Meg Ryan's rollercoaster life: From rom‑com star to come back

She was born on November 19, 1961, as Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra. From a young age, she aspired to become a journalist and began studying journalism at the University of Connecticut. To support herself, she worked as a model and quickly entered the American show business. She made her big-screen debut in 1981 in the film "Rich and Famous." She changed her last name to make it easier for audiences to remember.

This marked the beginning of Meg Ryan's great but bumpy career. Movies like "When Harry Met Sally," "You've Got Mail," and "Sleepless in Seattle" solidified her position in Hollywood and secured her place in the hearts of viewers worldwide. Although the actress was considered a specialist in romantic comedies, her love life was a series of failures.

Meg's love life was always in the spotlight. She dated actor Anthony Edwards for a year. The couple played a married couple in the film "Top Gun" in 1986. However, the relationship did not last, and they announced their breakup after a year.

Five years later, she became the wife of actor Dennis Quaid, whom she met on the set of "Innerspace" (1987). The couple had a son named Jack. Her marriage seemed fairy-tale-like. However, their relationship ended in a highly publicized divorce in 2001 after Meg Ryan's affair with Russell Crowe, whom she met on the set of "Proof of Life," came to light.

The passionate affair with the "Gladiator" star ended her relationship. The actress's infidelity impacted her career. Fans often reminded her of her unfaithfulness. "In movies, she's such a faithful, affectionate woman, and then this?!" they commented on the incident.

At the same time, the affair coincided with the premiere of the mentioned film. It turned out to be a financial failure, for which Ryan and Crowe were primarily blamed.

Eventually, the world heard her side of the story, which suggested that it was Dennis who was unfaithful, not her. "Our love seemed impressive, but behind the scenes, nothing was as people thought. They saw a different nine years than the ones we really lived," she told "The New York Times Magazine" in 2019.

In 2006, Meg once again wanted to be a mom and adopted a girl from China, Daisy True. In 2010, she felt butterflies in her stomach again. John Mellencamp became the object of her affections. After four years together, the couple broke up, only to reunite in 2017. In 2018, they got engaged. Unfortunately, the relationship did not survive the test of time.

The actress had been associated with a girlish charm for decades. When she turned 50 and wanted to revive her career, she also decided she needed to change her appearance. She opted for surgical interventions, which unfortunately affected her looks and career.

The star frequently used Botox, fillers, and plastic surgeries to stop time. Unfortunately, the effect was the opposite—the smoothed face and altered features made the actress unrecognizable. Despite numerous speculations and criticism, Meg maintained her distance from the rumors.

Although plastic surgeries became her attempt to regain her former glow, for many, they symbolize the struggle with accepting the passage of time. Today, Meg Ryan, although away from major productions, is slowly returning to acting, reminding us that she still has something to offer as an artist.