Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan’s chemistry in When Harry Met Sally was undeniable, so it’s hard to imagine anyone else portraying the iconic characters.
In People‘s latest cover-story interview, Crystal spoke candidly about the audition process, not being a top choice for the role, and working with his longtime friend and the film’s director, the late Rob Reiner. Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead from apparent stab wounds in their Brentwood, California, home last December. Their son Nick was arrested and charged with the murders.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 28: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Actor Billy Crystal (L) and honoree Rob Reiner attend the 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala dinner at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on April 28, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/WireImage)The 78-year-old actor and comedian revealed that Reiner had a few other people in mind to play the titular character, Harry Burns, in the Nora Ephron-written rom-com. Crystal said he found that truth “difficult” to deal with. Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton, and Albert Brooks were initially the top contenders for the role.
“I said, ‘Listen, when he wants me, if he wants me, then he wants me,'” Crystal told People. “But I know he’s seeing other people, which he should do.”
But “one day the call came,” says Crystal, and it was Reiner on the line. “He was almost upset,” telling the actor, “I always knew it was you, but you have to see them. You have to see these [others] because you never…”
Billy Crystal at The 79th Annual Tony Awards held at Radio City Music Hall on June 07, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/WWD via Getty Images)“I said, ‘Of course.’ So he said, ‘Please read it.’ And I said, ‘Someone snuck it to me. So I read it. Guess what? I don’t like it.’ And then we laughed, laughed, laughed,” he recalls.
Crystal told Reiner that he had a lot of ideas for Harry, which made them both excited. Reiner was immediately ready to get to work, so they started collaborating shortly after to prepare for filming.
Crystal added that the character of Harry was essentially Rob, so it made it easy to come up with ideas for him.
American actors Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal pose for a portrait in Los Angeles, California, circa 1989. Ryan and Crystal starred in the 1989 comedy/drama film When Harry Met Sally. (Photo by Bonnie Schiffman/Getty Images)Crystal admitted the “difficult part” for him was telling Reiner, “You have to get out of the way so I can then step in and be this guy. Let me invent the way I’m feeling him.”
According to the actor, many memorable scenes from the classic film emerged from one-on-one conversations the friends had, and they’d continue to just bounce concepts off of each other.
Learning that When Harry Met Sally was created from the same foundation the plot is based on — love and friendship — makes the movie even more special!
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