5 Iconic Rom-Com Stars Hollywood Just Won't Cast Anymore
The saying goes that every dog has its day. And in the acting world, that means that some major stars seem to fall out of favour – often inexplicably.
But for many Hollywood legends this semi-step back from the limelight comes after they've cemented their status with a starring role in a rom-com.
The rom-com, of course, has become a staple of modern society. Every generation has 'that movie' that pretty much sums up life and popular culture at a given moment through the lens of a tried and tested love story that has been around since Shakespeare was putting quill to paper.
These five actors have traversed that path and remain Hollywood royalty – but they just don't seem to get cast anymore:
- Meg Ryan: Meg was there at the beginning of the great rom-com revolution of the 80s and 90s. And, like Meryl Streep, you just assumed she'd always have a place on the big screen. Eventually, she took a step back from the public eye saying she was 'burned out'. And from 2015 to 2022 she had no roles – until she cast herself in her own rom-com, What Happens Later.
- Richard Gere: Who can forget Richard Gere in Pretty Woman? He was the epitome of a gentleman and a leading man. Gere moved into predominantly indie movies in the 2010s – with the actor himself saying his political views restricted which movies he could be cast in. But just like Meg Ryan, he's clearly a sucker for a rom-com and starred alongside Susan Sarandon and Diane Kearon in the 2023 movie Maybe I Do in a rare moment of Hollywood approval.
- Andrew McCarthy: Anyone who watched rom-coms in the 80s will instantly recognise Andrew McCarthy – even if they only remember him as 'the bloke from Mannequin'. He was the heartthrob who broke the mould. Since James Dean, it seemed every leading man had to live up to the macho image of the iconic star taken far too early. McCarthy, though, was the actor who heralded the arrival of the 'new man' that would sweep through society in the 90s. After the turn of the century, though, he moved behind the camera.
- Amanda Bynes: After being the face of rom-coms through the noughties, she stepped back from fame saying she no longer loved acting. Sadly, since then, Bynes has suffered some personal struggles with substance abuse and mental health disorders. But, who knows, we may yet see her back on her screens as the star of What a Girl Wants, Love Wrecked and Easy A seems to be in a better place these days.
- Jennifer Grey: Jennifer peaked in the hit movie Dirty Dancing as Baby and never managed to land another significant role. Plenty of cosmetic surgery and a bit too much of the Hollywood lifestyle took its toll on the actor who, in 1987, must have felt she had the movie world at her feet.
