Nobody doesn’t like a hot leading man. But you know who is sometimes even hotter than the name above the title on the poster? The Other Guy. He’s the best friend, the rejected suitor, the one who never seems to get the girl.
The Other Guy is always played by someone who in reality would never be the “other” guy. But in movieland where you have to be impossibly attractive just to play Waiter #7, The Other Guy is often just as fun to stare at for two hours as the Gorgeous Male Lead. Why not devote an entire article to these heretofore underappreciated boys? HC officially recognizes and honors the work done by these Other Guys. We think it’s time to give them the attention they deserve. And by “attention” we mean pictures for your objectifying pleasure.
Other Guys, we salute you. Stay pretty.
Humphrey Bogart
Other Guy in: Casablanca
Casablanca is to other guy scenarios as Gone with the Wind is to love triangles. Humphrey Bogart is the Godfather of Other Guys. Ilsa ditches Rick (Humphrey) for her Nazi-fighting hubby (to be fair, Nazi-fighting is pretty badass and therefore difficult to resist). They briefly reunite, iconic lines are spoken, yet Rick is ultimately left alone as Victor can’t take down Hitler without Ilsa’s love. War is sacrifice, people.
Hunter Parrish
Other Guy in: 17 Again
Look, we won’t even pretend that it’s possible to be anything but the other guy when you’re in a beauty contest with Zac Efron. He’s prettier than most girls we know, let alone guys. That being said, Hunter, we still like you plenty, whether you’re helping your mom deal pot in surburbia, tragically devirginizing Wendla in Spring Awakening, or doing… whatever else it is you do.
James Marsden
Other guy in: Superman, Enchanted, The Notebook, all three X-Men movies.
Marsden is an Other Guy Hall of Fame-r. The only time he actually got the girl was in 27 Dresses. Yeah, exactly.
Paul Rudd
Other Guy in: Romeo + Juliet
This is another one of those “what are you gonna do?” situations. Rudd was trying to steal Angela Chase’s heart from Leonardo DiCaprio—the face that launched a thousand Tiger Beat covers. But here at Her Campus, we’ve had a soft spot for Rudd ever since he was hardcore making out with Elizabeth Banks in Wet Hot American Summer and when we realized right along with Cher in Clueless that, Omigosh, we’re totally crushing on Josh!
Reggie Mantle
Other Guy in: The Archie Comics
Veronica loved nothing more than to duke it out with her blonde rival, Betty, for Archie’s affections. When a girl is enamored with a ginger, there’s nothing a tall, dark, handsome Reggie can do except wait for her to be off-again with her true redheaded love. The fact that Reggie was something of a jackass only further proves that he and Veronica were meant to be together, rendering his rejection all the more tragic.
Sam Merlotte
Other Guy in: True Blood
Poor Sam. Not only does he get dissed by Sookie, but every girl who does hook up with him always ends up being psycho, evil, or too weighed down with emotional baggage to function. Keep on keeping on, shapeshifter—someday someone will love you, and that someone will have a better fake southern accent than Sookie.
Mark: AKA Boy With The Signs
Other Guy in: Love Actually
“To me, you are perfect.” The truth is, to everyone, Keira Knightley is perfect. But that hardly diminishes the adorable factor in this very romantic gesture.
Patrick Dempsey
Other Guy in: Sweet Home Alabama
Even though this numbers among the Most Predictable Movies In Recent Memory, Sweet Home Alabama at least featured an Other Guy who wasn’t a clear loser. Fortunately for Dempsey, he’s proceeded to have much better luck with the scrubs-wearing set.