THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'When Harry Met Sally' (2024)

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Billy Crystal, then 41, played Harry Burns, a cynical yet witty political analyst.

In "When Harry Met Sally," the protagonists meet for the first time when Sally drives Harry from Chicago to New York after they graduate college. At the beginning of the movie, Harry is very opinionated and negative about love and relationships. However, throughout the film, he becomes increasingly sentimental and romantic as his friendship with Sally grows into something more.

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Crystal had already made a name for himself on "Saturday Night Live" and in "The Princess Bride" before he starred as Harry.

After "When Harry Met Sally," Crystal landed leading roles in films like "Forget Paris," "Analyze This," and "City Slickers." He also famously voiced Mike Wazowski in Pixar's "Monsters Inc." and "Monsters University."

He's been nominated for numerous awards for his film, TV, and theater work — his wins include six Emmys from 21 nominations — and he has hosted the Academy Awards nine times, most recently in 2012. This year, he was also honored with the Critics Choice Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

Crystal, now 74, has been married to his wife, Janice Crystal, since 1970. They share two daughters, Jennifer Crystal Foley and Lindsay Crystal.

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Meg Ryan, then 27, played Sally Albright, a hopeless romantic who forms a close friendship with Harry.

Sally comes to value his opinions and his friendship, although she sees him as arrogant and negative at the start of the movie. Sally has relationships throughout the movie, but none of them last. After sleeping together almost ruins their friendship, Harry confesses at a New Year's Eve party that he is in love with Sally and wants to spend the rest of his life with her.

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Ryan went on to become a mainstay romantic-comedy lead, and she now also directs.

After earning a Golden Globe nomination for her role in "When Harry Met Sally," Ryan, now 61, went on to star in classic romantic comedies like "Sleepless in Seattle," "When a Man Loves a Woman," and "You've Got Mail."

Ryan has no acting credits as of 2015, but in May she shared the news on Instagram that she'd be directing and starring in a romantic comedy, "What Happens Later," alongside "The X-Files'" David Duchovny. It's her second time directing, following 2015's "Ithaca."

In 1991, she married Dennis Quaid, but the pair split in 2001. They share one child, Jack Quaid. Ryan also has another child, Daisy True Ryan, whom she adopted from China in 2006.

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Bruno Kirby, then 39, played Jess, Harry's goofy and lovable best friend.

At first, he is skeptical of how Harry and Sally's friendship could possibly work. When Harry attempts to set him and Sally up on a blind date, Jess assumes that because Harry doesn't want to be with her and she has a "great personality," she must be unattractive. On the date, which Harry also goes on with Sally's friend Marie, Jess ends up connecting more with Marie and they start dating.

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Kirby starred alongside Billy Crystal in "City Slickers" and also appeared in "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "The Godfather Part II" before his death in 2006.

Kirby acted right up until his death. His acting credits included roles in "Entourage" and "The Larry Sanders Show." He also voiced Reginald Stout in "Stuart Little."

Kirby died on August 14, 2006, at the age of 57. The cause of death was complications related to leukemia, his wife Lynn Sellers, whom he married in 2003, said in a statement, The New York Times reported.

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Carrie Fisher played Sally's best friend, Marie, who is involved with a married man until she falls in love with Harry's best friend, Jess.

Marie is quick-witted and levelheaded, except when it comes to her own love life and relationships. She is supportive of Harry and Sally being together, especially after she falls for and marries Jess.

Fisher was 31 when she played Marie.

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Carrie Fisher was a Hollywood icon known for her role as Princess Leia in "Star Wars" long before she starred in "When Harry Met Sally."

In her feature-film debut, Fisher had a small but memorable role as a rebellious teenager in the Warren Beatty movie "Shampoo" in 1975. She landed "Star Wars" two years later, when she was just 19 years old.

She went on to play the iconic role of Princess Leia multiple times: in "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, "Return of the Jedi" in 1983, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015, and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which she filmed before her death in 2016, although it was released the following year. Unused footage of Fisher from 2015 was then used in 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

Fisher continued acting up until her death on December 27, 2016. She was 60 when she died of a heart attack.

Fisher was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds, who died of a stroke one day after her daughter passed away. Carrie Fisher had one child, Billie Lourd, whom she shared with Bryan Lourd. They were in a relationship from 1991 to 1994 until Lourd came out as gay.

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Steven Ford played Joe, Sally's ex-boyfriend who doesn't marry her but then marries someone else.

Joe is Sally's most dominant romantic relationship throughout the movie. Long after they've broken up, he calls to tell her that he is getting married, something he expressed no desire in doing with her. Sally breaks down in tears and ends up sleeping with Harry.

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Ford, the son of former US president Gerald Ford and former first lady Betty Ford, went on to have small roles in movies and TV shows.

Ford, now 66, has a number of acting and directing credits to his name. He appeared in "Starship Troopers," "Black Hawk Down," and 2007's "Transformers," which was his last acting credit, according to IMDb.

He is currently on the board of trustees for the Gerald R. Ford Foundation.

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Harley Jane Kozak played Helen, Harry's ex-wife who cheated on him.

Harry and Sally bump into Helen and Ira, the man she cheated on Harry with, while they're shopping for a housewarming gift for Jess and Marie.

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Harley Jane Kozak has continued to act — most recently in "The Righteous Gemstones" — but she's also an author.

Kozak, 65, went on to have movie roles in "Arachnophobia" and "Parenthood." Her most recent acting credit is her 2022 role as BJ's mother in the HBO original series "The Righteous Gemstones."

She has written five novels and has contributed to multiple anthologies.

Kozak shares three children with her ex-husband, Gregory Aldisert.