Nora Ephron: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, others remember

Filmmaker and author Nora Ephron died Tuesday, leaving behind a huge legacy of films, as well as many friends and colleagues in Hollywood. Here are their thoughts and memories of Ephron:

“Nora was a person whose gifts of mind, amply displayed as a young person in her sharply observed journalistic pieces and in her personal wit, were, when I first met her, kind of scary: aimed and airy at the same time, an insouciant sharpness that could be intimidating, because you could never catch her ‘trying’, everything seemed effortless. But as I got to know her, I understood what drove her was her acute curiosity, and her desire to observe and find out stuff. It’s what made her great as a journalist, and as a director, too. She thought fast, loved new ideas, processed swiftly, decided what was valuable and what was not with clarity. It’s hard to credit how very smart she was, cause she was always deflectively feminine and funny, the sharpness of mind softened and smoothed by genuine charm.” — Meryl Streep, star of Silkwood (co-written by Ephron) and Julie & Julia (written and directed by Ephron)

“Nora Ephron was a journalist/artist who knew what was important to know; how things really worked, what was worthwhile, who was fascinating and why. At a dinner table and on a film set she lifted us all with wisdom and wit mixed with love for us and love for life. Rita and I are so very sad to lose our friend who brought so much joy to all who were lucky enough to know her…” — Tom Hanks, star of You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle, both co-written and directed by Ephron

“Nora was a joy to be around; she was so smart, warm and funny. I am so grateful that she was my friend and we had the opportunity to work together. My thoughts and love are with her family at this time. I will never forget the dinners, games and laughter we all shared.” — Nicole Kidman, star of Bewitched, co-written and directed by Ephron

“What kind of a place is this? I feel like someone reached in and grabbed my compass from around my neck and threw it from a moving train. How will I navigate? I think a lot of friends and readers will feel like that. Nora was so funny and interesting that we didn’t notice that she was necessary. She is absolutely irreplaceable” — Mike Nichols, director of Silkwood and Heartburn, both written by Ephron

“Nora was an era. We pictured ourselves inside her dreams and they became ours. All wisdom, wit and sparkle lights, what a treat she was, what a blessing. I marvel again and again, what a life… To have created a simple happiness in people, to have added to the sum of delight in the world.” — Meg Ryan (pictured, right, with Ephron), star of When Harry Met Sally… (written by Ephron), Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail

“I suppose you could say Nora was my ideal. In a world where we’re told that you can’t have it all, Nora consistently proved that adage wrong. A writer, director, wife, mother, chef, wit — there didn’t seem to be anything she couldn’t do. And not just do it, but excel at it, revolutionize it, set the bar for every other screenwriter, novelist, director. She was inspiring, intimidating, and insightful. She was so, so alive. It makes no sense to me that she isn’t anymore. My heart goes out to her family and the many others who treasured her.” — Carrie Fisher, costar of When Harry Met Sally…

“I am very sad to learn of Nora’s passing. She was a brilliant writer and humorist. Being her Harry to Meg’s Sally will always have a special place in my heart. I was very lucky to get to say her words.” — Billy Crystal, star of When Harry Met Sally…

“I am devastated. Nora was a close friend and will be missed terribly.” — Rosie O’Donnell, costar of Sleepless in Seattle

More and more tributes continue to pour in on Twitter. You can read statements from women in Hollywood influenced by Ephron’s work, including Shonda Rhimes and Sarah Silverman, plus thoughts from her Hollywood friends, like Ron Howard and Albert Brooks, below:

[View this story on Storify]

Read more:

Filmmaker and author Nora Ephron dies at 71

EW Archives: Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks return to the big screen in ‘You’ve Got Mail’