“In French Kiss I played a character stranded in Paris without luggage, money, or a place to live, so it was a stretch to think she had much opportunity to shampoo. Sally had to figure out hair that looked bad but sort of good all at once,” Ryan explained.

“While we were working it out during the camera test, she punctuated some remark she was making by pulling the curling iron way over her head. A sizable chunk of my hair had singed off and was still wrapped around the iron.

“I noticed the flame first. For a second Sally looked like the Statue of Liberty: frozen, torch aloft, and a little green. You can’t really blame her for the iron’s overheating because of the different voltages in Europe. She was left to scissor away until we got what we got.”

Meg Ryan reveals the true story behind her iconic 90s hairdo