Meg Ryan’s Son Finally Watched His Mom’s Iconic Scene... And His Opinion Was Priceless

Spare a thought for Jack Quaid. Parents can be embarrassing at the best of times, but he had to deal with his mom Meg Ryan becoming a Hollywood sensation by faking an orgasm in the middle of a packed diner! Little wonder, then, that Jack waited years to watch her performance in When Harry Met Sally. So, what did he make of the classic rom-com and that scene?

The female orgasm

If, like Jack, you’ve somehow managed to avoid the Nora Ephron-penned movie all these years, then here’s what goes down. Meg’s Sally Albright is enjoying some lunch with Billy Crystal’s Harry Burns when talk turns to female orgasms. Harry insists that none of the ladies he’s bedded has ever needed to fake one. But Sally soon has him questioning everything he ever believed.

Faking it

Yes, despite being surrounded by fellow diners, Sally decides to show just how easy it is to fake an orgasm. The character’s screams of ‘yes’ become increasingly loud before she pretends to collapse from waves of pleasure. A nearby woman then utters the immortal line, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Doing not talking

At a 30th anniversary screening of the film at the 2019 Turner Classic Movies Festival, a modest Meg claimed the scene wasn’t that difficult to perform. She said, “Comedy of Sally is so behavioral, it’s not really so much talking. It’s doing. So it’s sort of really very logical. And it wasn’t hard.”

Let me show you

Meg was assisted beforehand by the man in the director’s chair. In a bid to make his leading lady more comfortable, Rob Reiner briefly assumed the role of Sally. He told the TCM Festival crowd, “Meg doesn’t realize [that] she has to do it in front of all these strangers. All these people and the extras and everything. And so the first couple of times it looked like it needed more. So I said, ‘Meg, let me show you!’”

A family affair

Rob had to perform the scene in front of family, too. That’s right: the diner who immediately responds to Sally’s orgasm is the director’s mom! Rob also explained that her iconic line was conceived by leading man Billy. He said, “He added the biggest laugh in the movie, which is the biggest laugh in any movie I’ve ever been involved with.”

Mighty Joe Young

Billy told the crowd he was impressed with how Rob stepped in for Meg. The actor said, “He proceeds to have an orgasm that Mighty Joe Young would be proud of.” Billy also joked that he ate more than two dozen pastrami sandwiches due to how many times the scene had to be filmed.

Art imitating life

In another interview with publication The Hollywood Reporter, Billy revealed the scene was actually a case of art imitating life. The actor recalled a conversation he had in which screenwriter Nora suggested writing a scene about fake orgasms. According to Billy, director Rob was stunned to hear that women did such a thing!

All Meg’s idea

Although Billy came up with the payoff, it was Meg who decided the scene needed an actual fake orgasm. The actor concluded, “That’s how the movie got real. Because of Meg and I and Nora and Rob sitting around, talking about ‘How can we make it better?’” According to Billy, When Harry Met Sally was the first mainstream film to approach such a subject.

Breaking new ground

Billy said, “Let’s face it, in the history of movies, except for porn movies, no one ever used the word ‘orgasm.’ No one ever said that. Bogart never said, ‘You know Louie, this was a great orgasm.’ Gable never said ‘Frankly, I don’t give a damn about your orgasm.’ No one ever said it. And so it was shocking when it was out there and it was such a provocative idea.”

Rapturous response

Luckily, audiences proved to be receptive to all the taboo-busting. Recalling a Los Angeles test screening, Billy said, “When she starts faking it, they go bezerk. You couldn’t hear any dialogue. They laughed through the next scene. The roar, it was gigantic. I realized that Rob and I were now holding hands. We were gripping each other because it was so momentous a laugh.”

Famous son

Of course, Meg isn’t the only Hollywood actor in her family. The son she shares with ex-husband Dennis Quaid has also established himself in Tinseltown in recent years. Jack Quaid first studied at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, before landing his first screen credit in The Hunger Games.

