The Romantic Lead We Need: Jack Quaid

I’m not the biggest fan of romantic comedies but it’s a genre that defined much of the 2000s, the era I grew up in. If this generation doesn’t have the classic, feel-good romantic comedy made just for them then what do they have? The blockbuster rom-com is a necessary genre in an era where films are consistently dark, “elevated”, convoluted or lack romantic tension. Everyone is trying to win an Oscar all of the time and frankly, it’s boring. The Oscar-bait culture creates a monolith of intimidation for the average moviegoers who just want to laugh and not watch a think piece every time they’re at the theatre. It’s why sequels, live action remakes and Marvel are so popular – people want digestible content. What’s digestible content? The romantic comedy – a genre Jack Quaid can revive.

It’s no secret that we are in the midst of a rom-com slump. Despite the success of Anyone But You over a year ago, studios seem reluctant to make rom-coms for the big screen, opting to release them directly on streaming platforms. The genre that once dominated the box-office in the 2000’s into the early 2010’s is currently not a part of the cultural conversation, being overshadowed by sequels and spin-offs. There are few actors who have the perfect storm of characteristics to pull-off a good romantic lead: handsome but approachable, kind yet strong and funny but not too awkward. The actor who has consistently caught my eye as a possible contender for the romantic lead we need in the modern era is none other than Jack Quaid.

I’d been thinking about Jack as the knight in shining armor of the rom-com for awhile but a chance encounter with him sold me. Although my meeting Jack was brief, he was incredibly kind, approachable and down-to-earth. He came across as genuine, despite my recognizing him in an unlikely place. Jack introduced himself to me even though I approached him saying I was a huge fan who just wanted to say hello. His overall demeanor and good-nature just further convinced me that he could usher a rom-com renaissance; after all, it’s in his blood. Jack being the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan only further advances my belief that he could be the man the rom-com girls are looking for. His filmography has him playing some sinister roles however, the sinisterness of his performance really shines because of his ability to play such a good boyfriend or love interest. Although Jack is no stranger to acting and has taken on different types of films, a few over the last couple of years struck me as great examples of why Jack would succeed in the romantic comedy realm.

Jack’s Crush-Worthy Performances

Plus One

This is exactly what I’m talking about! In this low-profile rom-com starring Jack Quaid and Maya Erksine (Pen15, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), friends from college Ben (Quaid) and Alice (Erksine) make a pact to attend about a dozen weddings together. Alice is newly single and Ben can’t seem to find “the one” but they decide they could be “wingmen” for each other and try to have a good time together. The premise alone can tell you exactly where it’s going but the movie was so incredibly well-done (and I’m not really a rom-com girl). Quaid and Erksine have great chemistry and with a strong, hilarious script, the film is a modern When Harry Met Sally and continues to ask the age old question: can men and women be just friends?

To talk about Quaid’s performance, we need to talk about Erksine’s performance. Erksine’s character especially makes this rom-com interesting – she isn’t a girl next door type. Alice is goofy, a little gross, raunchily amusing and messy. She’s all of the things that girls “aren’t supposed to be.” Yet Ben (spoiler alert!) chooses to love her anyway. Through some self-reflection, he realizes he doesn’t have to find a “dream girl” or have a fantastical meet-cute but can be with the girl he wants to take to all the weddings. Quaid played this role beautifully and tugged at my heartstrings, watching his change of heart and self-realization play out in the last third of the movie. Although this movie isn’t talked about often, it’s a great modern rom-com and the biggest piece of evidence that Quaid can carry the weight of a rom-com with the right actress and story.

Scream (2022)

I’ll start off by saying I love Skeet Ulrich in Scream (1997). He’s such a remarkably edgy boyfriend character that to this day, teen girls are making fan edits of Ulrich’s character, Billy Loomis. I didn’t think there would be a character in the Scream universe that came close to Billy’s appeal but Jack’s character, Richie, comes close for me. Richie is a sweet boyfriend to Sam (Melissa Barrera), offering her comfort while her sister, Tara, is recovering from a Ghostface attack. Richie is written as an homage to Billy but his overall presentation is wildly different; he is a little dorky, funny, non-threatening (until he isn’t) and unsuspecting. He spends much of the film doting over Sam and Tara, creating an illusion that he is just a kind-hearted, concerned boyfriend. 

The contrast in Quaid’s personas in his character creates much of the thrill at the climax of the film and shows his versatility as an actor. Girls have been swooning over Ghostface for decades and Jack’s portrayal is no different. His ability to deceive the audience of his ill intention ironically makes him the perfect candidate for the rom-com revival. He can play multiple rom-com archetypes: the golden retriever who is obsessed with winning over an avoidant love interest and the aloof, disagreeable man who slowly falls for his love interest.

Novacaine

From the trailers and promotion, Novacaine doesn’t strike as a romantic movie. In fact, I was reluctant to see it because it came across as another Marvel style action movie. The film focuses on Nathan Caine (Quaid), harshly nicknamed Novacaine by his grade-school bullies, and doesn't experience any physical pain. But that doesn’t stop him from feeling emotional emptiness. With a crush on a new co-worker, Nathan’s journey is both action-packed and passionately charged. It’s a classic action movie where the main motivation is to save the girl that he loves. It unfolds a lot like a romantic comedy – Nathan watches his beautiful co-worker walk in in slow motion, has some endearing awkward encounters with her and then starts a chase around the city to save her life. 

He’s witty, quick and becomes heroic. By the end of the film, he’s suiting a leather jacket, riding a motorcycle and has the confidence to win his co-worker’s heart while remaining goofy and charismatic. His leather jacket is actually made of boyfriend material. Quaid’s performance in this took me by surprise at how romantic of a lead he was. Jack was the big draw for this film and it absolutely worked. He knew how to deliver when it came to this role and played up the romance like only the son of Meg Ryan could.

Companion

This movie is one of my favorites of 2025 thus far and was advertised as Black Mirror-esque in style and subject matter. Despite the dark subject matter, Quaid’s literal role in this movie is to be a boyfriend (turned awful guy but hear me out). A romantic trip to the lake with some of his best friends? Yes, please. For the first quarter of the movie, Josh’s (Quaid) relationship with his girlfriend, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) seems like any other – some tension, some sweet moments and a weekend getaway. Of course, the trip sours and devolves into futuristic chaos with robots, feelings, apps controlling robots with feelings and violence. But that’s besides the point. The point being, Jack Quaid played a fantastic boyfriend for the portion of the movie where it counted and similar to his role in Scream (2022) the contrast between his boyfriend-like qualities and his arch into villain make him so effective at these roles. He plays a convincing boyfriend, the exact quality that would transfer well into the romantic comedy genre – a genre that desperately needs his talent.

Quaid is consistently cast in roles with stark contrasts and large character arches. Why? Because he can do it all. He is a Jack of all Quaids, if you will. Although Jack is becoming quite the scream king, I think he would be extremely successful in the romantic comedy genre. He can’t do it alone though – leading ladies like Maya Erksine and Sophie Thatcher and writers like Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer of Plus One would provide the ideal conditions for a romantic comedy boom. Where studios and executives seem to be shying away from the genre, it’s worth the risk to create feel-good content that most everyone will enjoy and will encourage casual moviegoers to make a trip to the theatre. Anyone but You’s success is proof the public is desperate for a big-budget romantic comedy – and I know the perfect leading man.

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