(Credits: Far Out / David Shankbone)
Wed 19 November 2025 13:30, UK
When When Harry Met Sally hit cinema screens in 1989, Meg Ryan established herself as the reigning rom-com queen within a few frames. Carrying the torch from fabled pictures like Annie Hall, the film was as witty as it was affecting, with the relationship between Ryan’s Sally and Billy Crystal’s Harry undergoing a beautiful evolution.
It set the blueprint for many modern rom-coms, while Ryan’s performance captivated audiences. It wasn’t her first role – she’d already appeared in a handful of films, including Top Gun – but from here on out, the actor became a stalwart member of Hollywood, particularly at home in movies of the romantic variety.
Other rom-com classics that Ryan led included the Tom Hanks collaborations You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle, which feel like cosy time capsules of the ‘90s. Excuse our nostaliga, but they just don’t make rom-coms like that anymore.
It seems like Ryan’s interest in starring in romantic comedies isn’t all about the cash but sincerely stems from her own appreciation of the genre’s golden years. Far removed from the schmaltz of the 1990s and ’00s that have now coloured our view of the genre, her favourite actors appeared in charming screwball romances that are endlessly rewatchable.
For some, the genre feels like a modern invention, but during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the rom-com flourished with the likes of It Happened One Night and Bringing Up Baby pioneering the tropes that now define the genre. Will-they-won’t-they romances and enemies-to-lovers pairings, comic misunderstandings and swoon-worthy meet-cutes, the rom-com evolved during this time. They became everlasting moments to pepper into pictures, and can be found in the most beloved movies of the day still.
Meg Ryan in ‘In The Cut’. (Credit: Press / Screen Gems)
Ryan loves leading ladies like Claudette Colbert, who appeared in arguably the defining movie of the genre, It Happened One Night, with another favourite, Clark Gable. She was a versatile star, but Ryan loves it when she plays a romantic lead. Similarly, she loves Carole Lombard, a screwball icon who starred in the likes of My Man Godfrey, Mr and Mrs Smith, and Nothing Sacred.
Lombard is often regarded as a feminist pioneer, with her characters refusing to hold back outlined by unrestrained humour and sharp delivery. Likewise, Ryan has a deep appreciation for Katharine Hepburn, a screen icon who didn’t limit herself to one genre – winning multiple Oscars as a result – but one who charmed audiences with her screwball rom-com roles.
The Philadelphia Story is one of Ryan’s all-time favourites, in which Hepburn played a woman whose marriage plans are thwarted by her interest in a journalist and her ex-husband. With Cary Grant and James Stewart (the latter of whom she cites as another beloved star) playing her love interests, George Cukor’s film is a pure delight, and it’s unsurprisingly labelled as one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.
Ryan shared these favourite actors with USA Today, emphasising her particular love of The Philadelphia Story. Referring to her daughter, the actor explained, “She’s with girls [in college] who haven’t seen Philadelphia Story and [I] can’t get over that because it was like the staple of her growing up.”
To Ryan, these movies are the perfect rainy-day watch – cosy and charming in their bare-bones approach to comedy, often utilising slapstick or hilarious misunderstandings to propel the narrative. Always held together by terrific performances, it’s no wonder these Golden Age rom-com stars are some of Ryan’s favourite actors.
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