Meg Ryan's Son Jack Quaid Reacts to His Mom Defending His Nepo Baby Status

Meg Ryan is hearing the beat of her own heart. 

The You've Got Mail star was surrounded by love at the Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina Aug. 20 as she was recognized with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award for her contributions to the film industry.

The 62-year-old—who last hit the red carpet in May for 2024 Met Gala alongside designer Michael Kors—was all smiles as she waved at fans, donning a tea-length gray dress paired with black Prada loafers and sunglasses. 

During the ceremony, Meg—who received the honor alongside directors Alexander Payne and Elia Suleiman and actor John Turturro—was incredibly touched by the heart-shaped award, saying she knows the difficult history of the film festival, which was established in 1995 during Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.

"I just feel so happy to be able to be here," Meg said as she accepted the award in a video posted to Instagram, "and thank you face to face for your example during the siege."

photosMeg Ryan's Best Rom Com Roles

The actress was especially moved by stories she heard about "how this community came together, how you dodged bullets and risked your lives to go see films, to make music, to dance to music, to sing."

She added, "I mean you proved that art and culture are the resistance."

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"You are proof that diversity is power, that art is whatever makes you feel less alone," she continued. "Thank you so much for this heart—you have mine."

Meg has kept a low profile over the last few years, but that hasn't stopped the Sleepless in Seattle star from publicly praising someone else who has her heart: her son Jack Quaid, whom she shares with ex-husband Dennis Quaid.

For starters, Meg definitely does not buy into the "nepo baby" label that gets attached to the children of famous stars.

"Jack is really talented," she told Glamour in November. "He's more of a natural than I'll ever be. That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege."

But despite Jack's career success—he's acted in The Hunger Games, The Boys and Oppenheimer—moviemaking is not a path she originally pictured for her son. 

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"I remember seeing him in a middle school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was playing Bottom," she recalled. "I was newly divorced from his dad, and he was seated at the other side of the gym. I had my head in my hands and was like, 'Oh, no. He's good. He's really good.' I leaned forward, and I see Dennis, and he's also leaning forward with his head in his hands. I just knew."

And Jack has taken his mother's praise with humility, recently responding after she clapped back at those calling him a "nepo baby."

"My first thought was like, she's being a mom," Jack told The Daily Beast in July. "She's being a loving mom."

"I think she's just trying to say that, in her opinion, it undermines my talent," he continued. "I don't think it undermines my talent. I know that I work hard, and I know I've heard 'no' way more than I've heard 'yes.'"

To take a look back at Meg's storied career, keep reading for a ranking of all her rom-coms.