Highlights

• Meg Ryan reveals she's not as interested in acting anymore and has developed other interests.
• Her acting career took a turn in the early 2000s due to controversies and personal struggles.
• Ryan has made a comeback as both an actor and director, starring in a new rom-com film.

Meg Ryan enjoyed her reign as America's Sweetheart from the late 1980s until the late 1990s. The actor was labeled as one of the Hollywood entertainment industry's "It Girls" during her prime, and she stood out thanks to her irresistible blue eyes and stunning smile. Ryan was studying in college when she tried acting as a mere side hustle. When projects started pouring in, though, she decided to drop out of college and focus on her acting career.

Her passion for acting was pretty imminent, especially when she landed a role in the drama As the World Turns. Since then, her stardom has been soaring as she went on to star in numerous romantic comedy films, including Joe Versus the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You've Got Mail. However, being a famous actor was never part of her plan... Unfortunately for the star, staring in rom-coms became a tad more difficult.

Updated in January 2024: Meg Ryan has been planning her big Hollywood comeback for some time. Audiences were able to watch Ryan's newest romantic comedy, 'What Happens Later', in November 2023. Apart from starring in the movie, the actor also directed it.

Meg Ryan's True Feelings About Fame

Despite being one of the biggest stars of her generation, Meg Ryan revealed that she was not interested in acting anymore. In the actor's interview with The New York Times Magazine, Ryan emphasized that she is not as interested in acting as she was before. She added that she was not as curious about acting as she used to be.

The City of Angels actor admitted in her interview that she had developed interests in other things outside of Hollywood. For her, it is all about wanting to live more. She also revealed that she never dreamed of becoming an actor. It just happened, and she enjoyed it during that time. However, she feels like she is not naturally a performer, which is why she decided to stop altogether.

Ryan explained that she liked acting and thought it was fun. There were opportunities given to her at that time, so she just enjoyed them as they came and learned to navigate her options.

The Drastic Change In Meg Ryan's Life Now That She's Out Of The Limelight

Just like everyone else, one cannot stay on top for the rest of their life, which is exactly what happened to Meg Ryan. She enjoyed her prime time in Hollywood while it lasted. However, when the early 2000s rolled around, her life and acting career took a turn. At the time, her marriage of ten years with actor Dennis Quaid was not going well either, and her career also hit a roadblock after the film Proof of Life.

The biggest controversy that hit her successful career came from her being linked to co-star Russell Crowe. Ryan's reputation was hit severely since the star's career was built on a wholesome image. Her team tried to shake up her image by taking her projects to the next level as she performed nude scenes in the erotic thriller In the Cut. This is the reason Hollywood canceled Meg Ryan.

When Ryan was doing the film, she felt that it might be the last film she would be doing. True to her instinct, after that, she stopped acting and did not do any new projects for several years.

Did She Try To Get Away From Acting?

As she lost interest in acting, Ryan became fascinated with working behind the scenes as a producer and director. She finally got to direct her first film, Ithaca, which was released in 2015. The star enjoyed the experience and realized that this might be her true calling.

After that, Ryan focused on producing films. Aside from working behind the scenes, she also prioritized her family and friends. She spent quality time with her and Dennis Quaid's son, Jack Quaid, and her adopted daughter, Daisy True Ryan. She also started an eCommerce project with her friends.

Her life as a rom-com queen is far from her life now. Instead, Ryan focuses on her life behind the scenes, away from the spotlight. She used to be the center of attention but now enjoys being sidelined and working behind the camera. Instead of being the star, she focuses on making someone else's star shine brightly with her directing skills.

Meg Ryan Is Making Her Comeback

Fortunately for her fans, while it seems like she has already retired from acting, that was not the case. She still accepts film projects and offers from time to time. Ryan admitted that there had been multiple offers for her, but she turned them down and only chose a handful of projects that she felt were worth her time.

She appeared in the film Serious Moonlight in 2009 and appeared as herself in Curb Your Enthusiasm. After that, she disappeared from the limelight for years. She eventually returned to star in a few TV shows and films in 2013. However, she went on another hiatus before taking on the series Picture Paris in 2018, though the project did not pan out.

Ryan made her comeback on the big screen in 2023. She announced through social media that she would star in a new rom-com film titled What Happens Later. She directed the film and also starred in it. Apart from her, the project also stars David Duchovny. The movie is about ex-lovers reuniting for the first time after splitting decades ago, and it is based on the play written by Steven Dietz entitled Shooting Star.

When asked about the project, here's what Ryan revealed:

"I feel like this is really a love story with romantic comedy elements. You know, it has banter, has some of those things, but then it takes turns I think you might not necessarily expect. There were a lot of challenges in it that appealed to me. How do you make these two characters enter a time machine? And your budget is so small, the challenge was all about this distillation. And I was really, really up for that challenge, and so was David."