LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Meg Ryan gave the performance of her lifetime in 'When Harry Met Sally'. However, it is unclear whether the timeless beauty was fairly compensated for her work. While there have been several great romantic comedies over the decades, the 1989 film will forever be an important part of pop culture.
With a brilliant script by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, 'When Harry Met Sally' took on the ultimate question of whether a man and a woman can actually be just friends. Ryan's character Sally Albright became an iconic figure in the years that followed. However, there has been some debate over whether she was well compensated for the role.
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Meg Ryan as Sally Albright
In the 1989 drama, Ryan's character Sally Albright is a young woman who forges a friendship with Billy Crystal's character Harry Burns. Albright is a relatable and smart character who follows her own heart and doesn't want to do what other people tell her to do. Burns eventually falls in love with her and can't get her out of his head despite their initial decision to stay platonic.
What is Meg Ryan's net worth?
Ryan notably rejected a role in 'Silence of the Lambs'. In hindsight, the gig could have earned her a fortune. However, she has made a lot of money throughout her illustrious acting career. According to CelebrityNetWorth, Ryan has a net worth of $85 million. She made a sizeable part of her fortune starring in a slew of romantic comedies that were released in the '80s and '90s. Ryan's compensation for 'When Harry Met Sally' isn't known, but she accrued an incredible amount of money in her early career. She was paid a whopping $10.5 million for her role as Kathleen Kenny in 'You've Got Mail'. Meanwhile, she was paid $8.5 million for her appearance in 'City of Angels'.
Was Meg Ryan underpaid for 'When Harry Met Sally'?
According to The Things, Ryan's exact compensation for 'When Harry Met Sally' is unavailable and so it is impossible to determine whether she was underpaid for her part. However, she subsequently began raking in high salaries in the mid to late 1990s, so it is possible she wasn't being paid a lot for playing Sally Albright. Furthermore, she might not have been paid as much as she was for 'You've Got Mail' when she had already reached the upper echelons of Hollywood celebrity.
Paycheck trends
It's worth noting that several actors were paid well in the 1990s. Leonardo DiCaprio bagged a whopping $40 million for playing the romantic lead in Titanic in 1997. Bruce Willis made $5 million for Die Hard in 1988. As noted by The Things, actors are often paid less in cash and offered a back-end deal that allows them to share the film's profits after its release. Hanks notably minted $40 million from Saving Private Ryan because he take a salary but made 20% on the back end. Considering, it is possible Ryan also got a back-end deal for 'When Harry Met Sally' and made a ton of money. Of course, we can only speculate at this point.