Meg Ryan Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance in Strapless Gown and 'The Meg' Bob at 2024 Critics Choice Awards

Meg Ryan may not be a red carpet regular these days, but when she shows up, she shows up.

She arrived at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards in a dazzling black sequin strapless Saint Laurent gown. 

The 62-year-old actress, who was on hand to present at the ceremony, kept her accessories to a minimum and wore her signature layered bob in a tousled style.

Ryan’s hair — which dominated ‘90s beauty culture — made its way back into the zeitgeist when the star appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers at the end of October. Viewers quickly noticed that the actress' new hairstyle seemed to call back to her famous '90s hair.

Ryan’s hairstylist Sally Hershberger told PEOPLE at the time that she didn’t expect Ryan’s new look to bring back so much nostalgia for “The Meg.” “I completely forgot about how big of a deal her hair was,” Hersberger says. “It wasn’t premeditated.” 

But don’t think it’s a recreation of her ‘90s 'do. Hershberger says that the "effortless" hairstyle is unique to Ryan’s current look. 

The secret to Ryan’s tousled hair is Hershberger’s 24K Supreme Body Volumizing Mousse and pin curls. Hershberger first wraps pieces of the hair with mousse in hand, lets them set in pin curls and gives some texture with a good scrunch, using her haircare line’s texturizing balm. The final touch comes from adding the brand's texturizing paste to areas that call for a little extra texture.

“The Meg” was born on the set of French Kiss in 1995, when Hershberger set out to create a disheveled look for Ryan’s character. Ryan’s tousled style in the film quickly gained popularity, as Hershberger says women resonated with the undone style. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Women also resonate with Ryan’s take on getting older. While promoting her romcom and first movie since 2015, What Happens Later, Ryan, opened up about how “aging is not that terrifying.”

“Our culture is so obsessed with youth,” Ryan told Glamour. “As an old person now, I love my age. I love where I’m at.”

“We’re all doing it. I wish someone had told me earlier, ‘Just relax. It is what it is. Don’t pay attention to the obstacles,’” she added.

The Sleepless in Seattle actress went on to explain that as she has gotten older she has been able to say her true thoughts “without thinking about how it’s going to land.”

“There’s a time in your teens and 20s where you’re trying on personalities to figure out who you are, who to be,” Ryan said.

Referring to the negative way tabloids have covered her in the past, she said she “can’t can’t pay attention to it."

"I just can’t. It’s not worth it.”

She then told the outlet that while the comments can hurt, there are more important things in life to focus on than “meanness and hatred.”

The star also revisited previous comments she'd made in a 2019 interview with The New York Times Magazine, where she said she could never be sexy coming up in Hollywood. “I don’t think I agree with that,” Ryan told Glamour. “I think I’m sexy enough. I was beating myself up. It wasn’t very nice of me.”

See PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards as they air live on The CW Sunday, Jan. 14, from 7 to 10 p.m. ET.