The erotic movie that destroyed Meg Ryan’s career
At one point, Meg Ryan was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and an actor who seemingly found her way into each and every successful American romantic comedy. That’s certainly not the case anymore since Ryan’s acting career came to an end in 2010, following which she worked on her own directorial projects.
Although Ryan was a journalism student during her university years, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an actor. While she landed supporting roles in big hits such as Top Gun, her reputation as a star was only cemented after she appeared in her first proper leading role in When Harry Met Sally.
During the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s, Ryan embarked on a run that very few actors have managed to match. Ranging from Sleepless in Seattle to You’ve Got Mail, Ryan was the go-to actor for all Hollywood romantic comedies because producers knew that she had the ability to draw major audiences.
However, it all changed after Ryan collaborated with the remarkable Jane Campion for the 2003 psychological thriller In the Cut. Starring alongside Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Campion’s film revolves around an English teacher (played by Ryan) who finds herself in the middle of a sinister murder mystery.
Due to the film’s explicit depictions of sex and violence, Ryan was heavily criticised for tarnishing her image as “America’s sweetheart”. At the film’s premiere, reporters flocked to the actor to ask her about this departure. “I’ve done 30 movies, and I’ve done seven romantic comedies,” she responded. “So I don’t know what the typical Meg Ryan movie is.”
The infamous interview that further damaged Ryan’s acting career was conducted by Michael Parkinson, who asked ridiculous questions such as “How could you be naked?” Parkinson didn’t even bother apologising to Ryan until 2021, but it was definitely too late. He played a major part in amplifying the public outrage regarding Ryan’s participation in an erotic role.
In recent interviews, Ryan has insisted that she felt liberated after the end of her time as a high-profile actor. She said: “I was burned out. I didn’t feel like I knew enough anymore about myself or the world to reflect it as an actor. I felt isolated.” According to Variety, Ryan is set to return next year with her another directorial effort titled What Happens Later, where she will star in the leading role as well.
