9 Things You Never Knew About 'When Harry Met Sally' on its 30th Anniversary
One of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time is now 30 years old. "When Harry Met Sally" is a terrific reminder that the best rom-coms are truly timeless. Celebrate this anniversary with some fun trivia about the making of this modern love story.
1. Both director Rob Reiner and writer Nora Ephron drew from their own personal lives while making the film. Ephron based Sally on herself and several friends, while Reiner's struggle with his divorce influenced the portrayal of Harry.
2. Reiner has a cameo in the film during the New Year's Eve scene. He's the unseen person announcing that the new year is happening in ten seconds.
3. Ephron originally envisioned the movie's title as "When They Met." Other potential titles included "Boy Meets Girl," "Just Friends" and "Words of Love."
4.Tom Hanks and Michael Keaton were both considered for the role of Harry.
5. Katz's Deli still pays tribute to the film's most famous scene by displaying a sign that reads "Where Harry met Sally... hope you have what she had!"
6. That fake orgasm scene was added to the movie on the fly after it was decided Sally needed more to talk about in the deli. Meg Ryan chose the topic of conversation and Billy Crystal came up with the line, "I'll have what she's having."
7. It took no fewer than 60 takes to pull off the scene where the four characters are talking on the phone simultaneously.
8. Harry can be seen the Stephen King novel "Misery" in one scene. Ironically, Reiner went on to direct the film adaptation after completing "When Harry Met Sally."
9. The scenes featuring couples relating how they met were performed by actors, but the material itself was taken from real-life testimonials Reiner collected.