Baptism of fire

The role proved to be something of a baptism of fire for the fledgling actor. Jack appeared as the villainous Marvel in the young adult franchise. And in a 2011 chat with Interview magazine he said, “When I got cast, I was told that people would be spitting on me in the streets.”

One of the boys

Jack has since become more renowned for playing a good guy. In 2019 he was cast as Hughie Campbell, a vigilante group member determined to thwart the world’s corrupt superheroes, in The Boys. Jack even picked up a Best Hero MTV Movie and TV Award nod for his performance in the Amazon original.

Rising star

You may also have seen Jack appear in HBO musical drama Vinyl and as the love interest in feature film Plus One. He’s lent his voice to Lower Decks, which is an animated Star Trek series, Harvey Girls Forever, and Smallfoot, too. Other credits include box office hits Rampage and Logan Lucky.

Mother’s pride

And Meg couldn’t be happier that her son has followed in her footsteps. In 2019 she took to Instagram to point out The Boys had achieved an impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating of 98 percent. The actress also wrote, “Just killing it… so proud,” on a snap of the poster for Jack’s romantic comedy Plus One.

Just heaven

Meg also appears to have given Jack’s relationship with sketch comedian Lizzy McGroder the thumbs up. The Sleepless in Seattle star captioned a pic from her son and his girlfriend’s Frances Valentine ad campaign, “Just heaven.” It’s a good job that Meg is so enamored, too. From the sounds of it, Jack and Lizzy — who have been together for around five years — are smitten.

Amazing vacation

Speaking to Glamour magazine in 2019, Jack gushed, “I just went on an amazing vacation with Liz, my girlfriend, a year ago, right before I started season one of The Boys. We went to Mexico, and I had never done [a] vacation in another country with a significant other. It was really great and romantic.”

Showbiz destiny

Jack’s father has also spoken of how proud he is that his son has carved out his own Hollywood career. The Great Balls of Fire star told Megyn Kelly on news show Today that he and Meg weren’t pushy parents. But Dennis revealed he always knew Jack was destined to become involved in the world of showbiz.

Parents first

So, what was it like growing up with two Hollywood A-listers for parents? Well, during a 2016 appearance on podcast Allegedly with Theo Von and Matthew Cole Weiss, Jack acknowledged that the situation wasn’t exactly normal. But he insists Meg and Dennis are still very much parents first and showbiz figures second.

It’s a whole deal

Jack added, “They’re not like their characters at the dinner table. You’re old enough to know what’s going on, but young enough to be kind of naïve about it. It’s a whole deal.” The actor also spoke about how his exposure to the showbiz world at such a young age has left him with the ability to spot a liar immediately.

Nepotism accusations

As you’d expect, Jack has had to deal with accusations of nepotism ever since he started pursuing his acting ambitions. And by looking so similar to his famous father, the Plus One star has never been able to hide his showbiz background. Luckily, Jack accepts such talk is part and parcel of being a celebrity offspring.

Jack understands

Referring to his parents, Jack told podcast listeners, “It’s not that I want to escape from it. I’m a huge fan of both of their work. I also get that it’s interesting. People ask me about it all the time and it’s one of those things... I get it. I understand.”

Over the moon

Jack might not want to hide his famous family ties. But he does want to make it clear that he came to the acting game of his own accord. The star told the hosts that his folks wouldn’t even allow him to try out for any roles until his late teens. Jack added, “If I had just parents that weren’t actors, I would still be over the moon to have this job.”

Innerspace

While promoting The Boys at the New York Comic-Con in 2018, Jack told Entertainment Weekly magazine that he did sometimes find it hard to watch his parents on screen. The 1987 sci-fi comedy Innerspace was a particularly surreal viewing, as he explained. Jack said, “That’s an insane movie, and it’s a very weird movie for me, because both my parents are in it, and Martin Short’s character is named Jack, which is my name.”

Good on that movie!

