These rom-com actors deserve more love. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the rom-com performers who deserve some long overdue recognition!
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Can I get you anything, Mr. Trainer? Coffee? Tea? Me?
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the
00:06rom-com performers who deserve some long-overdue recognition.
00:10Yeah, games. All kinds of games.
00:18Number 10. Gillian Jacobs
00:20Cutting her teeth on the hit series Community,
00:23Gillian Jacobs was preparing herself for a career full of comedy.
00:27Since then, she has gone on to build herself an impressive list of credits,
00:31including the 2018 rom-com Ibiza.
00:34You had to delete that. You promised me you would.
00:36Please don't make me. Don't make me.
00:37Why?
00:37Because it's heavy, ma'am. We're sure it's our kids one day.
00:39Our kids? Are you kidding me? With global warming, we've got like 10 years left.
00:43The Netflix production is an underrated flick that allows Jacobs to showcase
00:48her ability to remain grounded and laugh out loud hilarious at the same time.
00:52Between 2016 and 2018, she also starred in the Netflix series Love.
00:57We are, are we engaged or no?
01:02I don't, I don't think engaged, but I think we're good. I think we're like really good.
01:08Following two polar opposites embarking on a challenging relationship,
01:12the nuanced story established Jacobs' chops as a romantic lead.
01:17It's hard to believe she told Glamour in 2016 that she's never been drawn to the genre.
01:22Hopefully that's changed.
01:23We are here today, tonight, to witness the matrimony of Gus Crutching and Mickey Dice.
01:319. Philip Seymour Hoffman
01:34The late Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the most revered actors of our generation.
01:39Although mostly known for his dramatic roles in films like The Master and Capote,
01:43he was also a skilled comedic performer.
01:46One needs to look no further than his unforgettable role in 2004's Along Came Polly.
01:51Starring opposite comedy pros Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston,
01:55it's Hoffman who steals the show.
01:57Best man is in the house.
02:00Oh!
02:00Oh my god!
02:01Sandy, you okay?
02:02Jorge, ice. The best man went down.
02:05That just was like a slip and slide, dude.
02:06Playing Sandy Lyle, a former child star and BFF to Stiller's character,
02:11his performance is comedy at its finest.
02:14From his off-key singing to his outlandish one-liners,
02:17Hoffman excels in the role, leaving everyone in stitches.
02:21Rangers!
02:23Sandy, come on!
02:24Sandy! Sandy! Sandy!
02:27Sandy! Sandy!
02:28White chocolate!
02:29Sandy!
02:31Raindrops!
02:32And as a director and star of Jack Goes Boating,
02:35he showed a great instinct for romantic dramedy.
02:39Maybe a little goodnight kiss.
02:43Maybe.
02:44You know, nothing overwhelming.
02:45Okay.
02:468. Jack Black
02:48It was really fun hanging with you.
02:51Okay, I'm sorry.
02:52I didn't mean to kiss you twice and then linger a long time on the second kiss.
02:57Starring in comedies like School of Rock, Tropic Thunder, and Nacho Libre,
03:02Jack Black has earned his stripes as one of Hollywood's go-to comedic actors.
03:07Therefore, his work in romantic comedies gets lost in the shuffle.
03:11In the 2000s, he appeared as a sidekick to rom-com royalty
03:15John Cusack in the movie-centered flick High Fidelity.
03:18Oh man, that's great!
03:20That's the fun thing about working in a record store.
03:22You get to play crappy pap you don't even want to listen to.
03:24It was only the next year when he played opposite Gwyneth Paltrow
03:28in the irreverent rom-com Shallow Hal.
03:30And with the ensemble romance The Holiday,
03:33he melted Kate Winslet's heart with his swoon-worthy performance,
03:37while staying true to his distinct sense of humor.
03:39It turns out, Black is a very versatile charmer.
03:42If I come over there, will you go out with me on New Year's Eve?
03:50Love to.
03:51Number 7.
03:52Jake Johnson
03:53Best known as Nick Miller on New Girl,
03:56Jake Johnson was one half of television's most talked-about couples during the 2010s.
04:01His chemistry with Zooey Deschanel evolved a hilarious friendship into a classic TV rom-com.
