Biography of Meg RyanMeg Ryan (born November 19, 1961) 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, daughter of Susan Jordan (née Ryan), a former English teacher, 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[3] 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.
In 2000 Ryan starred in the action thriller Proof of Life opposite Russell Crowe. The two actors carried on a clandestine love affair during filming. The media then pounced on the story, and critics and audiences scorned the movie. In 2003, she broke away from her usual roles and starred in Jane Campion's In the Cut, an erotic crime thriller in which Ryan appeared nude.
Ryan's most recent project, George Gallo's More Than You Know, was shot in the fall of 2006 in Shreveport, Louisiana. The romantic comedy stars Ryan opposite Antonio Banderas. Ryan is joined by former co-star Tom Hanks's son, Colin, who plays her son in the film. Ryan's next project is a remake of the 1939 classic film The Women, which is slated to begin filming in New York City in August 2007. The $18 million remake of the George Cukor classic (Ryan's first movie was Cukor's last) is being directed by Murphy Brown creator Diane English and produced by Mick Jagger and is slated for release in 2008. Ryan will play the central character, Mary Haines, a wealthy woman who is one of the last to find out that her husband is cheating on her with a shop girl. The leading role was originally made famous by actress Norma Shearer. Annette Bening, Eva Mendes and Candice Bergen are also slated to star in the remake.
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 environment 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 talked with Oprah Winfrey (March 1, 2006, The Oprah Winfrey Show) about her work with CARE in India and empowering women in poor countries.
In January 2006, Ryan brought her newly adopted daughter, one-year-old Daisy True, home from China.
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