Grab a pastrami sandwich and see if you know some of these fascinating behind-the-scenes facts about this classic feel-good movie.
Real life dramatically changed the original ending
DirectorRob Reiner, known for classics likeThe Princess Bride, had just gotten divorced from filmmakerPenny Marshall. WithWhen Harry Met Sally, he wanted to explore his cynicism about love. So, the original ending wound up with the title characters not getting together.
Then, during production, a crew member introduced Reiner to photographer (and future wife)Michele Singer. He fell in love so hard that he changed the ending, having Harry and Sally stay together after all. Reiner andBilly Crystalwrote new dialogue for the final scene to make it make sense.
Actual royalty attended the film’s premiere
In 1989, the film premiered in London with a special guest in the audience:Princess Diana. Even with the film’s raunchiness, Lady Di had a blast, telling Crystal,“I’d be laughing a lot more, except I know everybody’s looking at me.”
Crystal actually joked with the famous member of the Royal Family. When the Princess said she was going to take her shoes off for the screening, Crystal said he was going to take off his pants! Princess Di even asked Reiner for a VHS copy to watch with her friends.
The film’s writer nearly toppled Newsweek
In 1962, recent college grad and aspiring writerNora Ephronapplied toNewsweek. But they only offered her a job as a mail girl, because they refused to hire female writers. For Ephron, that injustice simply could not stand.
Alongside many other femaleNewsweekworkers, Ephron joined a class-action lawsuit against the magazine. They sued for discrimination based on gender, arguing that women can and should be allowed to write. The incredible case was adapted into an Amazon TV show,Good Girls Revolt.
This was just the beginning for Nora Ephron
After the success ofWhen Harry Met Sally, Ephron wanted more. And she wound up directing her own material, making other romcom classics likeSleepless In SeattleandYou’ve Got Mail. Clearly, Ephron andMeg Ryanare the dynamic duo we need but don’t deserve.
Anyone who worked with Ephron loved her. Ryan recalled the first time she readWhen Harry Met Sally: “I remember reading the script in like 40 minutes. It’s a fast, funny, hilarious read and there’s a type of music to it.” Sadly, Ephron died in 2012 at age 71.
Harry and Sally were almost played by different people
It’s hard to imagine Harry and Sally being played by anyone but Crystal and Ryan. But the studio’s first choices for Harry includedAlbert Brooks,Tom Hanks, andMichael Keaton. Keaton was busy that year with another little movie calledBatman.
For Sally, Reiner and the studio looked at a wide variety of actresses, includingL.A. LawstarSusan Dey,Elizabeth Perkins,Once Upon a Time in America’sElizabeth McGovern, and Brat Pack sensationMolly Ringwald. But you know what? If it ain’t Ryan, we’re dyin’.
Sesame Street produced a parody version
When Harry Met Sallyis an R-rated comedy about romance, sex, and adults having conversations on nice furniture. In other words, the perfect subject matter for a parody fromSesame Street! Their segment, “When Cookie Met Sally,” is maybe even more charming than the film itself.
Cookie Monster loves cookies too much. Sally (an incredible Muppet likeness of Ryan) only eats cookies in moderation. Will these two ever get along? The answer is, “of course, and Cookie Monster learns a valuable lesson.” Maybe Crystal and Oscar The Grouch can play BFFs in a sequel.
Your favorite moments were straight up copied from Reiner and Ephron’s life
It’s simple: Rob Reiner is Harry and Nora Ephron is Sally. Thus, the screenplay was written by just typing out real life. Remember Sally’s hard-to-follow, “high maintenance” orders? That’s precisely how Ephron orders food. She just wants it the way she wants it!
To get in the mindset of the pessimistic Harry, Ephron interviewed Reiner about his disastrous love life. As he toldThe AV Club, “She was like a reporter, and I told her all these stories of different things that I had been through. And she wrote this stuff down.”
The interview stories came from real people
Remember the adorable stories couples tell about how they met? Those are all real. Ephron broke up writing sessions by interviewing real members of the production company about how they met their spouses. She and Reiner knew they would make perfect mini-scenes.
So, they went to work polishing and rewriting those stories. Then, they hired actors to play just the out-and-out cutest couples you’ve ever seen. Forget an anniversary gift – seeing your darling stories on the silver screen must’ve been more than enough joy for a lifetime.
Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner were real life best friends
Apart but together, Harry and Sally spend lots of time calling each other on the phone and watching TV. This, like many details, was inspired by Crystal and Reiner’s actual friendship. The two pals would do this in real life, which is actually the cutest thing ever.
Crystal said it was easy to get into character for Harry – he was already witnessing Reiner’s divorce firsthand. But that wasn’t the only off-screen friendship that affected production. Awkwardly,Carrie Fisher, who plays Sally’s best friend Marie, was best friends with Reiner’s recent ex-wife Marshall.
Nobody liked the title
So they have a great script and they’re ready to start filming. Just one question: What are they gonna call it? Ephron’s original title wasHow They Met. She also triedBoy Meets Girl,Just Friends,Words of Love, andHarry, This Is Sally.
Reiner went so far as to hold title-naming contests while shooting. The prize for picking the winning title? A full case of champagne. Ultimately, they decided onWhen Harry Met Sally…, with the “dot dot dot” suggesting there’s more to the story than you think.
