Ryan was born in 1961, as Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra (she chose Meg Ryan as her stage name in 1981). Meg Ryan studied journalism at New York University, and started her acting career by doing commercials to pay her way through college. Her first feature film was completed in 1981, and she then worked on soap operas through the early 1980's.

There's been a lot of speculation that actress Meg Ryan has had lip treatments. In a contentious interview with Jane Magazine in 2004 the actress said that when she is asked about it she just tries "to ignore it." When pressed on the matter she said a "conversation like this in a magazine was wrong" and asked to change the subject.