You’ve definitely seen him. Maybe he was the anxious guy trying to take down a corrupt superhero, or perhaps he was the physicist tinkering with the atomic bomb in a Christopher Nolan epic.
Honestly, it's kinda wild how long it took some people to realize that the tall, slightly awkward lead of The Boys is actually the offspring of 90s rom-com royalty. But when you ask what does meg ryan's son do, the answer is a lot more layered than just "he's an actor."
Jack Quaid has basically spent the last decade and a half quietly becoming one of the most hardworking chameleons in Hollywood. He didn't just show up one day and get handed a franchise. It’s been a long road of sketch comedy, weird voice-over gigs, and "blink and you'll miss it" cameos.
The Hunger Games and the Long Road to Hughie
Most people forget that Jack Quaid actually started his career as a villain. Sorta.
Back in 2012, he landed a minor role in the first Hunger Games movie as Marvel, the tribute from District 1 who—spoiler alert—takes out a fan-favorite character. He’s joked before about how fans of the books weren't exactly thrilled with him for that one.
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He didn't immediately jump into leading man roles after that. Instead, he spent years doing things his own way. He went to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and joined a sketch comedy group called Hammerkatz. He even co-founded a four-person comedy troupe called Sasquatch Sketch.
That background in comedy is probably why he’s so good at playing the "everyman" who’s constantly in over his head.
What Does Meg Ryan's Son Do for Work Now?
Right now, his schedule is basically a fever dream of different genres. If you're looking for the specifics of his current career, here's how it breaks down:
- The Live-Action Lead: He is best known as Hughie Campbell in The Boys. He’s played that role since 2019, bringing a weirdly relatable vulnerability to a show that is otherwise completely insane.
- The Voice of DC and Star Trek: This is the part people often miss. He voices Superman (Clark Kent) in the animated series My Adventures with Superman. He also voices Ensign Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
- The Prestige Movie Actor: He played Richard Feynman in Oppenheimer. It wasn't a huge role, but being in a Best Picture winner is a pretty solid flex.
- The Horror Enthusiast: He was the secret sauce in the 2022 Scream reboot as Richie Kirsch.
He's also leaning hard into the thriller and action world lately. In 2025, he starred in the sci-fi thriller Companion and an action-comedy called Novocaine. In Novocaine, he plays a guy who literally cannot feel physical pain—which sounds like a premise straight out of an 80s movie his dad might have done, but with a modern, gritty twist.
Acknowledging the "Nepo Baby" Elephant in the Room
We have to talk about it because he does. Jack is one of the few actors who hasn't tried to pretend he didn't have a massive head start.
He’s been very open about the fact that he's an "immensely privileged person." He knows having Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid as parents meant getting an agent was a lot easier for him than for a kid from a small town with no connections.
But there’s a nuance here that fans appreciate. He famously turned down his father’s offer to help him get an agent when he was starting out. He wanted to see if he could actually book a job on his own merits first. His mom, Meg Ryan, has been his biggest defender, recently saying he’s a "natural" and that his work ethic is what actually keeps him in the room once he's inside.
Why He's Not Just a Celebrity Kid
The reason he’s actually sticking around—and not just a "son of" headline—is his range.
Think about it. He can do a romantic comedy like Plus One (which you should totally watch if you haven't, it's great), then flip to a slasher movie, then spend a week in a recording booth doing a high-pitched voice for a cartoon ensign.
He also stays pretty connected to the "nerd" side of the industry. He’s appeared on YouTube shows like Best of the Worst and RedLetterMedia segments, talking about old, terrible movies. He was even the president of the Bad Movie Club in high school. He’s basically a massive film nerd who happens to be a movie star.
Future Projects and Beyond
If you’re keeping track of what’s next, he has a few big things on the horizon for 2026 and late 2025.
There’s the Amazon action movie Heads of State, where he’s acting alongside Idris Elba and John Cena. Then there’s Neighborhood Watch, a crime thriller with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He’s not slowing down.
To understand what Meg Ryan's son does, you have to look at his career as a series of deliberate, often weird, choices. He’s avoided the "heartthrob" trap and instead chose to be the guy who gets covered in fake blood or voices a superhero in pajamas.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see the best of his work, start with The Boys on Prime Video for his most iconic role. For something a bit more lighthearted that shows off the "Ryan" side of his charm, check out the movie Plus One. If you’re a sci-fi fan, his live-action appearance as Boimler in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover is a masterclass in bringing an animated character to life.