Meg Ryan and Jack Quaid made a rare public appearance together on September 19, attending the opening-night gala for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. The mother and son posed for photographers at the celebrity-filled event, something they apparently prefer to do about once per decade.
Ryan, 64, wore a black jacquard midi dress with ruffled trim, giving the standard little black dress a more textured update. She kept the accessories restrained, adding black sunglasses and a silver cuff bracelet.
Quaid, 34, chose a dark gray suit over a white shirt, finished with a black printed tie. The The Boys actor also wore his wedding band. He married his costar Claudia Doumit in April.
When did they last appear together?
The museum gala marked Ryan and Quaid’s first public outing as a pair in nearly nine years. Their previous joint appearance came in December 2017, when they attended a New York Knicks game.
Ryan shares Jack with her former husband, actor Dennis Quaid. She is also the mother of daughter Daisy, 21.
For several years, the You’ve Got Mail and City of Angels star maintained a relatively low public profile. She returned to Hollywood in 2023 with What Happens Later, directing the romantic comedy and starring opposite David Duchovny.
Her time away from the spotlight did not stop her from publicly supporting her son’s acting career, particularly when discussion turned to the increasingly unavoidable subject of famous parents and professional advantages.
What has Meg Ryan said about Jack Quaid’s career?
Ryan defended Quaid against the “nepo baby” label in a 2023 interview with Glamour, arguing that the term reduced his career to his family background while overlooking his ability and effort.
“Jack is really talented. He’s more of a natural than I’ll ever be,” she said. “That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege.”
Quaid later responded with a fairly straightforward explanation: his mother was acting like his mother.
“My first thought was like, she’s being a mom,” he told the Daily Beast in 2024. “She’s being a loving mom.”
The actor has built a career that includes The Boys, while Ryan remains closely associated with romantic comedies including When Harry Met Sally... and You’ve Got Mail. Their appearance at the Los Angeles gala offered a brief family reunion in public, without requiring either of them to turn it into a regular arrangement.
