After fading from prominence for a few years, romantic comedies appear to be making a comeback, especially on streaming sites. Streaming makes it more difficult for actors to accumulate high box-office earnings, but films likeAnyone But Youare doing extremely well, showing that there is a market for romantic comedies. With Valentine’s Day coming up faster than anyone can spell it, some people are looking for their partner in crime, a yin to their yang, their other half—a king totheir rom-com queen, one might say.
A few standout actors have made a career out of starring in romantic comedies, while others have only sporadically dabbled in the genre. Putting their good looks, humor, or simple charm to excellent use, actors have endeared themselves to their onscreen love matches, as well as to viewers watching the romance come alive.These actors dominated the rom-com genre and the box office for years, cementing their legacies as romantic icons of the silver screen. Now, the question is: will anyone in thisnew crop of swoon-worthy rom-com kingseventually overtake the current reigning champions of the box office?
10Ben Stiller
Rom-Com Box-Office:$382M
Top Rom-Coms
Domestic Box-Office Earnings
‘There’s Something About Mary’
$176 million
‘Along Came Polly’
$88 million
‘Keeping the Faith’
$37 million
Ben Stillerwrote forSaturday Night Liveand worked as a featured performer on the sketch series for only four episodes before leaving the show. After his ownThe Ben Stiller Showwas canceled, Stiller directed his first romantic comedy,Reality Bites, alongside ’90s “it-girl"Winona Ryderand grungy heartthrobEthan Hawke. The film was a strong jumping-off point for Stiller in the genre, with his next few films,If Lucy FellandFlirting with Disaster, not landing quite as well at the box office. But that would all change in 1998 with some “frank and beans” and questionable hair gel.
Also featuringCameron Diazin her breakout role, theFarrelly brothers' raunchy romantic comedyThere’s Something About Marymore than solidified Ben Stiller as a leading man box office draw. Stiller’s unassuming visage made him accessible to all audiences, and his comedic timing and willingness to “go there” made him a star. He kept dominating the genre with rom-coms likeKeeping the Faithwith TV starJenna ElfmanandEdward Norton,Along Came PollywithJennifer Aniston, andDuplexwithDrew Barrymore. His highest-grossing films, however, skew toward awkward and often R-rated comedies.
9Jack Nicholson
Rom-Com Box-Office$430M
‘As Good As It Gets’
$148 million
‘Something’s Gotta Give’
$124 million
‘About Schmidt’
$65 million
Three-time Oscar winnerJack Nicholsonisn’t the first person to come to mind when thinking of romantic comedies; indeed, he is mostly known for his intense dramatic roles. However, inAs Good As It GetsalongsideHelen Hunt,Nicholson showed he had a romantic side and won a Best Actor Oscar for his effort. Audiences loved seeing a different side to Nicholson, and he shared excellent chemistry with Hunt; even with their polar opposite characters and age difference, the romance was believable (if not entirely advised).
In 2002, Nicholson starred alongsideKathy BatesinAlexander Payne’s dark comedyAbout Schmidtand earned another Oscar nomination for his work. The following year,Something’s Gotta Givebecame a huge hit, with audiences enjoying its exploration of love later in life and charming performances byDiane KeatonandKeanu Reeves. While Nicholson mostly kept his gruff demeanor, glints of tenderness toward bothAmanda Peetand Keaton revealed his soft side. In 2010, the romantic comedyHow Do You Know?marked Nicholson’s last film role to date.
8Ashton Kutcher
Rom-Com Box-Office$432M
‘Valentine’s Day’
$110 million
‘What Happens In Vegas…’
$80 million
‘No Strings Attached’
$70 million
Who would have thought that playing the goofy stoner Kelso inThat ’70s Showwould leadAshton Kutcherto the top of the box office? During and after his prank showPunk’d, Kutcher was everywhere, including the big screen. His boyish charm and good looks turned into leading man material, making him a perfect fit for theromantic comedies of the 2000s. He starred opposite then-partnerBrittany MurphyinJust MarriedandTara ReidinMy Boss’s Daughter.
