Meg Ryan’s Alleged Plastic Surgery: All We Know about the Change in the Actress’ Appearance

Meg Ryan's appearance has markedly changed since she became Hollywood's star of 90s romantic comedies. While an expert gave his opinion on whether or not she's had plastic surgery, fans are thrilled about her return to the big screen in "What Happens Later."

Dubbed the queen of rom-com, Meg Ryan has fascinated fans with her impressive acting skills since the 80s. The actress has since starred in various movies such as "When Harry Met Sally" and countless series, including "As the World Turns."

Ryan's latest feature, which fans are elated about, is expected to be released in 2023. The actress will star alongside David Duchovny in "What Happens Later," described as a different take on romantic comedy. The upcoming movie will be the second time Ryan will be directing a film, after making her directorial debut in 2015 for the movie "Ithaca."

Fans expressed their excitement for the upcoming movie by flooding her post about it on her Instagram page with positive comments. With the caption, "HERE WE GO!!" most fans were happy about her return, with one comment saying, "WELCOME BACK QUEEN," and another saying, "How exciting! Can't wait to see you back in the movies."

Meg Ryan's return to acting follows her decision to quit Hollywood several years ago, with the star making her departure because of various reasons. The actress leaving Hollywood and rumors about her having plastic surgery are two things fans have mostly wondered about. Find out all we know about Ryan's drastic change in appearance.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MEG RYAN'S FACE?

Rumors about Meg Ryan's plastic surgery have been swirling around for years, with her looks in the spotlight again after her appearance at the 70th annual Tony Awards in 2016. The "Sleepless in Seattle" actress started trending after being seen at the event, with many fans expressing their shock over her changed appearance.

In 2015, she expressed she never paid attention to any rumors about her having plastic surgery. She said:

"I don't pay a lot of attention frankly. There's a lot of hatred in the world today; it's so easy to judge."

Meg Ryan has since continued to shy away from the rumors and will probably continue since she has not confirmed if she had plastic surgery.

However, fans have not stopped commenting about her changing appearance, with some of their comments going back to 2013.

WHAT AN EXPERT PLASTIC SURGEON THINKS ABOUT MEG RYAN'S CHANGE IN APPEARANCE?

Expert plastic surgeon, Mark Youssef, believes Meg Ryan's plastic surgery rumors are true. He also thinks Ryan looked better before the alleged plastic surgery. Speaking to Hollywood Life, Dr. Youssef said:

"She may have done too much. I think that's why people are a little shocked because she doesn't look like the Meg Ryan that we all love. "

Dr. Youssef went on to explain what he believes Ryan changed on her face, with her cheeks being the first thing he pointed out, which he thinks is "too much," noting, "The most obvious thing that she's had done is some sort of filler or fat transfer to her cheek. It's definitely too much because the apple of her cheek is too full and too large ." The expert further stated this is why she now "looks masculine."

Her nose, lips, and forehead are other parts of Ryan's face the surgeon believes she had done. He said:

"The tip of her nose is narrower than before. There's definitely volume in her lips as well, and Botox on her forehead."

The surgeon also thinks Ryan may have had a facelift, which is why "her face has changed so much." He added that the 60-year-old may have also had a laser skin resurfacing procedure.

With Dr. Youssef believing Ryan has done so much work on her face, he expressed concern that the actress may be addicted to plastic surgery. "Plastic surgery addiction is a very real thing. It's the unending desire to change your image," Dr. Youssef expressed.

DID MEG RYAN'S ALLEGED PLASTIC SURGERY DAMAGE HER CAREER?

Meg Ryan's change in appearance has also led to speculations that it cost her her career, but did it? Many believe the change in her looks might be why she stopped acting; however, the truth is that the "City of Angels" actress left Hollywood behind long before she started altering her appearance.

Despite many theories about the actress's real reason for this drastic decision, she eventually disclosed in 2019 to the New York Times why she decided to leave Hollywood, revealing:

"I felt in a crazy way that, as an actor, I was burning through life experiences."

The actress also said she was burned out and no longer knew enough about herself, saying, "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 Ryan, she got tired of the "express-lane lives" she experienced as an actress. She also revealed she felt like she was "behind a window looking at [her] life."

WHY DID MEG RYAN LEAVE HOLLYWOOD?

Despite Meg Ryan revealing that plastic surgery didn't damage her career, various scandals led her to become persona non grata. The "You've Got Mail" actress was embroiled in a scandal after her alleged affair with Russell Crowe when they co-starred in the 2000 film "Sleepless in Seattle." The matter put an end to her marriage of nine years to Dennis Quaid and tarnished her sweet, girl-next-door image.

Ryan was also slut shamed after having nude scenes in the 2003 film "In The Cut" with Mark Ruffalo. The raunchy thriller is about a schoolteacher, played by Ryan, who has an affair with a detective, a character played by Mark Ruffalo.

Due to its explicit scenes, the film was heavily criticized, but Ryan was the only one who faced backlash. At the time, she defended her performance in the movie and later opened up about the public's reaction in 2019, saying:

"The reaction was vicious…I'd never presented myself like that before; it was so different from my assigned archetype."

Her interview with talk show host Michael Parkinson in 2007 became the one thing everyone was talking about at the time. Instead of asking the actress about her role in the movie "In The Cut," the host only asked personal questions, accusing Ryan of being wary of him and being interviewed. Following the interview with Parkinson, the press seemed to support him, which might have played a role in Hollywood canceling Ryan.

Ryan's role in "In The Cut" also reportedly caused much damage to her career, with many calling it the role that "ended her acting career."

It's also believed that Hollywood being ageist is also one of the reasons why Ryan was canceled. In an interview, she revealed she does not conform to this ageist mentality, stating:

"...I thought assignment of age was arbitrary. I stand by that."

Meg Ryan was also labeled with the reputation of being difficult to work with. Ryan was branded as "difficult" due to her desire to feature in more challenging movies. This reportedly did not please producers in Hollywood, with this reputation sticking with her throughout most of her career.

Her unwillingness to remain known for her previous roles in rom-coms led the star to turn down numerous roles. The one part Ryan turned down was playing Vivian Ward in the iconic film "Pretty Woman." Ryan was director Garry Marshall's first choice; however, Julia Roberts eventually portrayed Vivian, winning an Oscar for the role.

Other roles that the actress turned down, which many believe would have positively impacted her career, include Shelby Eatenton Latcherie in "Steel Magnolias," a part Julia Roberts also portrayed. There was also Molly Jensen in "Ghost," Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs," and Suzanne Stone in "To Die For." It's worth mentioning that most of the stars who took these roles went on to win various awards for them, including Golden Globes and Oscars.

No matter how much the star's appearance has changed, many look forward to seeing what her latest film has in store.