Meg Ryan at 64 Looks Ageless 37 Years After ‘When Harry Met Sally…’
Meg Ryan first became a household name in 1989 with When Harry Met Sally…, a romantic comedy that paired her with Billy Crystal. Her performance as Sally Albright, including the unforgettable Katz’s Delicatessen scene where she shows how easy it is to fake an orgasm, became legendary.
The role earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and quickly established her as Hollywood’s sweetheart. After that, Ryan tried a variety of roles. She appeared in Oliver Stone’s The Doors and the romantic comedy Prelude to a Kiss, though the latter didn’t do well at the box office.
Her big comeback in romantic comedies came in 1993 with Sleepless in Seattle, where she reunited with Tom Hanks after Joe Versus the Volcano. The film was a huge hit and earned her a second Golden Globe nomination.
She also turned down the role of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs because of the violent content, showing that she was careful about what projects she took. In 1994, Ryan challenged herself with When a Man Loves a Woman, playing an alcoholic high school counselor alongside Andy Garcia.
Critics liked her performance, with Variety calling it “a first-class production, accentuated by fine performances and an unflinching script.” The movie earned $50 million in the U.S., and Ryan received a Screen Actors Guild nomination.
That same year, she went back to romantic comedies with I.Q., starring Tim Robbins and Walter Matthau. Over the next few years, she became known for films like French Kiss and You’ve Got Mail, the latter reuniting her with Hanks and earning both critical and commercial success.
Ryan didn’t just stick to romantic comedies. She played a helicopter pilot in Courage Under Fire (1996), voiced the lead in the animated film Anastasia (1997), and starred in Addicted to Love (1997), showing she could handle different types of roles.
She also led in City of Angels (1998) and appeared in Hurlyburly (1998), receiving praise for her performances. In the early 2000s, she experimented with different genres, from family dramas like Hanging Up to thrillers like Proof of Life with Russell Crowe.
The latter drew media attention because of her off-screen relationship with Crowe, though critics like Stephen Holden from The New York Times said the movie lacked emotional connection.
In 2003, Ryan took a bold step by starring in Jane Campion’s erotic thriller In the Cut, appearing nude for the first time in a major film. While the movie did not perform well commercially, it showed her willingness to take risks.
She then starred in Against the Ropes (2004), playing Jackie Kallen, a pioneering female boxing manager. Even though the film struggled at the box office, Ryan’s commitment to challenging roles stood out.
Ryan continued to take on independent projects in the late 2000s. In In the Land of Women (2007), she played a mother dealing with breast cancer, earning praise for her performance.
She appeared in The Deal (2008), Serious Moonlight (2009), and the all-female ensemble remake The Women (2008), which was not well-received by critics but still found an audience. By the 2010s, Ryan started focusing on directing and producing, making her feature debut with Ithaca (2015), based on William Saroyan’s novel The Human Comedy.
Recently, Meg Ryan has returned to acting and public appearances with elegance and confidence. In 2023, she starred alongside David Duchovny in What Happens Later, which she also directed.
In 2024, she attended the Sarajevo Film Festival, where she received the Heart of Sarajevo award and gave a masterclass with Oscar-winning director Danis Tanović. In 2025, she was cast in Lena Dunham’s upcoming romantic comedy Good Sex. At 64, Ryan continues to look radiant and graceful, showing that she has aged beautifully while maintaining her charm and energy.
Meg Ryan’s career from When Harry Met Sally… to today is full of memorable performances, bold choices, and graceful reinvention. She has proven that she can remain relevant in Hollywood through talent, perseverance, and poise.
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