04:07Just kiss me.
04:07No, I'm not gonna kiss you.
04:08Kiss me!
04:09Jess, stop!
04:10God, Miller, just kiss me already!
04:11No, not like this!
04:16What?
04:17What does that mean?
04:17However, fans might forget that the series isn't Johnson's only venture in that genre.
04:23In 2011, he played Ashton Kutcher's pal in No Strings Attached.
04:27Did you have sex with Emma?
04:31Yes.
04:33I'm not supposed to tell anyone.
04:34Yes!
04:36Wow!
04:37Not long after, he was a lead in Joe Swanberg's film Drinking Buddies,
04:41also starring Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, and Ron Livingston.
04:45All of the film's dialogue is improvised.
04:48It's an impressive feat, yet unsurprising given Johnson's knack for spinning comedy gold.
04:54And fall asleep on the f***ing sand.
04:57And if we don't fall asleep, because there's a good chance it's too uncomfortable to fall asleep.
05:02As New Girl shows, he can be so much more to romances than a funny friend.
05:07Number 6.
05:08Katherine Hahn
05:09Let's see this.
05:11It's my favorite.
05:13I love it.
05:14No.
05:15No.
05:16Are you trying to get laid or adopted?
05:18Long before she was a bad mom or Agatha Harkness,
05:21Katherine Hahn was appearing in some of the most beloved comedies of the 2000s.
05:26Playing Kate Hudson's pal in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,
05:29Hahn became an official member of the rom-com club.
05:32The next year, she was in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton,
05:36then appeared alongside Reese Witherspoon in 2010's How Do You Know?
05:3910 pounds, 10.
05:42And I'm three days early.
05:45Are you exhausted?
05:46Oh, I'm slap happy.
05:48She also leads comedies with more dramatic sensibilities like HBO's Mrs. Fletcher.
05:54Although Hahn's recent breakout roles in film and television haven't seen her
05:58return to rom-coms as of late, we're excited for the possibility.
06:02Oh, this is the best part.
06:05The future is open wide.
06:09Number 5.
06:10Joan Cusack
06:11No stranger to the genre, Joan Cusack has built an illustrious filmography
06:16that includes some of the biggest rom-coms of all time.
06:19I need Katherine's office right away.
06:21Sure, of course, no problem. I'll be with you in five minutes.
06:24I needed five minutes ago.
06:25I'm right with you.
06:27What's going on in there?
06:28She's dusting.
06:29From her Oscar-nominated performance in Working Girl to Broadcast News,
06:34she was in some of the best romantic flicks of the 80s and 90s.
06:37Jane, I gotta tell you something.
06:39Wait, is it happening?
06:40Yeah.
06:41Except for socially.
06:44You're my role model.
06:45Cusack seems to typically play the show-stealer, never the show.
06:50But even as the quirky best friend or the offbeat co-worker, she always shines bright.
06:55Whether Cusack will land a long-overdue lead role in her own romantic comedy or not,
07:00she's brought many memorable performances to the genre.
07:03I cannot believe they're fighting now.
07:07This is my moment.
07:09This is my moment.
07:11Number 4. Jessica Williams
07:13You have a great smile.
07:15What's your go-to karaoke song?
07:17I do not care for karaoke.
07:19Really? Boo, dude.
07:22After working on The Daily Show as a correspondent,
07:25Jessica Williams set her sights on the silver screen.
07:28Following her appearances in films like Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and People Places Things,
07:33she finally had an opportunity to lead a film.
07:36In The Incredible Jessica James,
07:38Williams plays an aspiring playwright going through a tough breakup.
07:42Starring alongside Lakeith Stanfield and Chris O'Dowd,
07:46she did an incredible job of balancing both humor and heart.
07:50You wish we never would have met.
07:51I guess I kind of wish we hadn't met.
07:52No, don't do that.
07:54Don't negate everything we had just because you don't like the way it ended.
07:57Well, why not?
07:58Because it was good.
07:59And then it wasn't.
08:00She continued to enchant streaming with the second season of HBO Max's Love Life
08:05and the Netflix animated movie Enter Galactic.
08:08Her rom-com chops nearly transcend formats.
