Meg Ryan with Billy Crystal in 'When Harry Met Sally.' Columbia/Courtesy Everett Collection Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Meg Ryan, acclaimed as the queen of romantic comedies, says she's fine with moviegoers finding comfort in the film genre. "A lot of people tell me they watch my movies when they're sick," Ryan told the Tribeca Festival Lisboa during a press conference on Thursday. The Hollywood star earned critical acclaim for her performance in Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's When Harry Met Sally, before partnering again with Ephron for Sleepless in Seattle. "When we were making those movies, we didn't think we were in any kind of golden age," Ryan said. But she added the genre has stood the test of time and is finding new audiences among young people today. Related Stories Business Asylum Executive Paul Bales Named Chair of IFTA Movies Ex-Netflix Boss Teresa Moneo Joins Good Chaos as Creative Director, Producer Ryan pointed to her young daughter appreciating romantic comedies for the assurance they bring to peoples' lives, especially in troubled times. "I think she loves the feeling that in that world, everything's all right, the world's gonna be okay. People fall in love, so they're very comforting," she observed. In 2023, Ryan directed and starred in her own rom-com, What Happens Later, which also starred David Duchovny. That followed her 2015 directorial debut, Ithaca. "I wish I'd done it earlier. It made me a better actor," Ryan said of stepping into the director's chair. She added directing is also part of a constant need for reinvention for the Hollywood star. "Seems like that's what people do. When you grow and change, grow and change, it's just not odd at all to me," Ryan told the Tribeca Festival Lisboa press contingent. She's taking a design class and recently completed acting work alongside Natalie Portman, Rashida Jones and Mark Ruffalo on Good Sex, a romantic comedy Lena Dunham directed for Netflix. "You just keep trying to imagine yourself with a different hat every time. It's a career for polymaths," Ryan added of artists full of curiosity and a need to keep learning. The Tribeca Festival Lisboa continues through to Nov. 1. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Wicked: For Good 'Wicked: For Good' Tracking to Open to Bewitching $115M-$120M at Thanksgiving Box Office Heat Vision Taylor Sheridan Shocker: Paramount Keeping Him in Fold for 'Call of Duty' Movie with Peter Berg Directing Wagner Moura Santa Barbara Film Fest: Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Chase Infiniti Among Eight Tapped for Virtuosos Award Tribeca Festival Giancarlo Esposito on Playing Villains as Human Beings: "I Try to Be as Kind as Possible" united kingdom Ex-Netflix Boss Teresa Moneo Joins Good Chaos as Creative Director, Producer Taylor Swift Box Office Massacre: October Revenue Falls to 27-Year Low, Excluding the Pandemic Wicked: For Good 'Wicked: For Good' Tracking to Open to Bewitching $115M-$120M at Thanksgiving Box Office Heat Vision Taylor Sheridan Shocker: Paramount Keeping Him in Fold for 'Call of Duty' Movie with Peter Berg Directing Wagner Moura Santa Barbara Film Fest: Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Chase Infiniti Among Eight Tapped for Virtuosos Award Tribeca Festival Giancarlo Esposito on Playing Villains as Human Beings: "I Try to Be as Kind as Possible" united kingdom Ex-Netflix Boss Teresa Moneo Joins Good Chaos as Creative Director, Producer Taylor Swift Box Office Massacre: October Revenue Falls to 27-Year Low, Excluding the Pandemic