Who is Meg Ryan’s daughter Daisy Ryan? All we know amid rare public appearance

Nearly two decades ago, Meg Ryan expanded her family in a deeply personal way. She adopted a girl child in 2006 from China. The actress raised her daughter between Los Angeles and New York, striking a balance between city life and family privacy. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2008, Meg opened up about the thoughtfulness behind her decision to adopt Daisy.

“I always thought I’d do it, it’s such a deliberate act, this adoption, as opposed to getting pregnant sometimes. You have to be very, very awake,” she shared.

While Daisy Ryan stayed away from public life, her brother Jack Quaid, whom Meg shares with actor Dennis Quaid, followed his parents into Hollywood. Jack has built a name for himself with roles in The Hunger Games, Oppenheimer, and most recently, The Boys. After years of keeping a low profile, Meg and Daisy Ryan were recently seen together in London, marking one of their rare outings as mother and daughter.

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Inside Meg Ryan’s quiet bond with daughter Daisy Ryan after rare London sighting

Meg Ryan was spotted out in London with her daughter, Daisy, on October 13, E! News reported. The two were seen walking through Notting Hill, a quiet afternoon stroll that turned into one of their rare public appearances together. Daisy Ryan, now 21, stayed close to her mother as they made their way through the autumn streets.

Meg Ryan, 63, dressed down for the weather, a black puffer jacket layered over dark jeans and a pair of worn-in Salomon sneakers. A crossbody bag and dark shades kept the look simple. The outing was the first time in a year the two had been photographed together. Their last public moment came in New York City last October, when they were seen, apples in hand, during their walk.

Ryan has often spoken about her deep connection to her children. She shares her son, Jack Quaid, with her former husband, Dennis Quaid, and has never hidden her pride in watching both kids grow up differently but close. “They’re just a blast,” she told People in a 2023 interview, calling parenthood a “true joy.”

“It is a joy to me to know both of them, each of them are so different. They are hilarious, they're smart, they're kind, they're interested in other people, they're curious about the world,” she shared.

That sense of gratitude extended to Daisy Ryan's adoption, something Meg said she had felt drawn to for years before it happened. Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2024, she reflected on how the timing fell into place.

“I always thought I’d adopt, and at various points, I was on the brink of it, but it was particular to Daisy, I guess. I don’t know how events conspired to bring us together, but it was perfect,” she shared.

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Meg Ryan gets candid about parenting rules and movie nights with daughter Daisy

Meg Ryan once admitted that she tended to be a bit firm when it came to parenting. Speaking to People, she shared that her daughter, Daisy Ryan, “didn’t have a phone until she was 15.”

“She really is somebody who has a lot of different interests and she’s a great reader,” Meg said, noting proudly that Daisy Ryan “at least, has a memory of the phone not being everything.”

Their close relationship often found them bonding over films. In a 2019 conversation with The New York Times Magazine, Meg revealed that she and Daisy enjoyed long movie marathons together.

“I’m showing my daughter all kinds of romantic comedies, we did a Frank Capra thing over Christmas: It Happened One Night and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” she shared.

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The unplanned stardom of Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan never intended to become one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood. Known for her effortless charm and romantic comedy classics, the actress once admitted that she felt more comfortable out of the spotlight than in it, as per her 2007 interview with Parkinson.

“It always feels very awkward for me to be in front of an audience or in the spotlight. It doesn’t come all that naturally, I’m compelled though and I like it. I like the work a lot,” she shared.

Her career soared in the ’90s, yet Ryan often reminded fans that acting wasn’t the sum of her identity.

“What I had in the ’90s was a ride. It was a kind of moonshot and was really fun, but it’s just one ride out of the billions of things you could be interested in,” she told Glamour.

Ryan’s rise began in an unexpected place: as a journalism major at New York University. Acting was initially just a way to cover tuition. She landed minor roles and eventually secured a recurring part on As the World Turns. It wasn’t long before she realized acting had taken over. She once told The New York Times she “never” had big dreams of becoming an actor, yet the work kept finding her.

“I was paying my way through school by doing commercials and things like that and one just overtook the other, I think sometimes your life seems to choose you a little bit and I feel like that’s what happened.” she said on Parkinson.

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