Dennis Quaid Opens Up About Break-Up With Meg Ryan

Dennis Quaid Watch What Happens Live! With Andy Cohen

Dennis Quaid is returning to prominence right now, booking a steady stream of roles reuniting him with the limelight. But he's using this opportunity to also look back to the past, as he recounts his relationship with Meg Ryan and its ultimate demise. The actors met on the set of the 1988 movie D.O.A., and they were later married in 1991. Their marriage only lasted nine years, however, as they were eventually divorced in 2000 -- although they do share a child together, The Hunger Games' actor Jack Quaid (26). In a recent interview, Dennis Quaid elaborates on what happened during their break-up.

When we met I was the big deal. We'd go out on the streets of New York and it would be like, 'Meg! Meg!' And I have to admit it, I actually did feel like I disappeared. I didn't think I was that small, but I was. It was a growth opportunity -- I learned from that.

We're glad this ego check afforded Dennis Quaid an opportunity to learn. The discussion came up when the actor appeared on Megyn Kelly Today on Monday (via People). The conversation also brought up several of Dennis Quaid's former co-stars, including Meryl Streep ("jokester"), Andie MacDowell ("a beautiful, beautiful soul"), Lindsay Lohan ("one of the most talented people I ever met.") He also discussed the late Natasha Richardson, calling her "a worker, no ego; none of that crap other actors pull" and touching on her sudden death after a skiing accident in 2009 -- a tragedy that ultimately still weighs heavily on the veteran actor. But it was Meg Ryan who became the focal point of this discussion, and Dennis Quaid claims his time with Ryan was his most successful relationship to date. Ultimately, Quaid's sense of self and ego seems to have resulted in their separation.

You can hear Dennis Quaid's reflections on Meg Ryan, as both a co-star and romantic partner, in the clip below, courtesy of Megyn Kelly Today.

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Dennis Quaid was last seen in this spring's religious drama I Can Only Imagine. The Parent Trap actor will next be seen in the sci-fi action film Kin, which also stars Jack Reynor, Zoe Kravitz and James Franco, which arrives in theaters on August 31st. Quaid will also soon be seen in The Intruder and Franco's The Pretenders, which are both expected to premiere later this year. He is also at the forefront of Fortitude, the Amazon Prime original series which will air its third and reportedly final four-episode season sometime this year.

The actor is also gearing up for one of his biggest roles to date: Ronald Reagan. Dennis Quaid shoots the upcoming biopic Reagan in the winter, which is expected to make its way into awards season next year. If that's the case, then Dennis Quaid will certainly be on top again. Meanwhile, we'll keep you posted on Dennis Quaid here at CinemaBlend.

Will Ashton

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.