It’s been 35 years since the release of When Harry Met Sally… (1989), and Billy Crystal, now 76 years old, reflected on the film in an interview with PEOPLE. Not only did he praise his chemistry with co-star Meg Ryan, he also gave a shoutout to the others who helped make the movie a reality.
When Harry Met Sally… is a rom-com staple
When Harry Met Sally… is a classic when it comes to romantic comedies. Released in 1989, it stars Billy Crystal as Harry Burns and Meg Ryan as Sally Albright, two New Yorkers who meet on a road trip from Chicago, Illinois, to New York City. They spend years crossing paths and debating whether men and women can ever truly be “just friends” without romance complicating things.
Nora Ephron’s sharp, witty writing and Rob Reiner’s direction gave us a rom-com filled of memorable scenes and hilarious one-liners, and since its release decades ago, When Harry Met Sally… has only continued to grow in popularity. It was a critical and box office success that was praised for Ephron’s realistic, heartfelt take on relationships and Ryan’s natural charm.
Lots of talent people worked on When Harry Met Sally…
At the time of filming, no one knew just how iconic When Harry Met Sally… was going to be. “You knew it was special,” Billy Crystal told PEOPLE. “You don’t know that it’s 35 years special.”
What he did know was there was a boatload of talent behind the film, including himself, Meg Ryan, the late Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby, who helped push the film to legendary status.
“You know that it was a terrific script. Meg and I had a fantastic chemistry together,” the actor shared. “All you can control is the experience. And it was a great script, phenomenal director, great director of photography, Barry Sonnenfeld, who later became a terrific director himself.
“It came at a perfect time for us in our lives, and it just felt good,” he added. “But you don’t know what’s good until you see it all put together.”
One scene had audiences in stitches
Billy Crystal hadn’t laid eyes on the film until it was put together. His first viewing came at the first test screening in Pasadena, California, where the audience responded extremely well.
“I was sitting in the back with Rob and the movie’s playing amazingly well,” he recalled. “And then the deli scene came on and the audience laughed like you can’t believe.”
The scene included the iconic line, “I’ll have what she’s having,” delivered by Rob Reiner’s mother, Estelle, after Meg Ryan faked an orgasm at a table inside the establishment. The audience enjoyed the joke so much that “Rob had to add footage on the other side of [the line] because the laugh was so big.”
Princess Diana was even in stitches after watching the scene, with Crystal explaining in an interview, “She started laughing, a hearty laugh. If we’d been on a date, I wouldn’t have wanted to see her again. She’s beautiful, but that laugh!”
When Harry Met Sally… became renowned for its iconic wardrobe
When Harry Met Sally… has become iconic for more than just its feel-good rom-com storyline. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have become style icons of the autumn season, with the latter inspiring the popular “Meg Ryan Fall” trend and the former’s white knit sweater becoming a wardrobe staple for many.
When asked if he knows where that sweater is these days, Crystal explained, “I made a donation. I believe it was to UCLA’s theater department with tons of clothes for costumes. I have a feeling it’s there.”
Looking back on the movie, Crystal is happy that “all these years later” there’s still ” so much affection” toward it. He’s pleased to see When Harry Met Sally… wasn’t just beloved by those lucky enough to see it when it first hit theaters, but that it has become a favorite of younger generations, too.
More from us: Morgan Freeman Reveals He Still Gets Stage Fight: ‘I Can’t Tell You How Terrifying That Is’
Want The Vintage News delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
“It’s not like, ‘Oh, it’s my parents’ movie.’ This still is for everybody. That’s really good,” he said.