“There’s no reason to get heavy.” Here's what was behind Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks' remarkable chemistry during the golden age of rom-coms
Meg Ryan talked about what's behind her phenomenal chemistry with Tom Hanks, with whom she made a perfect screen couple during the golden era of rom-coms.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are one of the most iconic couples from the golden era of romantic comedies. Their unforced chemistry in unforgettable films made them an example of how to perfectly choose actors for romantic roles. You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle, meanwhile, have become must-see items on rom-com lists.
Chemistry like the one between Ryan and Hanks is not something we see often, which has made it a phenomenon of sorts, impressing not only viewers themselves, but also actors. Meg Ryan, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Sleepless in Seattle in 2018, told Today about collaborating with Hanks, with whom she values working so much.
He's just so easy. He listens; he roots for other people. […] [Hanks] doesn't like there to be 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.
Behind the success of their fruitful collaboration and remarkable chemistry, then, is a similar approach to work, during which the actors try to have fun and do not introduce a heavy, demanding atmosphere. The ease they probably feel in each other's company thanks to the fact that they don't create problems between them and do listen to each other, as well as the affection they clearly have for each other, certainly helps them in portraying realistic bonds between their characters, whom the audience is so eager to cheer for.
Ryan praised her rom-com partner, with whom she has appeared in four films so far. Perhaps we'll see them on screen together again someday, since they work so well together.