Sleepless In Seattle is a classic 90s rom-com that starred Tom Hanks as Sam and Meg Ryan as Annie. Hanks and Ryan have joined forces for many romantic comedies in their day and Sleepless In Seattle is proof of their amazing on-screen chemistry.
In the movie, Sam loses his wife and moves to Seattle with his son Jonah to heal. While Sam is grieving, Jonah calls in to a late-night radio show to talk about his father's depression over his late mother. While on the air, Annie hears the conversation and begins to fall in love with Sam over the phone. What happens next is a leap of faith for both parties and a whole lot of perfection.
There Were Many Leading Ladies That Could Have Played The Role Of Annie
Meg Ryan won the role of Annie Reed, but she wasn't the only one offered the role. According to '80s Kid, actresses Julia Roberts, Kim Basinger, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jodie Foster were all up for the role of Annie Reed.
However, not every actress was interested or thought the storyline was good. After many others seemed to decline the role, Meg Ryan was chosen and she was the perfect fit for the part.
The Director Was One Of The Callers
Nora Ephron was a writer and director known for You've Got Mail, Julia & Julia, Bewitched, and Sleepless In Seattle. She's worked on some of the best and worst rom-coms of our lifetime. Ephron not only directed Sleepless In Seattle but she contributed to the screenplay, as well.
And Ephron didn't stay hidden, while on set. When Jonah listens to the radio show, Ephron was one of the callers who called themselves "Disappointed in Denver."
Seattle Was Not Pleased When They Were Filming
There's something incredibly romantic about cozy, rainy nights. And with Seattle being a notoriously rainy city, a romantic comedy based here seemed like the perfect fit.
And it was. Sleepless In Seattle was one of Tom Hanks' best roles yet. However, while filming the movie, Seattle was, unfortunately, going through a drought. Production apparently had to bring in water trucks in for most of the rain scenes, which didn't make the city too fond of the movie.
They Did Not Film The Last Scene On The Empire State Building
The ending of Sleepless In Seattle is one of the most romantic moments in any rom-com and has inspired other movies and TV shows. The Mindy Project's Mindy Lahiri had a fantasy about being proposed to on top of the Empire State Building, similar to how Sam and Annie officially met. It's a known place of romance.
However, in a shocking twist, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were never on top of the Empire State Building for this scene. According to French Girl In Seattle, it was shot inside a hangar in Magnuson Park, Seattle.
In Fact, Everything Was Filmed In Seatle
Although parts of Sleepless In Seattle showed Seattle, New York, and Baltimore, the majority of the film was shot in Seattle. The production used stock footage of the other cities for the movie.
According to the movie's IMDb page, all of the interior shots were filmed inside hangars at the Sand Point Naval Air Station. Although Sleepless In Seattle wasn't filmed in New York for its big spectacular ending, it's still considered a New York love story.
Annie & Sam Were Only On Screen Together For Mere Minutes
Sleepless In Seattle really is a love story between two strangers who were brought together through an unexpected radio show and Sam's son. Sam was clearly a lonely widow and Annie was lonely in her own relationship, even though she seemingly had the perfect guy.
But when it comes down to it, Annie and Sam only had two minutes of screentime together, according to Little Things. They shared mere moments together in the airport when Annie is outside of Sam and Jonah's house, and at the end of the movie on top of the Empire State Building.
Sam's "Dirty Dozen" Conversation Was Improvised
In one scene, Sam is sitting down having a late-night conversation with his sister and brother-in-law. He tells them that Jonah called a radio show and that he had hundreds of women trying to meet him. His sister Suzy tells him Annie's Empire State Building on Valentine's Day fantasy reminds her of An Affair to Remember. She describes the storyline to Sam but it disinterests him.
He then says Dirty Dozen is a movie that deserves more recognition, as he falls into a puddle of tears over Trini Lopez. As it turns out, this iconic scene was all improvised.
Tom Hanks Didn't Think Sam's Relationship With Jonah Was Relatable
As a newly single dad, Sam is making the best of his new life by spending most of his time with Jonah and exploring Seattle. However, in real life, Tom Hanks thought his character's relationship with his son was unrelatable and not believable.
According to '80s Kids, mentioned above, Tom told Nora Ephron, “You’re a woman, you’re a mother, you’re basing this on your experience with your boys. I’m a man, my relationship with my boys is nothing like this.”
Tom Didn't Have The Best Time On Set
As iconic as a movie as Sleepless In Seattle is, it's a role Tom Hanks almost didn't take. In the book, I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy, Hanks explains that he wasn't the nicest person on set while filming this particular film.
It's not that he regretted taking the role, but he thought he was a "big shot" at the time and that his "voice must be heard." He called himself "cranky" on set and was particularly jealous that other characters had better lines than him.
Rita Wilson Wanted Rosie O'Donnell's Part
Tom Hanks and actress Rita Wilson have been married since 1988 and have two children together. They've worked with each other before, but they acted as brother and sister in Sleepless In Seattle. With Hanks as Sam and Wilson as Suzy, they had a few small scenes together.
In real life, however, Rita was after the role of Becky — Annie's best friend. In the end, the casting director gave that part to comedian Rosie O'Donnell and gave Wilson the part of Suzy.