She liked what she was having.
Meg Ryan honored former co-star Billy Crystal Sunday during the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors — by roasting him over their infamous “When Harry Met Sally . . . ” orgasm scene.
“The scene came really natural to me, and I really have Billy to thank for that,” Ryan, 62, told the crowd in the Washington, DC, performing arts venue, per the Daily Mail. “I’ve never been around anyone who made faking an orgasm easier.”
In the 1989 romantic comedy, Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) are having lunch in New York City’s Katz’s Delicatessen when Harry claims a woman has never faked an orgasm with him.
Sally then begins moaning and panting, drawing the attention of several restaurant patrons before fake climaxing.
Left in disbelief, restaurant-goers attempt to return to their meals, while one woman takes the opportunity to order her meal. When asked by a server what she wanted, the woman — who is reportedly played by director Rob Reiner’s mother, Estelle — famously tells the server: “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Meg Ryan honored her former co-star Billy Crystal Sunday during the the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors by shedding some light on her famous fake orgasm scene in the 1989 romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally.” Taylor Hill/WireImageAccording to the “Sleepless in Seattle” star, acting with Crystal, 75, was “effortless.”
“The characters just came alive,” Ryan continued in her speech Sunday night. “And just meeting him. I don’t know. How could you not love Billy Crystal?”
Ryan’s iconic scene comes midway through the film when former friends Harry (Billy Crystal, right) and Sally (Ryan, left) are having lunch in New York City’s Katz’s Delicatessen and Harry claims he was always able to tell when a woman was faking an orgasm. ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Eve“Of course, Harry is a very broad character: noxious, insensitive and terrified of commitment,” Ryan commented. “But if you take out all of Harry’s flaws, what you have underneath is pure Billy. And what he brings to all of his characters is heart.”
“Harry is his heart because Billy listens to his, and as his wife, Janice, has known for over 50 years — falling in love with Billy is a pretty easy thing to do,” the “Top Gun” actress concluded.
Other recipients of the prestigious award on Sunday included opera singer Renée Fleming, actress-singer Queen Latifah, Bee Gees singer-songwriter Barry Gibb and singer-actress Dionne Warwick.
In a scene from “When Harry Met Sally . . . ,” Meg Ryan’s character begins moaning and panting, drawing the attention of several restaurant patrons before fake climaxing.
In a bizarre twist, the role of Harry might have been forever changed after it was revealed that acting legend Tom Hanks was also considered for the role.
“People probably don’t know this, but Tom was offered ‘When Harry Met Sally . . .,’ and he turned it down because he was going through a divorce, and he was very happy to be not married,” Rita Wilson, who is currently married to Hanks, told the iHeart Podcast “Table for Two With Bruce Bozzi” in June.
“And so he could not understand that a person going through a divorce would have anything other than just like, ‘I’m so happy.’ But I loved that script,” Wilson, 67, continued.
Aside from Hanks, 67, and Crystal, Reiner also sought to cast Albert Brooks, Richard Dreyfuss and Michael Keaton before eventually settling on the comedian.
Over the years, Hanks and Ryan have still managed to share the silver screen together, including in 1993’s “Sleepless in Seattle” and 1998’s “You’ve Got Mail.”
The 46th “Kennedy Center Honors” will air Dec. 27 at 9 pm on CBS.
