Don’t you love New York in the fall? You’ve Got Mail’s autumn backdrop and depiction of love at the beginning of the internet has continued to entice viewers for more than two decades.
AOL’s instant messaging might be a thing of the past, but the 1998 rom-com starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks has never gone out of style.
Despite being rival bookstore owners — Ryan’s Kathleen Kelly owned The Shop Around the Corner while Hanks’ Joe Fox founded the Fox Books chain, which was putting her out of business — fans have continued to root for the star-crossed lovers.
With the help of online chatting, “Shopgirl” and “NY152” fell in love without knowing who they were falling for. Fans believed every minute of the romance, including the moment Joe stands Kathleen up and when, despite all odds, she says, “I wanted it to be you so badly” upon learning he was her pen pal.
After starring alongside one another in Joe Versus the Volcano and Sleepless in Seattle, Hanks and Ryan teamed up to make You’ve Got Mail and hoped it would be another box office smash — and it was.
“You never know if that magic chemistry is going to strike again,” former Warner Bros. cochair Terry Semel told Entertainment Weekly in December 1998 ahead of its release. “But two people falling in love — especially these two people — has international appeal. If there is such a thing as a perfect couple, Tom and Meg are it. They’re like Mr. and Mrs. World.”
The chemistry between the film’s leads has since inspired a loyal fanbase, one of which is Mindy Kaling. The Never Have I Ever creator even threw a themed dinner party for Christmas in December 2017 because of her obsession with Nora Ephron movies.
“You’ve Got Mail is the most soul-mate-y or soul-mate movies,” the Mindy Project star told Vulture in September 2010.
Stephen Colbert revealed in 2015 that he too is a mega fan of the rom-com. “I wept through the entirety of You’ve Got Mail — that’s my confession,” he said on The Late Show.
Scroll down to see what the cast of the ‘90s film is up to now — including stars Parker Posey, Dave Chappelle, Chris Messina and Greg Kinnear.
Hanks followed up his role as Fox Books founder Joe Fox by starring in Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Cast Away and Catch Me If You Can. He has also acted in the Toy Story franchise as Woody and played the leading man in The Da Vinci Code, Charlie Wilson’s War, Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks and Sully. The Oscar winner is also a writer, director and producer. Some of his biggest production credits include Band of Brothers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (which he did with wife Rita Wilson), Big Love, The Nineties and A Man Called Ove. The California native has been married to Wilson since 1988 and they share two sons, Chet and Truman. Hanks is also father to son Colin and daughter Elizabeth from his first marriage. In 2017, Hanks published a collection of short stories inspired by his typewriter pieces called Uncommon Type. Moviestore/Shutterstock; Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Posey played Joe’s girlfriend, Patricia Eden. The actress has since starred in Josie and the Pussycats, The Sweetest Thing, Laws of Attraction, Café Society, The Architect and Elsewhere. The Maryland native appeared on a few episodes of Boston Legal before landing roles on Granite Flats, Skylanders Academy and Lost in Space. Posey has starred on Broadway in Taller Than a Dwarf and The Realistic Joneses. In 2018, she wrote You're on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir. A year later, the actress starred in the scripted podcast “Hunted” from Endeavor Audio and Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment. Brian Hamill/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock; Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
The Indiana native portrayed Kathleen’s boyfriend and writer for The New York Observer, Frank Navasky. He then starred in Someone Like You, We Were Soldiers, Little Miss Sunshine, Invincible, The Last Song, Strange But True and Misbehavior. The Oscar nominee appeared on The Kennedys, Rake and House of Cards. Kinnear has also stepped behind the camera. He was an executive producer and writer on Later and both producer and director on Phil. The actor was set to make his Broadway debut in To Kill a Mockingbird in 2020, but it was delayed to the coronavirus pandemic. He has been married to model Helen Labdon since 1999. The pair share three daughters. Brian Hamill/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock; Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock
After playing Shop Around the Corner assistant George Pappas, Zahn starred in Saving Silverman, Riding in Cars With Boys, Daddy Day Care, Dallas Buyers Club, Where’d You Go Bernadette and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise. The Minnesota native played Davis McAlary on Treme, Clark Edwards on Mind Games, Jude Ellis on The Crossing and voiced Dude on The Healing Powers of Dude. Zahn married Robyn Peterman in 1994. The couple share two children. They also started a community theater in Kentucky, which Zahn occasionally stars in. Warner Bros; MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Burns played bookstore worker Christina Plutzker in the film. She has since been seen in the Miss Congeniality films, Two Weeks Notice, Bewitched, Valley of the Sun, Manchester by the Sea and Brave New Jersey. The Chicago native’s TV credits include Twenty Good Years, Bored to Death, Save Me and Blindspot. She has also appeared in off-Broadway plays, including Middletown, Dinner With Friends and Peace for Mary Frances. Burns married actor Ajay Naidu in 2012. Warner Bros; Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix/Shutterstock
The comedian portrayed Joe’s friend and coworker Kevin Jackson. He has since starred in Half-Baked, Blue Streak, Undercover Brother and A Star Is Born. The Emmy winner wrote, produced and hosted his own series, Chappelle’s Show, from 2003 to 2006. He has also written and produced numerous TV specials, including Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation and Dave Chappelle: 8:46. He won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 2018. The Washington D.C. native married his wife, Elaine, in 2001. The pair share two sons and a daughter. Warner Bros; imageSPACE/Shutterstock
After playing Joe’s dad, Nelson Fox, Coleman voiced Principal Prickly in the Recess series and its subsequent films. The Texas native starred in Inspector Gadget, Where the Red Fern Grows, Domino and Rules Don’t Apply. Coleman also played Burton Fallin on The Guardian, Dr. Bart Jacobs on Heartland, Commodore Louis Kaestner on Boardwalk Empire and appeared as a guest star on Ray Donovan and NCIS. Coleman shares four children with his second wife, Jean Hale. Brian Hamill/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Baron/Shutterstock
The Golden Globe winner played bookstore worker Birdie Conrad. Stapleton voiced Mrs. Jenkins in Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World and appeared in Chance of a Lifetime the same year she starred in You’ve Got Mail. The All in the Family alum then appeared in Baby, Pursuit of Happiness and Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes before stepping back from acting in 2001. She was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame and the Television Hall of Fame in 2002. The New York native died in May 2013 at the age of 90. She is survived by her two children. Warner Bros; Dave Lewis/Shutterstock
Scaperrotta made his acting debut as Joe’s 4-year-old half-brother, Matt Fox, the same year he appeared in One True Thing. He was then seen in the Hollow Man before landing the role of Detective Elliott Stabler’s son, Dickie Stabler, on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His last onscreen appearances were in 2011’s Spy and 2014’s Fort Tilden. Hirsh, for her part, played Joe’s 11-year-old aunt, Annabelle Fox. The actress then starred in Disney Channel’s The Ultimate Christmas Present, Speak, Bad Behavior and The Last Dinner Party. The Nebraska native had recurring roles on JAG, Flight 29 Down, ER and Sloppy Tacos. After stepping away from acting, Hirsch bought Hole Doughnuts in Asheville, North Carolina. She married Ryan Martin in 2013 and describes herself as a “yurt-dweller” on Instagram. The pair share two children. The actors reunited in 2018 to talk about their childhood roles in You’ve Got Mail on the Today show. Brian Hamill/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock; Twitter
Messina appeared toward the end of the film as a Fox Books employee who does not know the difference between Ballet Shoes and Skating Shoes. He has since starred in Made of Honor, Julie & Julia, An Invisible Sign, Argo, Cake, The Secrets We Keep and Birds of Prey. His TV roles include Six Feet Under, Damages, The Newsroom, The Mindy Project (which paid homage to You’ve Got Mail in numerous episodes), Sharp Objects and The Sinner. The New York native was married to actress Rosemarie DeWitt from 1995 to 2006. He has been with film producer Jennifer Todd since 2007 and the couple share two sons. Warner Bros; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
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