The 20 most underrated rom-com leads

Domhnall Gleeson starred opposite Rachel McAdams in About Time and never got his due. Gleeson was awkward and didn’t immediately captivate audiences like some rom-com leads, but he was charming and sweet, and he didn’t make any critical errors in judgment that so many of his contemporaries often do. 

Why isn’t Henry Golding getting cast in every rom-com? He’s handsome, suave, and magnetic as a lead. His work in Crazy Rich Asians was fantastic, and he was equally as good in Last Christmas. He deserves more rom-com work. 

27 Dresses isn’t an underrated rom-com, but James Marsden is an underrated lead. Despite being handsome and funny and having great chemistry with Katherine Heigl, Marsden failed to become a mainstay lead in the genre. This injustice needs to be corrected. 

Amanda Seyfried deserves to star in a rom-com that isn’t also a musical. No offense to Mamma Mia! — that movie is amazing — but Seyfried is an excellent rom-com lead who hasn’t gotten her chance to truly shine in the format. 

It’s equally as troubling that Adam Brody hasn’t been cast in rom-coms his entire career. He’s handsome and has a great sense of humor, and if his work on Netflix’s Nobody Wants This is any indication, he’s perhaps more desirable now than he was in his 20s. 

No rom-com that Kristen Bell has starred in has ever had an outstanding performance at the box office or among critics, but she has the potential for one to strike gold. Bell is great at playing complicated characters with a good sense of humor, which is the exact type of energy modern rom-com leads need. 

It’s been years since Amanda Bynes has starred in anything, and because of that, she’s been left out of lists of best rom-com leads, despite having a great showing in her prime. Bynes is just as good a rom-com lead as any of the classic leads. 

Emma Stone, as an actress, is not underrated. Everyone knows how talented she is. But she doesn’t get enough credit for her rom-com work. She’s one of the funniest actors of her generation, and she’s sensational in a rom-com. 

Jack Black took on one of the male lead roles for The Holiday and showed that he’s got far more range than gets credit for. He’s totally capable of playing a sensitive, charming man. He deserves more opportunities to continue proving himself. 

Rom-com actors who aren’t classically handsome, like Michael Cera, get written off as poor rom-com leads, which is a travesty. The comedy aspect of a rom-com is far more important than having a hot lead. Justice for Cera. 

Paul Rudd has been in loads of rom-coms, but when people are asked to name their favorite leads, he’s too often left out of the conversation. Rudd should be named in the same breath as Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey. 

Emma Thompson is just as good a rom-com lead as Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan. There. It had to be said. She’s a better actress than Ryan, and she’s funnier than Roberts. We need to accept these truths and cast Thompson in these roles far more often. 

Owen Wilson has gotten his due. It’s Luke Wilson’s turn. The entire world saw Legally Blonde. What more did Luke have to do to prove that he’s rom-com lead material?

Is Angela Bassett ever going to get the widespread recognition she deserves? No, probably not. But she’s got so much range, and that extends to rom-coms. Watch How Stella Got Her Groove Back for proof. 

How was John Corbett not headlining every rom-com made after his performance in My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Sure, he’s a little understated, but he’s so good at playing the handsome, caring, gentle type, and rom-coms need more leads of that ilk. 

Kumail Nanjiani is absolutely hysterical, and there are far too many rom-com leads who aren’t funny. And call us crazy, but we firmly believe that rom-com leads should be funny. He had some success with The Big Sick, but Nanjiani should be top-billing again and again. 

Kirsten Wiig hasn’t dug her heels nearly enough into the rom-com genre, but every time she has, she’s knocked it out of the park. She’s one of the funniest people on the planet, and she should be every casting director’s first choice. 

Anyone who hasn’t seen Palm Springs is missing out. Andy Samberg is a delight, and it’s one of the best modern rom-coms. There are millions of people in America who swoon when Samberg is on screen, so it’s time to get him more rom-com roles. 

Leslie Mann has been relegated to co-star far too many times. She is quite clearly a star. Every rom-com she’s been in has been elevated by her presence. The rom-com world needs more of her in it. 

Nobody is better at playing the dumb blonde stereotype than Anna Faris. She is one talented lady, and her resume doesn’t necessarily reflect that. She’s a born rom-com lead, and it’s time she gets some fanfare.