Ashton Kutcher really hit his romantic-comedy stride in the late 2000s and early 2010s. He starred in 2008’sWhat Happens in Vegas…with Cameron Diaz, who was a major draw on her own by then, and 2011’sNo Strings AttachedoppositeNatalie Portmanin a rare rom-com role, which likely drew audiences to theaters to see how she fared. In addition to leading his own romantic comedies, Kutcher participated in some of the biggest ensemble films in the genre, includingValentine’s Day, boosting his box-office earnings immensely.
7Patrick Dempsey
Rom-Com Box-Office$468M
‘Enchanted’
$127 million
‘Sweet Home Alabama’
As far back as 1987’sCan’t Buy Me Love,Patrick Dempseystarred in romantic comedies, likely due to his “McDreamy” good looks, put to excellent use onGrey’s Anatomydecades later. However, even after leadingCan’t Buy Me Love, Dempsey wouldn’t return to the genre of love until the mega-hitSweet Home AlabamawithReese Witherspoonin 2002. The film sees a battle of the dimples between Dempsey’s perfectly adequate suitor andJosh Lucas' hometown endgame.
After several years of winning hearts and performing surgery on them inGrey’s Anatomy, Disney’s live-action musicalEnchantedstarted a renewed romantic-comedy boon for Dempsey. No longer was he the second choice for the leading lady; he “got the girl” inEnchanted,Made of Honor, andBridget Jones’s Baby(sort of). Adding toDempsey’s impressive romantic-comedy box-office earningsis the ensemble pieceValentine’s Day, although he’s a sleaze in that one.
6Richard Gere
Rom-Com Box-Office$474M
‘Pretty Woman’
$178 million
‘Runaway Bride’
$152 million
‘Shall We Dance?’
$57 million
Like Diane Keaton,Richard Gere has expertly shifted his roles in the rom-com genre over the years. Gere started as a leading man in romantic comedies with 1990’s extraordinarily successfulPretty Woman, alongside reigning romantic-comedy box-office queenJulia Roberts. In it, he played the role of a handsome, rich, and lonely businessman who pays for a little romance, and audiences loved him for it. For several years after, Gere stuck to leading dramas, even some romantic ones likeFirst Knight.
In 1999,Gere and Roberts reunited inRunaway Bride, again to great success. This revitalized Gere’s romantic-comedy career withDr. T and the WomenandShall We Dance?following soon after. While none of Gere’s romantic comedies has hit at the box office quite as well as his Roberts' collaborations, he deftly transitioned into “older” romance films likeNights in Rodanthe, which reunited him withDiane Lane, andThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Now, Gere can be seen as the father in romantic comedies like last year’sMaybe I Do.
5Adam Sandler
Rom-Com Box-Office$475M
‘Mr. Deeds’
$126 million
‘50 First Dates’
$120 million
‘Just Go with It’
$103 million
While most ofAdam Sandler’s extensive filmography consists of goofy comedies, there tends to be a romantic interest included somewhere in the mix. He’s starred alongsideKate BeckinsaleinClick,Patricia ArquetteinLittle Nicky,Salma HayekinGrown-Ups, andFairuza BalkinThe Waterboy, to name only a few. However,Sandler sometimes stars in films that highlight the romantic aspect, ably acting as a leading man. For example,Sandler often acts opposite Drew Barrymore. Their first romantic comedy,The Wedding Singer, was a surprising success after more juvenile hits likeBilly MadisonandHappy Gilmore.
The Wedding Singerbecame a beloved film for both fans and non-fans of the genre thanks to Sandler’s perfect blend of comedy and heart and impeccable chemistry with Barrymore. So much did the pair enjoy working together, and audiences delighted in watching them, that they reunited for two more romantic comedies: the hopelessly sweet50 First Datesand the family-drivenBlended.Also adding to Sandler’s impressive romantic-comedy box-office earnings isJust Go With It—his first ofthree successful outings with Jennifer Aniston—andMr. Deeds, in which he romances Winona Ryder.
