Meg Ryan explained why she decided to dip out of Hollywood for eight years before returning to film her upcoming movie, “What Happens Later.”
Ryan’s name is synonymous with romantic comedies, and she has hits like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle” under her belt. The romcom queen admitted she had to turn her back on her career and made a conscious decision to pursue a different type of lifestyle.
“I took a giant break because I felt like there’s just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop,” she said in a recent interview with People.
Ryan’s fame had grown significantly after acting in a number of blockbuster hits, including “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Courage Under Fire.” However, the famous actress was looking for a different type of happiness than the one her career could offer her, according to People.
She said the more famous she became, the more appealing it was to step away from the spotlight, and she became determined to make that happen.
Ryan is a mother of two children — Jack and Daisy — who she shares with her ex-husband, Dennis Quaid.
She soon came to realize the life experiences she wanted to share were family-oriented, so Ryan opted to focus on her loved ones and turn her back on her career. (RELATED: Dennis Quaid Opens Up About The Lengths Media Went To After His Highly-Public Split From Meg Ryan)
“It’s nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me,” she told People.
Ryan left the industry in 2014 after making her directorial debut in “Ithaca,” and now — eight years later, she has made her return to romcoms.
“What Happens Later,” is about ex-lovers who are snowed in together overnight at an airport. Ryan stars opposite David Duchovny in the film, which is slated for release November 3.