Top 10 Rom Com Leading Men Who Fell Off the Map
#10: Chad Michael Murray
For a while, it seems like this dreamboat was everywhere. He stole our naive young hearts with roles like Jake in 2003’s “Freaky Friday” and Austin in 2004’s “A Cinderella Story,” while keeping us glued to our television sets in more dramatic turns as Lucas Scott in “One Tree Hill” and Charlie Todd in “Dawson’s Creek.” However, as quickly as he had come into our lives, Murray largely disappeared from the public eye. Although starring in some minor television and film roles since, Murray hasn’t yet regained his swoonworthy, leading man roles that made us fall in love with him.
#9: Richard Gere
You know you’ve got a dish on your hands when you fall in love with the actor regardless of the genre he’s in. Whether he was playing a knight of the round table, a male escort, or an aviation officer, he would capture hearts left, right, and center. However, it was for rom coms like 1990’s “Pretty Woman” and 1999’s “Runaway Bride” that Gere is most fondly remembered. Sadly, after some unremarkable roles in the 2010s, the rugged actor has not appeared in a feature film since 2017, leaving just his ‘90s movie characters to keep us warm at night.
#8: Adrian Grenier
Charming, dark, and handsome, this actor physically embodied what a rom-com leading man should look like. After leaving Bard College in New York, he got cast opposite Melissa Joan Hart in 1999’s “Drive Me Crazy.” The portrayal cemented Grenier as a heartthrob to teen girls everywhere, although shockingly, Grenier seemed to appear in everything BUT romantic comedies thereafter --action flicks, thrillers, dramas, and his most notable performance in the show “Entourage” as well as the 2015 film based on the show. Since then, however, Grenier was never again able to capture the spark that lit us up in “Drive Me Crazy” and has made sparse appearances in minor roles during the late 2010s.
#7: Michael Schoeffling
We’re going way back for this pick, and that’s only because he was the ladies man of 1984 with the release of “Sixteen Candles.” Schoeffling played Jake Ryan, the athletic, popular, and romantic object of Molly Ringwald’s affection, and a character so legendary that twenty years after its release, the Washington Post published an article entitled, "Real Men Can't Hold a Match to Jake Ryan of Sixteen Candles.” Unfortunately, after a smattering of movie appearances, Schoeffling ended his career with a sensitive performance in his final movie role in 1991’s “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.” Over 25 years have passed since then, and still we wonder: what if?
#6: Luke Mably
Although he had been in a few television series and horror films, it was only in 2004 that we really noticed this English actor when he portrayed Edvard, the Crown Prince of Denmark opposite Julia Stiles in “The Prince & Me.” Sophisticated, charming, and handsome, the prince (posing as a college student) made our teenage hearts beat faster, in no small part due to his posh accent. Unfortunately, although reprising the role in 2006’s “The Prince & Me 2: The Royal Wedding,” Mably never appeared in a rom com again and the last feature-length film he starred in was released in 2016.
#5: Josh Lucas
We never thought an Alabama accent could make us this giddy. Although we had seen Josh Lucas in a lot of films prior to 2002 and a lot of films afterwards, a leading role in a romantic comedy was not something we expected from him--but boy oh boy, was it something we needed! In “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lucas stars as Jake Perry, the poor Southerner who Reese Witherspoon’s character spars with before realizing, in true rom com fashion, that she actually loves her estranged husband. Though still active in supporting roles, Lucas has since not appeared in any leading romantic roles, much to our displeasure and disappointment.
#4: Cary Elwes
We blame this fine English actor for giving us the hope that each of us had a Prince Charming waiting for us. Yes, we’ve never been the same since 1987’s “The Princess Bride” came out, and that is largely due to the funny, romantic, and irresistible Elwes in the lead role as the dashing Westley. To our knowledge, although going off to star in numerous films in both dramatic and comedic roles, the leading romantic role was no longer in the cards for him. The late 2010s have seen him relegated to supporting roles in minor films (though he’s had some decent TV work). The regret is all ours.
#3: Josh Hartnett
Although this stud had his start in horrors and dramas, we are so glad that he switched over to rom coms when he did. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to “net” our “hearts” (pun intended) with dreamy characters like the one in 2002’s “40 Days and 40 Nights.” Although they weren’t comedies, Hartnett proved he could still handle a romantic leading role with 2004’s “Wicker Park” and even 2013’s “The Lovers,” but the romantic roles quickly died off after that, and he hasn’t been able to get his mojo back since… no pun intended.
#2: Jesse Bradford
How we miss the age of Bradford! Starting with 2000’s “Bring it On,” this actor who began his career at the age of 5 established himself as a man with the power to make us swoon. The following year brought “According to Spencer,” 2008 brought “My Sassy Girl,” and 2013 brought “10 Rules for Sleeping Around.” Despite the years that elapsed between his romantic roles, the Connecticut actor proved that he could still charm the ladies, both off and on the screen. Sadly, 2013 was the last time the actor tried his hand in rom-coms, and he hasn’t done any films since 2017.
#1: Freddie Prinze Jr.
Was there ever any doubt? Ever since 1999’s “She’s All That,” we cannot deny that Freddie Prinze Jr. has been on our silver screen boyfriend. The years 2000 and 2001 would prove to be the peak of our unrequited love affair with the Los Angeles actor and son of actor-comedian Freddie Prinze. In the span of just those two years, Prinze Jr. came out with four romantic comedies, opposite actresses like Monica Potter, Julia Stiles, and Jessica Biel. However, the early 2000s marked the end of Prinze Jr. fever, and other than a few voice acting roles, he hasn’t physically been in a movie since 2008.