4John Corbett
Rom-Com Box-Office$510M
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
$241 million
Sex and the City 2
$95 million
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
$59 million
After his likable series regular gig onNorthern Exposure,John Corbettlanded the role of Carrie’s earnest love interest, Aidan, on HBO’sSex and the City, winning a place in many viewers' hearts. Around that time, he also starred alongsideNia Vardalosin therevolutionary rom-comMy Big Fat Greek Wedding, which exploded at the box office due to its grounded and realistic charm and brilliant comedic turns from the large supporting cast.
Corbett’s box-office earnings increased with twoMy Big Fat Greek Weddingsequels andSex and the City 2. Impressively,Corbett is among the highest-grossing rom-com actors with only two extremely successful franchises. Adding to his romantic-comedy credentials, but not much to his box-office success, were his roles inRaising HelenalongsideKate HudsonandSerendipity, with leadsJohn CusackandKate Beckinsale.
3Tom Hanks
Rom-Com Box-Office$568M
‘Sleepless in Seattle’
‘You’ve Got Mail’
$115 million
$114 million
A staple of romantic comedies in the ’80s and ’90s,Tom Hankspossessed an easy-to-like everyman charm; he’s someone you could realistically meet on the street. Hanks made aSplashon the big screen alongsideDaryl Hannahin the whimsical mermaid romantic comedy.Hanks later dabbled in several comedieslikeBachelor Party,The Money Pit, andDragnetbefore finding superstardom in 1983’sBig.
Ever the versatile performer,Tom Hanks starred in a handful of romantic comedies throughout his prolific career. However, the two standouts and highest-grossing are opposite rom-com queenMeg Ryan. The pair followed up the success of their 1993 filmSleepless in Seattlewith another box-office smash in 1998’sYou’ve Got Mail. While the formerleaned toward the romance and the latter swayed more toward the comedy, both were box-office hits for the stars. Although he mainly does dramas nowadays, Hanks revisited the rom-com genre twice more, inThe TerminalwithCatherine Zeta-JonesandLarry Crownewith Julia Roberts.
2Hugh Grant
Rom-Com Box-Office$655M
‘Notting Hill’
$116 million
‘Two Weeks Notice’
$93 million
‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’
$71 million
Surprisingly not the highest-grossing romantic-comedy actor,Hugh Grant has made a very successful career in rom-coms, starting with his breakout role in 1994’sFour Weddings and a Funeral. His floppy hair and roguish grin immediately won over viewers and landed him a leading place in the romantic comedy genre throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. Grant didNine MonthswithJulianne Moorebefore playing Edward Ferrars inEmma Thompson’sbelovedJane Austenadaptation,Sense & Sensibility. In 1999, Hugh Grant starred with A-lister Julia Roberts in the smash hitNotting Hill, cementing himself astherom-com king.
The 2000s saw him paired with nearly every rom-com queen there is:Renée ZellwegerinBridget Jones’s Diary,Sandra BullockinTwo Weeks Notice, Drew Barrymore inMusic & Lyrics, andSarah Jessica ParkerinDid You Hear About the Morgans?Grant also proved that he can reign supreme among a stacked cast of quality British performers, dancing his way around 10 Downing Street as the Prime Minister in theholiday rom-com classicLove, Actually.
1Bradley Cooper
Rom-Com Box-Office$686M
‘Wedding Crashers’
$209 million
‘Silver Linings Playbook’
$132 million
Drumroll, please!The current king of romantic comedies is none other than Bradley Cooper…at least according to the box office! Cooper appropriately got his first acting role inan episode ofSex and the Cityas a brief love interest for Carrie, foreshadowing his successful future career in rom-coms. He didn’t start as a leading man, though, playing the sleazy fiancée toRachel McAdams' Claire inWedding Crashers, which is his highest-grossing romantic comedy to date.
Following supporting roles in other rom-coms, Cooper took leading turns in flops likeAll About SteveandAlohaand smaller roles in ensemble pieces likeValentine’s DayandHe’s Just Not That Into You. The 2012 filmSilver Linings Playbookhit the sweet spot with viewers and critics alike and earned Cooper his first Oscar nomination. Now, Cooper is pulling triple duty, making waves as an actor, director, and even musician, all while voicing one of the best characters in one of the biggest franchises of all time. Hail to the rom-com king, Bradley Cooper.
