Meg Ryan’s Hollywood career spanned from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, earning her the title of “America’s Sweetheart.” Meg Ryan was known as one of the “It Girls” of Hollywood, thanks to her captivating blue eyes and stunning smile.
Surprisingly, Meg Ryan did not always have aspirations to become an actress. While she was studying in college, she took up acting as a side hustle. However, when the roles started pouring in, Ryan dropped out of college to pursue her acting career. Her passion for acting became more evident when she landed a role in the drama As the World Turns. From then on, her stardom soared, and she went on to star in numerous romantic comedy films, including Joe Versus the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail.
Despite her success in Hollywood, Meg Ryan realized that acting was not her true calling
In a 2019 interview with The New York Times Magazine, Ryan expressed her loss of interest in performing and instead became more passionate about working behind the scenes. She said, “I wasn’t as curious about acting as I was about other things that life can give you. I wanted to live more.” Meg Ryan also revealed that she never dreamt of becoming an actor when she was growing up. Instead, she navigated the situation of acting and found it fun.
Ryan’s life as a rom-com queen is far from her life now. Instead of being in the spotlight, she enjoys working behind the camera and making someone else’s star shine with her directing skills. Despite her retirement from acting, Ryan’s legacy as an actress remains significant, and her films continue to bring joy to audiences worldwide.
Meg Ryan’s personal life also reflects her commitment to family
Meg Ryan has two children: Jack Quaid, who is also an actor and is now 29 years old, with ex-husband Dennis Quaid, and 18-year-old Daisy Ryan, whom she adopted in 2006. Ryan’s biggest ambition is to ensure her children’s happiness. She told InStyle, “Most of all, what I’m ambitious for in the 12 hours a day that I’m awake is my kids’ happiness. I just am. I’m either figuring out how to provide for them, figuring out how to say it right, figuring out all those mom things. I want them to be happy.” Ryan’s dedication to her children shows that her priorities lie in her family, even after achieving significant success in Hollywood.
Read: “Superman” Star Dean Cain Gave Up a Movie Career to Raise His Son Alone
Meg Ryan Is Not the Only Celeb Mom to Quit Acting
Achieving an ideal balance between the demands of motherhood and work commitments can be a challenging feat. While some parents may successfully navigate both roles, they often still experience working guilt. On the other hand, some parents opt to exit the workforce altogether to prioritize caring for their young children.
Jessica Biel
The Hollywood industry is home to many celebrity couples, but few are as well-known as Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake. The couple shares a son named Silas Randall, and Biel’s acting career took a backseat after becoming a mom. She revealed in an interview with Marie Claire that motherhood made her realize how much selflessness was required to raise a child, and her schedule no longer revolved around her own needs.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore prioritizes building a strong and loving relationship with her three children, whom she shares with her ex-husband Bruce Willis. She has been successful as an actress, just as Meg Ryan was, but her greatest desire is to have her children want to share their lives with her as adults. To achieve this goal, she even moved away from Hollywood to a small town in Idaho called Hailey.
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek had her daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, later in life, and she believes it allowed her to focus more on being a mother. She realized that having children when she was young meant having to prove herself while juggling the demands of parenthood. However, having her daughter later in life gave her the opportunity to fully embrace motherhood and not miss a single moment of her daughter’s life.
Jennifer Garner
Many celebrity mothers such as Meg Ryan struggle to find a balance between being a parent and a Hollywood star. Jennifer Garner is another. She often feels guilty for choosing one over the other and describes her life as having “two extremes.” In an interview with Us Magazine, she shared her internal battle of wanting to work but also needing to be there for her kids, with the latter always winning in the end.
Keep Reading: This 34-year-old mom quit her job to work on her side hustle full-time—and made $300,000 in one year
Sources
- “This Is Why You Never Hear From Meg Ryan Anymore.” Best Life Online. Lia Beck. February 3, 2022.
- “Meg Ryan Talks Quitting Hollywood: ‘I Never Wanted to Be an Actress’.” ET Online. Leena Tailor. June 11, 2018
- “16 Female Celebs Who Gave Up Fame To Become Full-Time Moms.” Moms. Cailyn Cox . December 8, 2022.