The charming actress with her blond shag haircut will forever be remembered for iconic movies like Sleepless In Seattle and You’ve Got Mail.

Back then, nothing indicated Ryan’s star would fade, but the fact is she completely disappeared from the big screen after 2018.

Today, the girl next door from the 90s stays out of the limelight, but the now 61-year-old Ryan recently showed up on the red carpet and raised some eyebrows…

I cannot be the only one who had a crush on Meg Ryan in the 80s and 90s. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty was the queen of rom-com, and there was a reason why she got the epithet “America’s sweetheart.”

Her star burned white hot for two decades when she was one of the most appreciated actresses in Hollywood.

But it was far from evident that Meg Ryan would be known around the world.

Born in 1961, Ryan grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. Her father, Harry Hyra, was of Polish descent and a math teacher. Ryan’s mother, Susan Jordan, was also a teacher but had previously worked as an actress, so of course, being on stage ran in the family.

Changed her name

However, her parents split up in 1976 when Meg was only 15, and her relationship with her parents became tense later in life.

In fact, Meg would cut ties with her mother after a series of events. She also decided to change her surname to “Ryan,” her grandmother’s maiden name, when she registered herself with the Screen Actors Guild.

As a young woman, Ryan chose to study journalism at the University of Connecticut and then at New York University. Her time in college would change her life, but perhaps not in the direction many believed.

Meg Ryan started acting in TV commercials and soap operas to earn some extra money. Suddenly she landed a role in As the World Turns, and many producers heard about the talented, young actress.

Ryan dropped out of college and began pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. She had a mini-breakthrough in the blockbuster Top Gun when she made a colorful portrait of Carole Bradshaw, the wife of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards).