Hayley: In our conversation about the 30 Rock St. Patrick's Day episode, you mentioned that James Marsden is one of Hollywood's most underutilized hot guys. I agree, and I think that we need to have a bigger discussion on this important topic.
James Marsden is perfect to look at onscreen. He is charming, handsome, a good actor, and has great comedic timing. But the problem is that there are so few places to turn when you want to watch a movie with James Marsden front-and-center. He is the guy who doesn't get the girl in two iconic romantic movies — The Notebook and Enchanted. He is in a handful of 30 Rock episodes. I haven't seen Hairspray, but I think the best James Marsden vehicle is probably 27 Dresses. I have tweeted about this before.
But James Marsden isn't the only underutilized hot guy in Hollywood. Another one who comes to mind is Matthew Goode, who is mostly in movies that are ... not good(e). Like Leap Year. I absolutely loved watching him on The Crown, but dammit, I want more! I don't know if we can count Jamie Dornan as underutilized when he was the lead in the 50 Shades franchise, but in my mind that franchise does not exist.
Diego Luna is probably at the top of my list of hot guys I want to see in fucking everything. Who are the hot guys you believe Hollywood is underutilizing?
Victoria: Hayley what the fuck go watch Hairspray! It is not the best James Marsden vehicle because he is a side character, but he does so much with so little! Great film. I also LOVE 27 Dresses. Every time it's on TV (which from 2009 to 2015 was like ... every single day) I ended up watching at least some of it. I love grumpy James Marsden and his penchant for wearing at least three shirts in every scene. I only just remembered that he was in X-Men, and I would actually love for him to reprise that role, because I think a lot of Cyclops' storylines in the comics where he is an adult are very good, but now I will stop myself before I get too lost in the nerd weeds.
Matthew Goode was Lady Mary's consolation prize husband on Downton Abbey, but I'd stopped watching by then. He also had a great arc on The Good Wife where he and Julianna Marguiles had absolutely crackling chemistry that went ... nowhere. Leap Year is nonsense, and Matthew Goode has a terrible beard that masks his good looks. I guess my ideal Matthew Goode role would be as a handsome, mysterious widower on Bridgerton who seduces and marries someone, involving a lot of steamy sex. Someone get me on the phone with Shonda!
Diego Luna is getting a Star Wars series which I guess is good, but only if there's kissing in it, which, based on the track record, there probably isn't. Pedro Pascal probably can't be counted as underutilized because of The Mandalorian, but the whole thing is that we NEVER see his FACE so ... feels like we took some missteps! And, staying on Star Wars, I worry this fate will befall John Boyega. He's booked and busy, but will any of these action star roles showcase what a cutie he is? Not sure!
Hugh Dancy and Lee Pace also come to mind. Both of them had iconic romantic moments (to me) — Ella Enchanted and Pushing Daisies — and then critically acclaimed TV series — Hannibal and Halt And Catch Fire, respectively — but they're not mainstream hot guys. I remember when Ella Enchanted came out, Teen People had a section on up-and-coming cuties, and I printed out the part about Hugh and put it on the wall in my room. Obviously he's a massive talent — and Hannibal fanfic is extremely popular — but like ... can ya girl get a nice little romance here??
Looking back on the past, I think Bill Pullman never got the hot guy shine he deserved. Readers might remember that we are both huge fans of While You Were Sleeping, and no one else could have been Dottie's husband in A League Of Their Own, but when people think of iconic romantic leads of the '90s, I don't think Bill makes the list! Tragic.
Hayley: Oh my GOD I forgot about Lee Pace! I don't want to live in a world where I forget about Lee Pace for even a SECOND. This is Hollywood's fault. One of their grievous errors was casting Lee Pace as the villain Ronan in Guardians of the Galaxy. No kissing! His face is covered with paint! C'mon, people!
The thing that sucks so much about all of these hot guys being in Marvel and Star Wars movies and television series is that those franchises, owned by Disney, are notoriously chaste. As pointed out by this article, so many of our leading hot guys are in roles where the steamiest thing they do is take off their shirt. It's a waste of all of this hot guy talent!
