Meg Ryan

Biography

A leading contender for the position of America's Sweetheart since the late 1980s, this personable, petite blonde actress gained fame with her first leading role in Rob Reiner's romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally..." (1989), opposite Billy Crystal. Ryan's vociferous faking of an orgasm in a NYC delicatessen has been hailed as a modern comedy classic. The Connecticut-born former homecoming queen made her film debut at age 20 as Candice Bergen's daughter in "Rich and Famous" (1981) before turning to TV, most notably as as Betsy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera "As the World Turns" from 1982-84.

Ryan first registered in features with a small but memorable role as Anthony Edwards' wife in "Top Gun" (1986). Cast as a journalist in the Joe Dante sci-fi flick "Innerspace" (1987), she met future husband Dennis Quaid and the pair went on to co-star the unsuccessful noir remake "D.O.A." (1988) and the underrated but somber "Flesh and Bone" (1993). But the actress' bubbly, accessible persona generally has been best served by romantic comedies, which have paired her with some of Hollywood's most charismatic leading men: Tom Hanks in "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990) and the romantic comedies "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "You've Got Mail" (1998); Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison's spacey common-law wife in Oliver Stone's "The Doors" (1991) in which she has a nude scene; and Alec Baldwin's bewitched bride in "Prelude to a Kiss" (1992).

After displaying her dramatic range as an alcoholic opposite Andy Garcia in "When a Man Loves a Woman", she returned to familiar territory in "I.Q." (both 1994), as the niece of Walter Matthau's Albert Einstein who strives to fix her up with a good-hearted mechanic followed by the wan attempt at contemporary screwball comedy "French Kiss" (1995).

After the military drama "Courage Under Fire" (1996), in which she essayed the role of a female soldier serving during the Persian Gulf War, Ryan voiced the title character in the animated "Anastasia" and teamed with Matthew Broderick in the disappointing revenge comedy "Addicted to Love" (both 1997).

Pics

Naked pictures from:
The Doors (1991)

Nude movie clip:
In the Cut (2002)