkinson interview, the press almost unanimously sided with the host. At the time, the Guardian accused Ryan of being, "Tetchy, defensive, and sometimes apparently just not interested."

More recently, many who have gone back to watch the interview have a vastly different opinion. In fact, in a cruel irony, many YouTube users have actually pointed out that Michael Parkinson seemed to be looking for a fight, despite Ryan trying to defuse the situation.

2 Hollywood Is Ageist

It's no secret that Hollywood is extremely ageist, particularly towards women. By the time Ryan reached 40, she was considered past her sell-by date in the industry. However, Ryan refused to conform to this ageist mentality.

"People think they should be this by the time they’re 20 and this by the time they’re 30 and accomplished by the time they’re 40," Ryan explained in her InStyle editorial. "I was in my early 40s at the time of the cover shoot. And I said in the interview that I thought assignment of age was arbitrary. I stand by that — especially now when it’s all about pivoting, re-creating, and having multiple careers."

1 Nowadays She Prefers To Support Her Son's Acting Career

These days, Ryan isn't too fussed about being canceled by Hollywood. Her son, Jack Quaid, has embarked on an acting career and Ryan is much more interested in supporting and uplifting him. She frequently promotes her son's work on social media and is focused on living her best life.

Hollywood may have stopped calling for a period, but after everything they put her through, Ryan probably sees that as a blessing. After all, she's set to make her comeback in What Happens Later in the post-Me Too world, and what once was par for the course for Hollywood's leading ladies is no more.

Wishing her everything of the best!