The director of the beloved 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally has revealed the very drastic alternate ending he originally planned for the hit film – and why he ultimately changed it.
Acclaimed actor, filmmaker and director Rob Reiner, 76, talked about the making of the film during a recent appearance on CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace — and he admitted he actually had a much sadder conclusion planned for Harry Burns and Sally Albright .
As fans know, the movie ended with Harry rushing off to a new one Annual party where Sally attended to profess his love for her once and for all emotional speech in which he listed all the things he adored about her.
The romantic gesture made for a satisfying finale – but according to director Rob, Harry and Sally’s love story should have ended very differently.
The director of the beloved 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally has revealed the very drastic alternate ending he originally planned for the hit film
Rob Reiner, 76, admitted that he actually had a much sadder conclusion planned for Harry Burns and Sally Albright during a recent appearance on CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace
As fans know, the film ended with Harry rushing to a New Year’s Eve party where Sally was attending to profess his love for her once and for all, and the romantic gesture made for a satisfying finale.
He told host Chris, 76, that his original plans for the film meant they wouldn’t end up together.
‘Would you like to hear something interesting about that (film)? “The original ending of the movie we had was Harry and Sally not getting together,” he said.
Rob, who was married to actress Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981, explained that because his own relationship had ended in divorce, he did not want to give the characters a happy ending.
“I had been single for ten years and I couldn’t figure out how I would ever be with anyone, and from that feeling came When Harry Met Sally,” the filmmaker recalls.
‘I hadn’t met anyone. So it would be that they would see each other again after years, talk and then walk away from each other.’
But Rob added that his whole outlook changed after he met his current wife, Michele Singer, while making the film.
The two married in 1989, the same year the film was released, and have been together ever since.
“I met my wife of 35 years, Michelle, while we were making the movie, and I changed the ending,” he continued.
But according to Rob, Harry and Sally’s love story should have ended very differently. He told host Chris, 76, that his original plans for the film meant they wouldn’t end up together
Rob, who was married to actress Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981 (seen together in 1970), explained that because he was single, he didn’t want to give the characters a happy ending.
He explained: ‘I had been single for ten years and I couldn’t figure out how I could ever be with anyone, and from that (feeling) came When Harry Met Sally’
But Rob added that his whole outlook changed after he met his current wife, Michele Singer, while making the film. They can be seen in 2018
Chris asked him, “So that tear-jerking ending, and I say that in the highest form of praise, is thanks to Michelle?” to which Rob replied, “That’s right.”
“I met my wife of 35 years, Michelle, while we were making the movie, and I changed the ending,” he said.
The film, starring Billy Crystal as Harry and Meg Ryan as Sally, followed two college friends who grew apart but ended up back in each other’s lives after meeting by chance in a bookstore ten years later.
While they initially tried to be friends, the two slowly started to fall for each other.
After a series of awkwardly intimate moments and an argument that nearly tore them apart, the film ended with the two walking down the aisle after Harry’s heartfelt New Year’s Eve speech – which is still quoted even now, decades later.
Rob rose to fame after starring on the CBS sitcom All in the Family from 1971 to 1979, which earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
In addition to When Harry Met Sally, he has directed a host of other major films such as The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, A Few Good Men and The American President, to name a few.