Jack continued, “It’s just odd for me. I know they met on that movie, too, so cosmically it’s weird for me… It’s good, it’s weird, it’s cool. I had nothing to do with it, but if it wasn’t made, I probably wouldn’t have been born, so I’d say, ‘Good on that movie!’ yes.”

Taking the plunge

But it was Jack’s comments about another film starring his mother that grabbed the most attention. The actor told the rest of the panel he’d never watched When Harry Met Sally until very recently. But in preparation for his own romantic comedy Plus One, Jack felt he should finally take the plunge.

The rom-com

You can perhaps understand why Jack took so long to watch the movie that made his mom a bona fide star. He explained, “Guys, when your mother has one of the most famous orgasm scenes of all time, you do not jump to the film, okay? I saw it because I was doing a rom-com, and that’s like the rom-com.”

Reduced to tears

So, what did Jack make of the movie he’d put off from watching for so long? Well, it turns out that the Rob Reiner film reduced him to tears. And thankfully in a good way. Jack explained, “… Afterwards I cried for so long, because I was so proud of her [Meg], and I immediately called her, and I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry I missed this movie.’”

A new favorite

Meg certainly didn’t seem particularly offended that her son had waited until he was in his late 20s to watch what many consider to be the defining film of her glittering career. In fact, the actress was relatively nonchalant. Jack recalled, “She’s like, ‘I’ve seen it like one time.’ Anyway, that’s my favorite of hers.”

Very specific problem

Having previously never spoken about When Harry Met Sally publicly, Jack then couldn’t stop discussing the movie. During an appearance on Today in 2019 the actor once again explained why he’d avoided the rom-com for so long, adding, “You know that very specific problem that we all have.” He was also more than happy to recall how the film reduced him to tears.

Lonely afternoon

And the subject also came up when Jack appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live that summer. The actor told the host exactly how he watched the movie. He said, “It was the afternoon and I was alone, and I finished it and immediately started crying because of how proud I was of her.”

Rehearsal talk

While promoting Plus One at the Tribeca Film Festival, Jack recalled how he was finally inspired to watch the film he’d avoided for so long. He said, “In the rehearsal process we were talking about rom-coms and When Harry Met Sally came up and I made the confession that I had never seen [it].” But the rest of the cast were certainly aware when Jack had finally rectified that.

So proud

Jack explained he was still crying at the first rehearsal he attended after watching When Harry Met Sally. He added, “It was this weird moment where I’m like ‘Guys, I’m just so proud of my mom!’” And it turns out that Jack’s belated viewing ended up helping him with his own rom-com performance.

Knocking it out of the park

Director Jeff Chan added, “It was amazing because we were rehearsing a really pivotal speech that [Jack’s character] Ben gives toward the end of the movie. And I remember you just came in and you had tears in your eyes and then you were like ‘Let’s get started.’ And you just knocked it out of the park.”

Major inspiration

Jack then revealed that one particular moment in When Harry Met Sally — no, not that one — was a major inspiration. He said, “I was thinking about the New Year’s scene in the movie and I was just like ‘Oh God.’ I learned so much — she didn’t have to give me any tips — I just watched what she did, it was incredible.”

Banter rhythm

And in a 2019 chat with Glamour magazine, Jack was still waxing lyrical about the classic movie. When asked about his favorite rom-com he replied, “When Harry Met Sally — I mean, I know it’s in the family. But that’s the one I watched when I was doing Plus One because the banter that my mom has with Billy Crystal is just… it was such a thing I was trying to get down in terms of the rhythm of that.”

Good back-and-forth

Jack continued, “I think that’s a really important staple [of rom-coms]: having a good back-and-forth with your scene partner. Not that I took everything from that, but that’s a good jumping-off point when I started the process. It’s just a classic. Even if [my mom] wasn’t in it, I would love it.”

