Meg Ryan talks acting ‘break’ ahead of first film in 8 years

Meg Ryan is ready to light the fire of her acting passion once again.

The 61-year-old rom-com queen is starring — as well as writing and directing — her first film in eight years titled “What Happens Later.”

As to why she decided to step away from the spotlight after a string of successful and memorable flicks such as “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail,” she just was tired of the fame.

“I took a giant break because I felt like there’s just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop,” the mother of two told People in a new profile.

The “When Harry Met Sally” alum added: “It’s nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me.”

Her son, Jack, 31, who she shares with ex-husband Dennis Quaid, and daughter Daisy, 18, whom she adopted in 2006, were also the reason why she wanted to take a break.

“What Happens Later” is Ryan’s newest romantic comedy to add to her resumé, and also stars David Duchovny.

The idea came to Ryan during the COVID-19 lockdown, explaining: “The essence of it is these two people who are stuck together. I just love that idea that we’re held in a space, even if it feels conflicted, maybe for reasons that heal them.” 

“t’s a little roller-coaster ride between these two people, and it asks the question in a way: Will they or won’t they end up together? These are people who broke one another’s hearts way back when. And I think what they gained is that they have gratitude for that,” she stated.

The film will hit theaters on Nov. 3.

Last month, the star told Carol Burnett for Interview magazine that she was “proud” of returning to her rom-com roots.

“Truly, the easiest part was acting in it. I want to direct again just so I can sit in the chair, because I’m sure there’s a lot of things I missed,” Ryan said.

She pointed out: “I hadn’t done a role in a really long time, but it was fun with David. A lot of it was done in two shots. I’m proud of that.” The film was shot in Arkansas over a period of three weeks.

She told Burnett, 90, that she and the “X-Files” star, 63, had “only met a couple of times, maybe 20 years ago” before they appeared in “What Happens Later” together.

“I set up everything beforehand so that once we were there, it was just David and I trying to tell the truth,” Ryan added.