Question: Why do we spend so much time worrying about who will be America’s Next Sweetheart when we really need to find the next Hugh Grant and Dermot Mulroney? (Mulroney doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, if you ask me. The man made women whimper during The Wedding Date.) These guys won’t be making romantic comedies forever, people. It’s time we focus.
Were I a casting director, my criteria would be thus: Did your last movie make me go home and YouTube you? For Nathan Fillion (pictured), costar of Waitress, the answer is yes. (And I know I’m not alone.) It took me years to disassociate him with evil Caleb on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (his turn as Firefly and Serenity’s Captain Tight Pants was, somehow, not enough). Thanks to a few slices of watching-him-have-sex-with-Keri-Russell pie, I’ve done it. Also recently receiving immediate Internet attention: Adam Brody, star of In the Land of Women, which I clearly enjoyed more than EW’s Owen Gleiberman did. Those of you who’ve read this week’s PopWatch Confessional can imagine how much I enjoyed learning that Brody had forced his friends to go to Medieval Times for his birthday.
So, who do you pick as your new romantic leading man? Remember, thisis the guy who — if the recent trend holds up — you’ll be watching playa divorced or widowed man with a family member who quickly lets it slipthat he hasn’t brought a woman home since. I doubt that Fillion andBrody are looking for that kind of role, but I would watch them in it.Sadly.
P.S. Is there a way to write a romantic comedy so actors would want to be in it?
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oh..Fillion would get my vote based off of ‘Waitress’
There are a number of hot actors from the UK right now who should be able to pull the big rom-com thing off, particularly if they can do an American accent. (I’m thinking Cillian Murphy, Matthew McFadyen, James McIlroy, etc.) The problem is, do they really WANT to do that kind of role when most of the time it’s just so thankless? If you got some good rom-com writing going, maybe you’d entice some of them over to the light side.
Definitely Fillion. I am dying to see him in Waitress! This man needs to be in more movies. Not only is he a good actor, but he’s oh-so-nice to look at to boot.
Fillion has had my vote for a long time (since his opera days). But, after seeing him on Lost as Kate’s husband, he’s a shoe-in. Love him.
I’ve had a bit of a crush on Nathan Fillion since his days as Joey on One Life to Live. Then he was on “Two Guys, A Girl (& a Pizza Place)” and I even liked him there. He deserves to be a star! He’s “dreamy” enough for women to love him, yet manly enough to have the men on board, too. I think he’s destined to be a Harrison Ford type if he could just get the right role for mainstream stardom.
I like my leading guys smart, ironic, and a little sheepish.
Dermot’s successor: Aaron Eckhardt and Michael Vartan
Hugh’s successor: Matthew Goode and Ioan Gruffudd
There are great romantic parts out there (Hugh Grant’s people find the best scripts: Four Weddings, Notting Hill, About a Boy), but you’re right, the actors who get most of the parts aren’t suited for them. Adam Sandler mumbling his way through romantic subplots is rarely believable. How about Jason Bateman?
After Ryan Gosling’s turn in the Notebook he should be a shoe-in for this group…and he’s got the acting chops.
I imbd’d Timothy Olyphant after watching Catch & Release (bad movie, but he was appealing).
I also love Bradley Cooper!
I can’t wait to see John Krasinski in “License to Wed” with Mandy Moore this summer. Anyone who watches the Office knows he can play the cute, funny leading man.
James Franco…anyone who saw him in Freaks and Geeks knows he can pull off the bad boy with just enough good in him…and he was delicious in Tristan and Isolde. Also Bradley Cooper.
David Boreanaz. The man could have chemistry with a cactus.
Loved Fillion since “Two guys and a girl”. I adore Vartan. He’s SOOOO pretty. I think Adam Brody might make a good successor to Hugh.
I forgot to add Bradley Cooper. MMM…
Scott Speedman…. where has he been!!
How about Mark Ruffalo? He hasn’t always been in the best movies, but he made me swoon after 13 Going On 30. So sweet…
I love the Ryan Gosling & Timothy Olyphant picks. ( I still dream of Sheriff Bullock from Deadwood. )Taylor Kitsch ( Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights ) is young but has charisma out the ying-yang.
Fillion gets my vote! I’m going to see Waitress for the third time this weekend, just because of him and his fabulous performance.
Gerard Butler. Enough said.
jess, i’m with you. john krasinski should be a natural, plus, he’s actually funny!
I love Ryan Gosling, but I hope he stays away from this genre of movie. I hope he keeps up with the Half Nelson-type fare.
Bradley Cooper is an excellent choice, and what I wouldn’t give for a Will Tippen-Sark double feature!
Umm…hello Eric Bana, Gerard Butler, Gael Garcia Bernal, James McAvoy (LOVE him), Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo. Can’t go wrong with this bunch.
I agree with Bradley Cooper, Matthew Goode, Michael Vartan, and Adam Brody. I would add Ryan Reynolds, Patrick Demspey, the guy playing Henry on Ugly Betty, and Topher Grace. I still enjoy Matthew McConnaughey, John Cusak, Robert Downey Jr, who all did rom-coms in the past.
I agree with Bradley Cooper, Matthew Goode, Michael Vartan, and Adam Brody. I would add Ryan Reynolds, Patrick Demspey, the guy playing Henry on Ugly Betty, and Topher Grace. I still enjoy Matthew McConnaughey, John Cusak, Robert Downey Jr, who all did rom-coms in the past.
Bradley Cooper (why isn’t Who Wants to Marry Ryan Banks on DVD?), Mark Ruffalo (I watch Just Like Heaven EVERY TIME it’s on TV), Nathan Fillion, absolutely.
Love Matthew Goode! I would really like to see him in better fare than Chasing Liberty or Imagine Me and You. (Match Point was good, but he didn’t really have too much to do.)
I have to throw Jason Dohring out there too. It’s looking like he will be unemployed soon and I think he’d be a dreamy romantic leading man with a snarky, caddish edge.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Except for Gael Garcia Bernal (sorry if I missed any other suggestions) I’m seeing a (sadly) typical lack of color on this list.
For some reason, my name isn’t being bandied about, so I’ll toss in Jay Hernandez, Taye Diggs (who I firmly believe can be a romantic leading man yet! see “Brown Sugar”), Chiwetel Ejiofor (I apologize if I killed his name) and Adam Rodriguez.
I’m not sure if he’s the romantic comedy type but Christian Bale would be my pick. He made me swoon in Little Women.
I hadn’t even been worried about this problem because I just ASSUMED Patrick Dempsey would step back into his role as romcom hero. He’s good at soulful glances, and the inevitable moment in every romcom where the guy screws up somehow. Undoubtedly he will follow in Clooney’ footsteps, beginning with romantic comedies (One Fine Day, anyone?) and eventually moving to “edgier” films. However, in Dempsey’s case his edgy role will probably be a gay prostitute or a dad with a sick kid or something.
I have been saying Nathan Fillion was hot for years now. It is about time people are catching on.
Nathan Fillion is a total, balls-out star. The rest of the world just hasn’t noticed yet. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a total Browncoat. Seriously, that man can be my OBGYN any day of the week.