08:12Come on, let's do something.
08:13What?
08:15Not in this room.
08:16Number 3.
08:17Bill Hader
08:18A couple of years after his departure from Saturday Night Live,
08:22Bill Hader made the leap from sketch comedy to romantic comedy.
08:25Pairing up with Amy Schumer for 2015's Trainwreck,
08:29Hader got to play a sports doctor who falls for Schumer's carefree character.
08:33Do you want to get some raviolis?
08:34I know a place that's around here that they have great raviolis.
08:39I'd love to get raviolis.
08:41Let's go to the ravioli place.
08:42Get them.
08:43Yeah.
08:43In the role, Hader is everything audiences could want in a leading man.
08:47He's charming, kind, and of course, has an impeccable sense of humor.
08:52Oh!
08:52Did you let me do that?
08:54Did I just score on you?
08:55Yes!
08:56You are my bitch, LeBron James!
08:58But not really, not really.
09:00Mind you, this isn't Hader's first venture into the genre.
09:03In the 2000s, he had small roles in You, Me, and Dupree and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
09:09You should leave your P in the V and blow it inside the V
09:12so you can have a B-A-B-Y and be a normal person.
09:16I'm leaving, man.
09:17And we're keeping our fingers crossed he will be back for more soon.
09:21Number 2.
09:22Rashida Jones
09:23Rashida Jones has been a staple of comedy since the 2000s,
09:27both on the small and silver screen.
09:29I saw you walking on the lawn looking all sad and I realized
09:33I couldn't let you get married without your best man.
09:35However, it wasn't until 2012 when she got to step into a leading role
09:40in the indie rom-com Celeste & Jesse Forever, which she also co-wrote.
09:44It's now considered one of her greatest works to date.
09:47I know all this has been really weird.
09:50It's only weird if you think it's weird.
09:52In the film, she and Adam Sandberg play two best friends who also happen to be divorced.
09:57With the story told from her point of view,
10:00Jones offers up a performance that is as funny as it is heartbreaking.
10:04I know that my success was never okay for you.
10:08What do you want?
10:09I want you to admit that you're wrong.
10:12Honestly, we think the world of romantic comedies could definitely use a little more Rashida in it.
10:18Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:22Topher Grace
10:23Let's get Topher Grace in more rom-coms, please and thanks.
10:26I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but would you like to dance?
10:34Kristen Milioti
10:36We'd get lost in a time loop with her any day.
10:38In case I don't see you again, I love you too.
10:43Ali Wong
10:44From stand-up to the silver screen, Ali Wong can do anything.
10:48That was the bad version.
10:51It was good.
10:52It was great.
10:53You liked it?
10:53I loved it.
10:54Kiss already!
10:55Rupert Everett
10:56From the moment we wake up, we're still thinking about his rom-com chops.
11:00Maybe there won't be marriage.
11:03Maybe there won't be sex.
11:07But by God, there'll be dancing.
11:10Dewanda Wise
11:12Dewanda Wise is someone great indeed.
11:21Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about
11:26our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:31If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:38Judy Greer
11:39You're hot, you can get any guy you want.
11:42Not to mention Beyonce, the hottest magazine editor in the world.
11:46Second hottest.
11:48Tied for first?
11:49Deal.
11:50If there's anyone in showbiz who deserves more recognition, it's Judy Greer.
11:55The actress has well over 150 credits,
11:58building a name for herself as one of Hollywood's most steadily working performers.
12:03A true staple of the rom-com genre, Greer has appeared in films such as 13 Going on 30,
12:09What Women Want, The Wedding Planner, and 27 Dresses.
12:12That's why I love you.
12:16I love you too.
12:18Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're right, I needed that.
12:23We could list them off, but we'd be here all day.
12:26The versatile character actress is always consistent, sincere, and impressive.
12:31Although she has ventured into many other genres, she'll always be a rom-com queen.
12:36You're available.
12:40I'm available. I'm unbelievably available.
12:45Which one of the rom-com actors is your favorite? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
12:49Mr. T, your majesty, I'm sorry we don't have finer china.
12:53Oh, that's perfectly all right.
12:54Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
12:57And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.