Slasher sequels

Since playing the leading man in Plus One, though, Jack has given romantic comedies a wide berth. He’ll next be seen playing Richie Kirsch in the fifth chapter of the slasher franchise Scream. And then in 2023 you’ll be able to hear him as the voice of none other than Clark Kent!

Voice of Superman

Yes, Jack has been cast as the voice of the titular superhero in HBO Max animation My Adventures with Superman. And it’s fair to say he’s looking forward to the role, tweeting, “Here’s a fun sentence I never thought I’d say: I’m Superman. So excited to be a part of this awesome show!!!” On this occasion, it’s unlikely he’ll need to watch one of his mom’s movies for research — not that there have been many of them lately. Fans have noticed Meg has somewhat disappeared from Hollywood in recent years. And it seems to have all started with a big scandal in her love life.

Uncomfortable with the fame

But even before that, when Ryan and Quaid first became a couple, there were signs that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable with how famous she had become. Ryan recounted to The Sun that she had “mixed feelings” about her time in the spotlight. “It means that you live out your worst moments in the public eye,” she confessed. Alarmingly, and somewhat naive perhaps given her many years in Hollywood, Ryan started to raise this point repeatedly.

She had it all

So, soon after making their second on-screen appearance together, Ryan and Quaid became a couple in real life. And just three years later, the lovebirds tied the knot on of all days, Valentine’s. With their relationship official, the pair became parents to son Jack in 1992. Therefore, you could say that both professionally and personally, Ryan seemingly had it all.

Something still wasn’t quite right

During a now infamous 2003 interview on British chat show Parkinson, Ryan expanded on her mixed feelings about fame. “It always feels very awkward for me to be in front of an audience or in the spotlight,” she explained. “It’s not something that comes easily or fits naturally.”

Quaid’s perspective

Moreover, Quaid himself revealed in 2018 that he too had felt the effect of his ex-wife’s public adoration. “We met and I was the big deal,” the actor told NBC’s Megyn Kelly. “Then we’d be out in the streets of New York and [people would] be like, ‘Meg, Meg!’ And I have to admit I kind of did feel like I disappeared.” But ultimately, Ryan herself would be the one finding herself disappearing.

Trouble in paradise

Yes, because in 2000, the star became the subject of one of Hollywood’s most notorious falls from grace. For she started an affair with her Proof of Life co-star Russell Crowe. And when news of the tryst became public, the tabloids reacted like sharks to blood. Soon Ryan’s reputation became the target of every gossip column.

Broken marriage

Of course, such actions have consequences. In the wake of the affair, Ryan and Quaid separated and many of the actress’ former fans took her ex-husband’s side. Nevertheless, the actress maintained that her actions were not the reason for their split. “My marriage was broken,” Ryan stated to W magazine that year. “Nobody else broke it up.”

“Dennis was not faithful”

Furthermore, their relationship – as Ryan continued – had already run its course. “It dissolved before it became sport for the press,” she added. “The public and press tuned in way after.” In a later interview with InStyle, the star even argued she wasn’t the only philanderer. “Dennis was not faithful to me for a very long time,” she claimed in 2008.

The Scarlet Woman

Despite her attempts at damage control, Ryan could do little to stop the public backlash. In no time at all, the star went from America’s sweetheart to its dirty secret. In fact, she likened the ordeal to the one experienced by classic literature character Hester Prynne. “So this is what it feels like to be the Scarlet Woman,” Ryan lamented.

Bad girl Ryan

More than anything, both fans and tabloids began to see Ryan as a villain. And this only increased her disillusion with the nature of celebrity. “I think that when things get played out that simply in black and white, it makes people feel good,” the star explained to Insight magazine. “The tabloid culture can’t tell a complicated story.”

A freeing experience

Yet becoming a pariah in the public eye did have some benefits. Indeed, Ryan’s experience of being the press’ punching bag actually made her feel free to be herself. “I didn’t have to care about what people thought,” she revealed. “I could... be totally under the radar and live my life.”

