Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra on November 19, 1961, in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Susan (Duggan),an English teacher and former actress, and Harry Hyra, a math teacher. Her ancestry is a unique blend of Ruthenian, Polish, Irish, and German, with "Hyra" being a Ruthenian surname and "Ryan" being her maternal grandmother's maiden name.
After graduating from Bethel High School in June 1979, Meg moved to New York City to attend New York University, where she majored in journalism. To supplement her income while pursuing her degree, she began acting under her new name Meg Ryan.
Meg's big-screen debut came in 1981 with a brief appearance in George Cukor's film Rich and Famous, followed by a stint as Betsy on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns from 1982 to 1984. She also appeared in the short-lived television series One of the Boys in 1982.
In 1984, Meg made the move to Los Angeles and landed a role in the western television series Wildside. Her small part in the blockbuster film Top Gun in 1986 led to her being cast in Innerspace, where she co-starred with Dennis Quaid. The duo would go on to co-star in the remake of D.O.A. in 1988 and eventually tie the knot on Valentine's Day in 1991.
Meg's iconic scene in When Harry Met Sally... in 1989 earned her nominations for both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA. She continued to work with Tom Hanks, co-starring with him in Joe Versus the Volcano in 1990 and Sleepless in Seattle in 1993, for which she received another Golden Globe nomination.
In 1994, Meg took on a dramatic role as an alcoholic wife and mother in When a Man Loves a Woman, which showcased her acting range. She then returned to her "cute" persona with roles in I.Q. and French Kiss. That same year, she was honored with the Harvard Hasty Pudding Award as "Woman of the Year" and was voted one of "The 50 most beautiful people in the world 1994" by People Magazine.
