Meg Ryan Reflects on a BBC Interview Gone Awry

Back in 2003, Meg Ryan, famous for her rom-com roles, faced an uncomfortable BBC interview with Michael Parkinson. She was promoting "The Cut, " a dramatic shift from her usual rom-coms. Parkinson pressed her about appearing nude. The interview grew tense, with Ryan’s responses shortening and Parkinson’s impatience rising. She later recalled, “I thought it was horribly bad. In the US, talk shows have breaks every four minutes, so I kept waiting for that break, thinking I'd walk out. But it never came since it was on the BBC. ” After the show, Ryan avoided contact with Parkinson. Years later, Parkinson expressed regret, admitting neither performed at their best. Ryan, reminiscing about Nora Ephron, whose rom-coms she starred in, remembered Ephron’s wise advice, like choosing round dinner tables for better conversation. Recently, Ryan directed and starred in a rom-com, "What Happens Later, " about a former couple meeting in an empty airport.