“When Harry Met Sally ”Director Changed Script to a Happy Ending After Meeting Wife While Making Film

Director Rob Reiner also believes that main characters Harry and Sally are still together

The emotional ending of When Harry Met Sally was originally meant to evoke tears of sadness, not joy.

In a new interview with CNN's Chris Wallace, director Rob Reiner opened up about the ending he originally had planned for the iconic rom-com — and the real-life reason he changed it.

"The original ending of the film that we had was that Harry and Sally didn't get together,” Reiner, 76, said of the 1989 classic.

Related: 'When Harry Met Sally' : Where Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan and the Rest of the Cast Are Now

Instead of the iconic New Year's Eve scene — which is still the blueprint for epic rom-com speeches everywhere — the initial ending saw Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) and Harry Burns’ (Billy Crystal) “will they/won't they” romance ending quite anticlimactically.

"It was going to be the two of them seeing each other after years, talking and then walking away from each other” Reiner revealed.

"Because I had been married for 10 years, I’d been single for 10 years and I couldn't figure out how I was ever going to be with anybody,” he said, “and that gave birth to When Harry Met Sally.”

Related: Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal Remember Her Famous Fake Orgasm Scene From 'When Harry Met Sally'

But everything changed when Reiner crossed paths with his now-wife, Michele Reiner, while directing the Nora Ephron-penned classic.

"I met my wife Michele, who I've been married to now 35 years, I met her while we were making the film, and I changed the ending," he told Wallace.

“So we owe that tear-jerking ending to Michele?” asked Wallace, and Reiner replied, “That’s right.”

And, like he and Singer, Harry and Sally are still living happily ever after, the director shared at a special 30th-anniversary screening of the movie.

“Yes, they are still together,” he said at the 2019 screening, per Variety. “That doesn’t mean they haven’t had tremendous ups and downs or been on the verge of divorce and got back together, just like any relationship. But I do think they’re still together.”

Related: 'Iron Man', 'Little Mermaid', 'Carrie' and 'When Harry Met Sally' Chosen for Preservation in National Film Registry

In the “tear-jerking” ending — the culmination of years of tension and friendship — Harry delivers one of the most memorable monologues in the film, telling Sally, "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

And Crystal, 75, actually came up with some of the dialogue himself, Reiner previously revealed.

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In addition to the New Year’s Eve speech, When Harry Met Sally also gave the world Ryan’s influential “I’ll have what she’s having!” scene and some iconic '80s fashion — including Crystal’s iconic cable-knit sweater.

Last year, the actor and comedian recreated the white sweater and jeans look he wore in the 1989 film for his 75th birthday.

Crystal posted a side by side of himself now with the scene he wore the ensemble for, and wrote, “Thank you all.”

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