In a series of films that have almost made people forget how much she resembles Melanie Griffith, actress Meg Ryan has just about cornered the market on cuteness.
Blond and blue-eyed, with a nose that turns to a point just short of haughty, the 28-year-old who gave new meaning to deli sandwiches in "When Harry Met Sally" currently is providing a trio of performances in "Joe Versus the Volcano," a romantic comedy co-starring Tom Hanks."I feel like I'm really starting to understand what acting is all about," Ryan said during a recent interview. "I feel very strongly that you don't have to be a weird actress to be a good one."
Ryan did not start out to be a thespian. Born in Fairfield, Conn., she originally decided on a journalism career at New York University, with acting just a sideline. Movie buffs may even recognize her playing Candice Bergen's daughter in the 1981 movie "Rich and Famous."
Directors have found the actress versatile enough to cast her as everything from a dramatic supporting role (as the widow of Tom Cruise's best friend in "Top Gun") to light romantic leads in "Armed and Dangerous," "Innerspace" and "D.O.A."
Oliver Stone has cast her as Jim Morrison's girlfriend, Pamela, in a yet-to-be filmed biography of The Doors' lead singer.
When writer-director John Patrick Shanley wrote the script for "Joe," he realized he might need one actress to play all three female leads since the characters were, bascially, aspects of a single personality. DeDe was a mousy secretary with a rich fantasy life. Angelica was a suicidal neurotic. And Patricia was full of spunk and ready for adventure.
"Meg's manager called and said she'd like to read for the part. Meg did," Shanley said, "and she just took no prisoners. I just looked at her and said, `God is good.' "
Tom Hanks, who admits to having "a huge movie crush on her," welcomed Ryan aboard. Ryan was surprised that he "matched up to my expectations so much."
"It was hard. I had to do a lot of thinking to arrive at simple things," she said of the trio of roles. "I went from infancy to adolescence to adulthood. All three women were developed by levels of their fear."
Although she has the perky good looks of a perpetual adolescent, Ryan can act with style. As the lead in Rob Reiner's "When Harry Met Sally," she demonstrated an ability to balance comic nuance with the drama that was called for in Nora Ephron's screenplay. There are many who feel she deserved an Oscar nomination for her effort.
"Oh, thank you," she said, a bit flustered by the compliment. "But I have so many non-expectations in that way."
She says this with a wave of her hands and a wrinkled-up smile that serves her well in the goofy comedy that seems to be her specialty.
Ryan has formed her own production company which has given her several films in development at Paramount Pictures. But sometimes she's still surprised by what her chosen profession demands.
"Every now and then it dawns on you how much you're giving away when you're acting," she said. "Like when you cry. That's really giving away part of yourself."