Tom Hanks Revealed the Surprising Reason Why His On-Screen Chemistry With Meg Ryan Is So Magical

Kristyn Burtt
·2 min read
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If you’re a fan of You’ve Got Mail, then be prepared to embrace the shocking news that the movie is celebrating its 25th anniversary this holiday season. In 1998, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan set the bar high yet again with this classic rom-com. It’s about a business rivalry between an owner of an independent bookstore and the entrepreneur who built a chain of book megastores in the neighborhood — and a mysterious online romance they are both partaking in.

Whatever the plot line is — whether it’s Sleepless in Seattle, Ithaca, Joe Versus the Volcano or You’ve Got Mail — the dynamic duo’s chemistry is real. However, Entertainment Tonight dug up archival footage from their 1998 press tour, and it’s surprising to hear what fuels their magic. According to Hanks, “It’s just a natural thing.”

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YOU'VE GOT MAIL, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, 1998.
YOU’VE GOT MAIL, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, 1998. .

That sounds like a very simple answer, but the Oscar-winning actor dove a bit deeper into why they work together so well. “I must say, Meg and I are not real close pals,” he shockingly remarked. “We see each other every now and again. It’s like, we don’t hang out for coffee.” Don’t get too stressed out, they certainly don’t hate each other, but they definitely aren’t besties.

“But when we pick up, we just pick up where we left off and it’s an effortless thing that I don’t think either one of us examines it too much because if we did, it’d be a problem. We don’t plan. We just do it,” Hanks added. It’s wild to think that two people who created such an effortless relationship on-screen, really don’t have much in common off-screen. While some people will say they are actors just doing their jobs, not everyone has chemistry like Hanks and Ryan.

So the next time you watch You’ve Got Mail, it might be through a new lens of appreciation. Hanks and Ryan may not be in each other’s personal orbits, but when they find their way together in front of the camera, something special really happens.

Before you go, click here to see our favorite rom-coms where the main couple isn’t white.

'Crazy Rich Asians' 10 Rom-Coms Where the Main Couple Isn’t White
'Crazy Rich Asians' 10 Rom-Coms Where the Main Couple Isn’t White

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