Meg Ryan

Perky, blond and effervescent, Meg Ryan became America's Sweetheart with a string of romantic comedies in the 1980s and 1990s and continues to hold a place in Hollywood's heart. Meg was born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra on November 19, 1961 in Bethel, Connecticut. After high school, Meg studied journalism first at the University of Connecticut and later New York University, making commercials on the side for extra money. Her acting career, including her breakout role on the soap opera As the World Turns ended up going so well that she left school a semester before she was to graduate. After two years on the soap (1982 to 1984) Meg went on to rols in films such as Amityville 3-D and Promised Land.

A small but memorable role in 1986's Top Gun, where she played Anthony Edwards' wife launched Meg into stardom and she followed up her success with starring roles in Innerspace, D.O.A. (both with Dennis Quaid) and The Presidio. In 1989, Meg co-starred with Billy Crystal in the comedy When Harry Met Sally and movie audiences and critics alike fell in love with the spunky blond actress, who showed women everywhere how to effectively 'fake it.'

On Valentine's Day of 1991, Meg married Dennis Quaid and the couple had a son, Jack Henry on April 24, 1992. Meg made her second successful romantic comedy, Sleepless in Seattle, in 1993 with co-star Tom Hanks - whom she also starred with in 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano and 1998's You've Got Mail. Wanting to take a break from comedy, Meg starred in the 1998 drama City of Angels with Nicolas Cage and teamed up with Russell Crowe for the thriller Proof of Life. Meg and Russell were the subject of tabloid speculation and rumors while making the film and in 2000, Meg and Dennis Quaid split. The romantic relationship between Meg and Russell only lasted for a few months.

Meg tried to change her image with the film In the Cut in 2003, but it was a commercial and critical flop. Although her career has shifted gears slightly, her role as a jilted wife in the star-studded remake of The Women is sure to bring Meg back in the spotlight, and deservedly so.