Pedro Pascal is underutilized in my opinion because we never see his face in The Mandalorian. I think that a key factor in underutilization is misusing hot guy hotness. We should not only be able to see their faces, but also see them in roles where they can be steamy! I would love to see Pedro Pascal in a romantic movie where like, Tessa Thompson meets him while she's on a business trip and they have a fling and then develop feelings for each other. I don't think it's an unreasonable demand.
This is where I want to circle back to Jamie Dornan, who is a genuinely sexy guy but I don't think he is being utilized properly in the 50 Shades movies (of which I've only seen the first one). Peak Jamie Dornan smolder occurs in Sofia Coppola's Marie-Antoinette, where he plays a Swedish noble, Count Axel Fersen. That is the name of a real person but also the name of a lead in a romance novel if I've ever heard one. Axel Fersen Showtime miniseries WHEN?
Your point about Bill Pullman is 100% correct. Every time I rewatch While You Were Sleeping I feel like I am caught off-guard by how charming and hot he is in that movie. I think he was always more of the ‘90s everyman than the ‘90s hot man. I also love Bill Pullman in Sleepless in Seattle, where they essentially have to make him have really bad allergies (???) and be kind of corny in order to make him an unappealing romantic partner for Meg Ryan. How are you going to cast Bill Pullman in that role? He is even charming in their breakup scene! Justice for Bill Pullman.
If we took some hot guy roles away from the Chrises and gave them to some of these actors, I really feel like the world would be a better place.
Victoria: You know, I just realized Bryan Fuller, gave us both Pushing Daisies and Hannibal! Thank you, Bryan, for unlocking the power of these hot guys.
I actually screamed when you mentioned Jamie Dornan was in Marie-Antoinette. It doesn't feel like he could possibly have been around that long? I haven't watched Barb & Star yet, but I think that might fulfill your Jamie craving the way Chris Hemsworth in Ghostbusters filled my need for a hot, funny Chris.
Because that's the thing! Even the Chrises, who are pretty near the top of the mainstream Hollywood hot guy hierarchy, don't get to do stuff that's that sexy. Chris Evans used to do romcoms, but most of them suck and he hasn't done one in a long time! Chris Pine gets to be Wonder Woman's love interest, but I don't like those movies and would rather just watch The Princess Diaries 2 for the millionth time. Chris Hemsworth has never done anything even remotely romantic! Chris Pratt does not matter to me.
The truth is, if you want to see romance and flirting and falling in love and sexy, sexy sex scenes, you have to watch TV! Adam Driver did all his pre-movie star banging on Girls. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II broke through on HBO's Watchmen. Mahershala Ali was the only thing that was remotely sexy about House of Cards. William Jackson Harper and Manny Jacinto worked their way into my heart on The Good Place. Jon Krasinksi became a romantic lead on The Office and followed that up with ... a CIA propaganda show from Amazon. Sigh.
Taylor Kitsch, who played Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights, is maybe the perfect example of a TV hot guy who never popped off. He's so hot. Why is he not in a sweet romcom about a divorced dad who volunteers as his daughter's soccer coach?? I want it!
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What Hayley recommends:
These Wontons in Chili Garlic Broth from Foodie Takes Flight are so delicious and so fun to make. I made extra and froze them for later, which I highly recommend!
The Blank Check podcast is doing a series on the Disney renaissance and animated films of John Musker and Ron Clements, and it’s super entertaining. I loved the Aladdin episode in particular.
I just got a Peloton (humblebrag) and I absolutely swear by these compression leggings from Old Navy for cycling.
I just finished Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall and it should truly be required reading for anyone who wants to understands the limitations (and violence!) of white feminism. (Also Mikki is a top-tier Twitter follow, I particularly liked her recent thread on which Avengers would get into heaven.)
Stuff Victoria is loving:
The podcast the Sporkful just aired a five-part series about the host’s quest to design, manufacture and sell a new pasta shape. It took him three years! The five episodes are so so good.
This cover of “The Only Exception” by INEZ made me cry!
A great explainer about the bills targeting trans athletes that are working their way through state houses across the country.
I finished the third Brown sisters romance novel by Talia Hibbert, Act your Age, Eve Brown, and can now fully endorse the whole series!