Meg Ryan (born November 19, 1961) is an American actress who specializes in romantic comedies, but has also worked in other film genres. Born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra in Fairfield, Connecticut to Susan Jordan (née Ryan), a former English teacher, 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 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.
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 marriage to Quaid that she had a falling out with her mother over his alleged drug abuse. In interviews, the actress cast her mother, Susan Ryan Jordan, in a negative light, saying that she had abandoned her children to pursue an acting career. In response, Jordan published a book in 1999, The Immune Spirit, about her struggle with breast cancer and her difficult relationship with her famous daughter. Her mother has since given many interviews painting Ryan in a negative light. In January 2006, Ryan brought her newly adopted daughter, one-year-old Daisy True, home from China.
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 October 2003, while in the UK to promote In the Cut, Ryan had a controversial interview with Michael Parkinson on the long-running television talk show Parkinson, which resulted in negative publicity in some British press.
