Yes, Pedro Pascal Should Make a Rom-Com
Presenting: My shortlist of the most promising — and overlooked — romantic leading men.
First, a brief, newsy Glen Powell update:
The Anyone but You actor — the subject of my second-most popular newsletter (who knew?!) — has revealed that he and co-star Sydney Sweeney are conspiring to make a follow-up to their blockbuster romantic comedy, which just crossed $200 million at the global box office. It’s the first big, splashy studio rom-com to reach that milestone since Crazy Rich Asians hit theaters six years ago. And so far, Powell and Sweeney — who are famous but not mega-famous — have managed to outdo recent rom-coms starring beloved genre MVPs, notably Julia Roberts and George Clooney in Ticket to Paradise ($168 million) and Sandra Bullock in The Lost City ($192 million).
“Nobody really expected that,” Powell, looking Prom Kingish in his Nutella-brown Brioni suit, told Marc Malkin on the SAG Awards’ red carpet. “We knew we made a great movie — we just didn’t know it would take fire like it did.”
He continued: “We’re definitely trying to find the next thing. Please send us all the scripts you got. You know we’re here for it. It’s been really wonderful to read a lot. Sydney reads everything, by the way, and in record time. She’s the fastest reader I think I’ve ever met. It takes me a little longer, but we’re reading everything and just trying to see what makes sense, what we can turn into something that audiences are going to respond to.”
Powell is unfailingly polite — a diplomat playing the long game. This is part of his easy-to-work-with, happy-to-be-here charm offensive. He will always refrain from burning bridges and admitting: “We knew we did not make When Harry Met Sally, or even How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days — please write us a better script!” But the film is hilarious. And fun. Its runaway success will silence the skeptics who believe that the rom-com’s talent pipeline has dried up, especially where leading men are concerned. No, no: The pipeline is flooded with candidates.
On that note, did you catch Pedro Pascal at the SAGs? The internet heartthrob and star of The Last of Us won the award for Male Actor in a Drama Series. When Pascal’s name was announced, his rugged face registered genuine shock. His speech was funny and endearing, an instant classic:
And while watching Pascal squirm in the spotlight, I couldn’t help but think of … Colin Firth. Specifically, the erotic white blouse that Firth wore in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice miniseries circa 1995. His was an earthier Mr. Darcy than what British viewers were used to. He caused fainting spells across the United Kingdom. His most (in)famous scene:
Pascal would’ve made a fine Darcy in his younger days, if ever given the opportunity. As he nears 50 years of age, though, he exudes a sensual masculinity recalling Vintage Firth. He can pull off a pirate shirt. Or short shorts. It drives his fans bonkers. I cannot understand why Hollywood executives never capitalized on his massive appeal and cast this man in something as bighearted and playful as he is. I was not surprised to learn that Celine Song, who wrote and directed the lovely, Oscar-nominated drama Past Lives, had the shrewd common sense to envision him as a lead in her next project, a rom-com called Materialists. If the casting rumors pan out, the picture will star Pascal, Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans in a story about a professional matchmaker (Johnson, I’m guessing!) who gets involved with a wealthy man (Pascal?) but still carries a torch for her ex, a struggling actor (Evans?). Until an official announcement is made, I’m short-listing Pascal for the prize of Male Actor With Untapped Rom-Com Potential.
The others on my list:
Jason Momoa: This one’s for you, Mom! As much as I like Channing Tatum, I wanted to replace him in The Lost City with Momoa — who literally looks as though he walked off the cover of an old-school romance paperback.
John Mulaney: Yes, really. He’s got demons, sure, but he also has that thing that made Billy Crystal such an original choice for Harry Burns. Like Crystal, he’s interesting. And a fantastic writer. He’s been through the wringer. He can use his personal experiences to write his own clever rom-com script that balances the light with the dark.
Kieran Culkin: A similar energy to Mulaney! On Succession, Culkin proved to be a nimble comedian, turning the vile Roman Roy into an anti-hero to root for rather than despise. In real life, he’s a seemingly well-adjusted family guy with a glib, wry, off-key sensibility. He’d make a fresh addition to any rom-com cast.
Colman Domingo: This highly respected Oscar nominee has earned acclaim for his work in serious fare, including the biopic Rustin and the movie musical adaptation of The Color Purple. On the 2024 award-circuit red carpet, he’s a welcome burst of style and originality in a sea of boring menswear. (Vogue agrees!) Personally, I’d like to see Domingo headline a fashion-themed romance.
Phil Dunster: While season three of Ted Lasso disappointed many critics, I liked it a lot, in part because Dunster finally got some well-deserved airtime. His performance as formerly bratty footballer Jamie Tartt had so much depth and humor. It felt realistic, not sitcom-y, and fearlessly emotional. He’s not afraid to show his heart on camera.
Charles Melton: Look up “hunk” in the dictionary and there you shall find the name “Charles Melton.” He broke out big-time in the campy critical darling May December and will next star opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the dark comedy Love Child. Wrong move. Not to further objectify this talented actor, but I think he should instead remake 1987’s Mannequin and play the Kim Cattrall part. Is this an absolutely terrible idea? Yes. Yet it just might work.
Anyway, if we don’t at least consider these men for the next batch of romantic comedies, we’re stuck with the alternative: Ashton Kutcher. (Which Reese Witherspoon learned the hard way.) Please forward my list to the Powers That Be — and send Powell all the scripts you have.
Meanwhile, who’s on your shortlist? I’m curious to know!
Such a great list! And it drives me a bit crazy to think of how many romcoms Ashton Kutcher has starred in, when there have always been so many other better options.
I know he's distractingly handsome but I think Henry Cavill is tremendously underused in movies and would kill it in an old-school '90s-style British romcom. He seems like such a nerdy sweetie in interviews!