Career benefits

Moreover, the knock to Ryan’s public image also allowed the actress to break free from her typical romantic comedy lead roles. After experimenting with Proof of Life, Ryan made a huge career turn with 2003’s In the Cut. And besides testing her dramatic chops, the erotic thriller also required the star to engage in much racier scenes.

Fans still didn’t approve

Though the project seemed like an exciting career move, Ryan discovered that her gambit wasn’t paying off. Despite being helmed by respected director Jane Campion, In the Cut was released to scathing reviews. “Campion… may want audiences to think [she’s] created a groundbreaking, grisly woman’s picture,” wrote The Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday. “Don’t believe it.”

Cold and defensive

Meanwhile, Ryan didn’t do herself many favors during a press tour that appeared destined for disaster. In particular, her appearance on Parkinson left many fans shocked due to her seemingly cold and defensive demeanor. Years later, veteran host Michael Parkinson himself would call their chat his second worst interview experience ever.

She was offended

Although many criticized her for exhibiting bratty behavior, Ryan defended herself claiming the host’s prying questions “offended” her. “I don’t know what he is to [the British], but he’s a nut,” she vented to Marie Claire in 2006. “I felt like he was berating me for being naked in the movie (In the Cut).”

Making more headlines

With its pitiful gross of just $23 million, In the Cut was deemed a dud. And Ryan’s career took another blow just one year later when her follow-up effort Against the Ropes saw a similar commercial defeat. To make matters worse, tabloids began again featuring her on their front pages – this time with rumors concerning cosmetic surgery.

Enough was enough

Following this period of exhausting press attention and critical failures, Ryan decided that enough was enough. Taking a much-needed hiatus from celebrity, the actress devoted her life to being a mother to her newly adopted daughter, Daisy. Moreover, she spent time in India as a representative of the charity CARE.

Making a comeback — sort of

Since Ryan’s departure from the spotlight in 2006, she has made intermittent steps back into the world of showbiz. Indeed, she has had roles in films and TV shows like The Deal and the unaired How I Met Your Dad. But some of these projects – particularly 2008’s The Women – were received poorly by fans and critics alike.

Love life

Nevertheless, these critical setbacks don’t seem to be bothering Ryan too much. Now residing in New York, the star has given up Hollywood for a much quieter life with her daughter. Since moving away from the spotlight, Ryan’s also enjoyed a steady relationship with John Mellencamp whom she began courting in 2011.

Happy as she is

Nearly a decade after first getting together, Ryan and Mellencamp became engaged. However, for the time being she seems content with the way things are. “I am happy,” the actress admitted to InStyle in 2019. “Yes, I’m going to get married at some point. But for now this engagement thing is a state of grace.”

Behind the camera

After stepping away from stardom, Ryan has found herself able to take a few more risks with her career. For instance, the actress released her directorial debut Ithaca in 2016 – a move that helped the actress fall back in love with movies. As she explained to Vanity Fair upon its release, “Even if the movie stinks, you just feel like, ‘Wow. I actually did that’.”

Reuniting with Hanks

In addition, shooting Ithaca allowed Ryan to team up with her old friend Hanks once again. “He’s just so easy,” the filmmaker gushed to Today in 2018. “[He] doesn’t like to be there for the drama. I feel the same way. We’re just really there to have fun, this is supposed to be a creative experience and there’s no reason to get heavy.”

Friends was her back

While Ryan is content with being out of the spotlight, there remain those longing for her return. In particular, Friends actress Jennifer Aniston bemoaned the star’s disappearance from Hollywood in a 2019 chat with Variety. “I think we would so love to have the era of Meg Ryan come back,” she said.

“I am a terrible celebrity”

Nevertheless, there’s at least one star who’d beg to differ. “I am a terrible celebrity,” Ryan explained to Vanity Fair. “If I started my career today, I wouldn’t have a chance.” And while the comment may do Ryan a disservice, we’re grateful that she’s sticking around in one form or another.