Who deserves a shot at romantic lead stardom?
Friday, July 24, 2020 at 10:00AM 
This question is brought to you by a recent rescreening of North Country (2005). The movie is too didactic to dimensionalize its characters but there are lots of little things worth thinking about and discussing therein... especially the kind of topics that can only come when a movie is now an older if not an 'old' movie. Like... why didn't Michelle Monaghan (who really pops in a small role) become a bigger deal? And why hasn't Hollywood given Corey Stoll a shot as a romantic lead? There he was, 15 whole year ago, being bald and sexy and crushworthy six years before his breakthrough (Midnight in Paris). He plays one of the only redeemable guys in the mine where Charlize works (and is continually harassed, both violently and sexually). There's a lovely but sad moment when he asks her to dance at a local bar and as she relaxes into his arms, drunk, she asks him twice... "you're a nice guy, right?"
Are they any other character actors that you think deserve a shot at a romantic leading role?
Reader Comments (23)
Nat: I blame her 2008 on that. It would take A LOT to bounce back from Made of Honor AND Eagle Eye in the same year and she hasn't done that.
LUPITA
When the question is "who deserves [x]?" is the answer ever not Rosemarie DeWitt?
Chiwetel Ejiofor doesn’t get to play a romantic lead often enough.
I think Charlize is really underrated in this (despite the Oscar nom). She's wonderful.
For me there are 3 categories
Actors who were considered raising stars sometime in the past 20 years but their career never really took off. He gave some great performances but were never really household names.
Barry Pepper
Emily Mortimer
Carrie Coon
Jamie Bell
Frances O'Connor
Billy Crudup
Ellen Page
Michael Sheen
Garrett Hedlund
Nina Arianda
Rebecca Hall
Djimon Hounsou (maybe not interested for films anymore)
Peter Saarsgaard
Jennifer Ehle
There also the "foreigners" that had huge success at one time but never made it to be household names in the US, but are stars in their country. For some it may have been their own decision not to pursuit an international career
Gael Garcia Bernal
Rodrigo de la Serna
Audrey Tautou
Daniel Bruhl
Cecile de France
Adele Exarchopoulos
Catalina Sandino Moreno
Actors that need romantic leading roles that could really help their career.
Logan Lehman
Naomi Harris
Dane De Haan
Emory Cohen
Anon -- good call.
Sigourney Weaver or Jodie Foster or Kate Winslet.
Stephan James!
Lupita!
Gugu Mbatha-Raw!
Kelvin Harrison Jr.!
Riz Ahmed!
Florence Pugh!
Awkwafina!
Dev Patel!
Gemma Chan!
Christopher Abbott!
Marwan Kenzari!
I have been screaming for at least a decade now that all I want in this life is a rom-com starring Udo Kier and Grace Zabriskie -- if they don't make it before one of them dies I swear I will make it my own life's work to use whatever technology we have at that point to CG one!
Stoll is too bald and Lupita too black. The other choices are just awful.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Lots of great names have already been mentioned, but nobody has said Loretta Devine and she deserves it!
She'd be all kinds of charming in a rom-com about a woman of a certain age finding love again. Around the time that "Gloria Bell" was released there was a joke about how the movie could be remade every year with different actresses, and she would be at the top of my list of potential stars. Throw in Rob Morgan or Mahershala Ali as her younger love interest and I'm there opening night!
I wish The Photograph had done better because I think pretty much all of the couples in that film were so great together. Seriously, Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield, Chanté Adams and Y'lan Noel, Lil Rel Howery and Teyonah Parris, and even Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Jasmine Cephas Jones (who only get one scene together) all have great chemistry.
Kimberly Elise and Tom Schiling could play a sweet and tender couple.
I remember a few years back that Morgan Freeman noted he hadn't done many romantic roles. Hmmm... how about a romance with him and Loretta Devine?
Austin Pendleton.
Guestguestguest: Eh, I kind of understand WHY he hasn't gotten many romantic roles. It's hard to make a good romance out of an actor who projects...genial omnipotence...most naturally. It makes a great narrator, there's a reason that became such an easily mockable cliche, or, well, God, not a great romantic idol.
Let's see... from the MCU!!!!!
Chadwick Boseman
Winston Duke
Anthony Mackie
Michael Pena
Tom Holland
Vin Diesel
Karen Gillan
Pom Klementieff
Elizabeth Olsen
Florence Pugh
Tessa Thompson
I'm still waiting for a romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, and Mark Ruffalo as Reese's ex-husband who becomes best friends with Rudd who is Reese's new husband. I see $$$$$$$$ in a project like that.
Someone greenlight a romantic comedy starring Rosemarie DeWitt and Chiwetel Ejiofor!
I didn't write DiCaprio. I'm not dumb.
I hate to sound horrible, but I disagree about Dane De Haan. I've always wondered how he got as far as he has.
On the other hand, the already mentioned Riz Ahmed, Dev Patel, and Gael Garcia Bernal can be joined by Alexander Skarsgård and Louis Garrel. Keep an eye out for Björn Elgerd from Sweden, who could really steal some hearts if he started doing English language stuff. Finally, I'll never get over the fact that Nastassja Kinski didn't become huge. I saw her again in CAT PEOPLE recently and she really could have been huge, I think. What happened? Maybe it was just the 80s. Reagan's America didn't have much use for international performers, especially one with the uncanny sexual vibes of this born for the camera wonder. It was all apple pie American: Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Debra Winger. Lina Olin should have become huge, too. Sigh.
Ramy Youseff who is at his best on his series when interacting with his romantic interests, displaying great chemistry with every single actress.
Luke Benward who showed promise in both Dumplin and Life of the Party, and I would welcome him reteaming with either Danielle Macdonald or Melissa McCarthy.
Oscar Isaac wanted him and John Boyega to be a couple in Star Wars. Well, let's put them in a better movie worthy of their talent and charms.