Imagine this: The stars and director of the beloved film When Harry Met Sally gathered together to celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary at the prestigious TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles. It was like stepping back in time, where no years had passed between them. The camaraderie and connection were as vibrant as ever.

As Rob Reiner reminisces, "We reconnected exactly the way we did when we were making the movie. The rhythms were all there — it was magical." That chemistry was apparent right from the start when Meg Ryan, 57 at the time, walked into the room to audition with Billy Crystal, 71, for the part of his platonic friend-turned-love interest. "You always look for chemistry, and it was right there from the beginning," the director recalls fondly. "They started reading, and within the first 10 seconds, I knew this was it!"

From Supporting Roles to Leading Lady

For Meg Ryan, landing the lead role in When Harry Met Sally was nothing short of a career-defining moment. Up until then, she'd played supporting roles in films like Top Gun. "They took an enormous chance with me," she admits humbly. "It was the kind of music Billy, Rob, and I knew how to play together." Meg's performance in the film not only cemented her status as a leading lady but also showcased her ability to bring depth and charm to her characters.

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The Heart of the Movie: A Question Inspired by Real Life

The central question of the film — can a man and woman truly be friends without sex getting in the way? — was inspired by Rob Reiner's own life experiences. Having gone through a divorce from his first wife, the late Penny Marshall, nearly a decade before the film was made, Rob found himself in a series of disastrous relationships. "I was making a mess of my dating life, and I thought, 'There’s got to be a movie in here somewhere,'" he recalls. Enter Nora Ephron, the brilliant mind behind the film's Oscar-nominated screenplay.

"She was a journalist, and she started interviewing me," Rob explains. "Then I interviewed her, and Harry became an extension of me, and Sally became an extension of her. And we lucked out like crazy with [Billy and Meg]." Over the course of two weeks of rehearsals, the script evolved, shaped by the collaborative efforts of everyone involved.

A Scene That Took Forever (and a Bird)

"We all sat in Rob’s office for hours and hours just talking about it," Meg Ryan shares. Billy Crystal adds, "You had Nora and Meg and [co-star] Carrie Fisher throwing everything in together, and that’s why I think it’s such a powerful screenplay." The collaborative spirit continued onto the set, where some scenes required immense patience and creativity. One such scene involved Meg and Carrie Fisher having a phone conversation at the same time Billy was on a call with his best friend, played by Bruno Kirby. This complex scene seemed to take forever to get right.