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- Date of Birth: 19 November, 1961
- Place of Birth: Fairfield, Connecticut
Biography
Meg Ryan is an American actress who specializes in romantic comedies but has also worked in other film genres.
Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut, the daughter of Susan Hyra Jordan (née Ryan), a former teacher of English, actress, and casting director, and Harry Hyra, a math teacher. She went by the name Peggy (also her grandmother's nickname) as a child. She has two sisters, Dana and Annie, and a brother, Andrew. Ryan was raised in the Catholic religion and graduated from Saint Pius X Elementary School in Fairfield, where her mother taught the sixth grade. There, Ryan was confirmed into the Catholic Church, choosing Anne as her confirmation name. Ryan's mother had appeared in one television commercial and later worked briefly as an assistant casting director in New York City. She supported and encouraged her young daughter's study of acting. At age 18, through her mother's connections, she booked her first television commercial, doing chin-ups and giggling to promote "Tickle" deodorant. She graduated from Bethel High School in 1979, where she was elected Homecoming Queen. She went on to study journalism at the University of Connecticut and then at New York University, while acting in television commercials to earn extra money. Her success led her to drop out of college only a semester shy of graduating.
After her first role in a feature film, Rich and Famous (1981), Ryan (then using her screen name) played Betsy Stewart in the daytime drama As the World Turns from 1982 to 1984. Several TV film and smaller movie roles followed. Ryan's first film role was a small role in Amityville 3-D, She appealed to much larger audiences in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun. Ryan then appeared in the indie film The Promised Land, where she received her first Independent Spirit Award Nominaton. Ryan then appeared in two romantic movies D.O.A. and The Presidio.
Ryan married actor Dennis Quaid on Valentine's Day in 1991, after starring in two films with him. Ryan agreed to marry him only after he kicked his drug and alcohol addiction. Quaid and Ryan have one child together, Jack Henry, born April 24, 1992. The couple divorced on July 16, 2001. Although Ryan had a relationship with actor Russell Crowe, with whom she made a movie, both she and Quaid deny it was a factor in their divorce. In a 2006 interview with Allure, Ryan indicated that Quaid had not been faithful to her during their marriage. It was during Ryan's engagement to Quaid that she had a falling out with her mother over his alleged drug abuse. Jordan published a book in 2001, The Immune Spirit, about her defeat of breast cancer and her estrangement from her famous daughter. Ryan tends to support the U.S. Democratic Party, especially its environmental protection programs and initiatives. In 2003, she supported General Wesley Clark's campaign for U.S. president. She supported John Kerry during the 2004 presidential elections.
Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut, the daughter of Susan Hyra Jordan (née Ryan), a former teacher of English, actress, and casting director, and Harry Hyra, a math teacher. She went by the name Peggy (also her grandmother's nickname) as a child. She has two sisters, Dana and Annie, and a brother, Andrew. Ryan was raised in the Catholic religion and graduated from Saint Pius X Elementary School in Fairfield, where her mother taught the sixth grade. There, Ryan was confirmed into the Catholic Church, choosing Anne as her confirmation name. Ryan's mother had appeared in one television commercial and later worked briefly as an assistant casting director in New York City. She supported and encouraged her young daughter's study of acting. At age 18, through her mother's connections, she booked her first television commercial, doing chin-ups and giggling to promote "Tickle" deodorant. She graduated from Bethel High School in 1979, where she was elected Homecoming Queen. She went on to study journalism at the University of Connecticut and then at New York University, while acting in television commercials to earn extra money. Her success led her to drop out of college only a semester shy of graduating.
After her first role in a feature film, Rich and Famous (1981), Ryan (then using her screen name) played Betsy Stewart in the daytime drama As the World Turns from 1982 to 1984. Several TV film and smaller movie roles followed. Ryan's first film role was a small role in Amityville 3-D, She appealed to much larger audiences in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun. Ryan then appeared in the indie film The Promised Land, where she received her first Independent Spirit Award Nominaton. Ryan then appeared in two romantic movies D.O.A. and The Presidio.
Ryan married actor Dennis Quaid on Valentine's Day in 1991, after starring in two films with him. Ryan agreed to marry him only after he kicked his drug and alcohol addiction. Quaid and Ryan have one child together, Jack Henry, born April 24, 1992. The couple divorced on July 16, 2001. Although Ryan had a relationship with actor Russell Crowe, with whom she made a movie, both she and Quaid deny it was a factor in their divorce. In a 2006 interview with Allure, Ryan indicated that Quaid had not been faithful to her during their marriage. It was during Ryan's engagement to Quaid that she had a falling out with her mother over his alleged drug abuse. Jordan published a book in 2001, The Immune Spirit, about her defeat of breast cancer and her estrangement from her famous daughter. Ryan tends to support the U.S. Democratic Party, especially its environmental protection programs and initiatives. In 2003, she supported General Wesley Clark's campaign for U.S. president. She supported John Kerry during the 2004 presidential elections.