Why Meg Ryan Disappeared From Hollywood

There is no actor that defines late '80s and '90s romantic comedies more than Meg Ryan. Her irrefutable movie star magnetism, combined with an incongruous sense of relatability, gave her an alluring aura that lent an undeniable "America's Sweetheart" charm to the films in which she starred. From 1989's "When Harry met Sally" to 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle" and 1998's "You Got Mail" — which remains dated in the most fun way possible — Meg Ryan was essentially the face of rom-coms for well over a decade, and deservedly so.

But Ryan wasn't only known for romancing Tom Hanks. Though the actor became synonymous with romantic comedies following "When Harry met Sally" (still one of the best Meg Ryan movies), she also starred in a wide variety of Hollywood fare, from her small role in 1986's "Top Gun" to playing Jim Morrison's girlfriend, Pamela Courson, in Oliver Stone's biopic "The Doors" in 1991. Even throughout the '90s, when Ryan was at the peak of her romantic comedy powers, the actor could be seen starring opposite Denzel Washington in war drama "Courage Under Fire" and playing a troubled 17th Century divorcee in the historical drama "Restoration."

But as Ryan's career continued throughout the 2000s and 2010s, her roles dramatically declined in number, to the point that her self-directed 2023 rom-com "What Happens Later" was seen as somewhat of a comeback for the once ubiquitous star. So, what exactly happened to Meg Ryan during those years where her output became less prolific?

To say Meg Ryan stepped away from Hollywood is only partially true. After her success with some of the best '90s rom coms, the actor began to play against type in such films as Jane Campion's erotic thriller "In the Cut" (2003) and Charles S. Dutton's sports drama "Against the Ropes" (2004). After that, Ryan didn't appear in any films for three years, returning to the screen with the 2007 romantic drama "In the Land of Women" before starring in three films in 2008, and one in 2009. Unfortunately, not one of these projects was a major commercial or critical success, and some, such as 2008's "The Women," were critical disasters.

That may provide some insight into why Ryan subsequently retreated from acting after 2009's "Serious Moonlight," itself a critical disappointment. It wasn't until 2015 that the former superstar returned with her directorial debut, "Ithaca," in which she also starred. Lamentably, the drama, based on William Saroyan's 1943 novel "The Human Comedy," was yet another critical disappointment, and currently bears a lowly 24% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

So, while in a sense, it's fair to say Meg Ryan disappeared from Hollywood, her post-'90s career has really been characterized by sporadic breaks more than one dramatic withdrawal from the industry. Her struggles to find a project post-2000 that generated positive reviews might played into these decisions to take a break, but Ryan herself explains it differently.

Eight years after her 2015 directorial debut failed to wow critics, Meg Ryan returned to movie-making with her 2023 effort "What Happens Later," which she directed, co-wrote, and in which she co-starred alongside David Duchovny. At that time, the actor was seemingly ready to talk about her extended break from Hollywood. As she told People, "I took a giant break because I felt like there's just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop [...] It's nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me."

Behind the scenes, Ryan certainly had things to focus on. The now 63-year-old has two children, 32-year-old actor Jack Quaid (who starred in "Ithaca" and whose father is Dennis Quaid), and her adopted daughter Daisy, now 18. What's more, from 2010 to 2014, Ryan and musician John Mellencamp were in a relationship. The couple then reunited in 2017, announcing their engagement in 2018 before calling it off in 2019. All of which is to say: the 2010s was a particularly eventful decade for Ryan personally.

According to Ryan, however, rather than being prompted by her personal life becoming quieter, her 2023 re-emergence was propelled by the very idea of "What Happens Later," in which she and Duchovny's characters find themselves trapped in an airport terminal. She told People, "It came to me during lockdown. The essence of it is these two people who are stuck together. I just love that idea that we're held in a space, even if it feels conflicted, maybe for reasons that heal them."

Meg Ryan also spoke about being tempted back to the industry by "What Happens Later" at the Sarajevo Film Festival (via Variety), where she explained how the difficulties attached to the project were part of the allure. "How fully can you see your limitations as opportunities?" She said, adding:

"We didn't have a big budget. We shot in 21 nights. The movie had to have scope. We ended up shooting in a museum in Arkansas. We couldn't control the extras — we had to use real people. All of those things were fun to try to figure out in this limited time on this limited budget."

At the film festival, she also spoke about women struggling to find roles after a certain age, which no doubt played into her reduced output after 2000. In fact, Ryan explained how this very fact had prompted her to pursue other avenues in Hollywood, like producing and directing, thereby revealing more to the story behind her various withdrawals from the spotlight.

So, while the actor's personal life certainly played into her reduced output after 2000, there was more to it than that, and her age was only one facet of it.

In 2000, at a time when Meg Ryan's "America's Sweetheart" reputation was well-established, the actor became the focus of intense tabloid scrutiny after her relationship with her "Proof of Life" co-star Russell Crowe became public and Ryan was accused of cheating on her then husband Dennis Quaid, whom she divorced in 2001. Allegations of an affair did much to degrade Ryan's public image, and it seems this was the real beginning of her flirtation with extended breaks.

In 2019, Ryan spoke to The New York Times Magazine where she talked about the debacle surrounding her relationship with Crowe and the public backlash. "That was another big turning point in my evolution," she said. "I'd never felt like I was all that concerned with what people thought of me, but then that story never got told right." Asked what story she was referring to, she clarified:

"The story of how I was divorced or what the actual problems were It's a real gift when you know you can't ever really manage an image or a story and you stop caring. I felt the effect, like I was the bad guy or whatever the story was. But I remember letting go of needing to correct anybody. Divorce is hard. Love is hard. All those things were so personal. They weren't for mass consumption. The complexity of a life or a marriage is never going to exist in a headline or a tabloid. That was a freeing thing to know."

While Ryan continued to work following this "turning point" in her career, her filmography was a lot less prolific, and it seems this was the real beginning of Ryan's relationship to Hollywood changing.

"In the Cut" was a major moment for Meg Ryan, as it signaled her attempt to rebrand from "America's Sweetheart." Jane Campion's film featured Ryan in a graphic nude scene, and was, overall, an attempt to prove she was more than the queen of rom-coms. Unfortunately, this attempt to rebrand from her good girl image with a much sexier role was ill-fated, as critics were not kind about "In the Cut," which currently has a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In her New York Times Magazine interview, the actor was asked whether, had "In the Cut" or "Against the Ropes" been better received by critics or audiences, she would have been more of a presence in Hollywood. In response she said, "I think the feeling with Hollywood was mutual. I felt done when they felt done, probably." According to Ryan, this "felt like a real turning point." After the critical backlash to "In the Cut," the actor added, "I wasn't as curious about acting as I was about other things that life can give you."

Overall, then, there were multiple factors at play when it came to Meg Ryan's withdrawal from Hollywood. A lack of roles as she got older, a very public divorce, difficulties with maintaining her "America's Sweetheart" image, and her personal life all contributed. In the end, however, Ryan has created a filmography any actor could be proud of, so even if she never makes another movie, her legacy as one of the most influential and important leading women will always remain.