Matthew McConahuey is the best, romantic comedy male lead in the history of cinema.
There, I said it. I'm sure I'll get some flack for it. I mean the guy did star in "Surfer, Dude" (2008). BUT he also did star in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003), which in my book covers all cinematic sins M-Mc-C will ever have in this lifetime. As for the "M-Mc-C" acromic nic-name I just made up for Mr. McConahuey -- you can do that when you're a writer, AND if you're highly prone at misspelling his last name; true! And besides, "M-Mc-C" kinda gives Matthew McConahuey a little McDonald-landish appeal, which MAYBE he could use someday should M-Mc-C ever decided to branch out and do commercials with Ronald McDonald.
Question my choice as Matthew McConahuey as the best romantic lead in the history of cinema. Okay, Jackass, the defense calls picture #2 the witness stand...
Kinda looks like ol' E.C. Henry
a la his "Sexy Writers" post in December of 2011.
Yeah, I see you checkin' out the competition, M-Mc-C, but don't you worry that pretty, little blond head of yours, E.C. Henry is no actor -- he's a writer dammit!
And by the way if you can't tell which one is Matthew McConahuey, and which one is E.C. Henry, yippee ki yay to me! A victory. I'm holding my own against one of the sexiest men ever to grace to surface of planet earth. Yeah, like many women out there, I think M-Mc-C is pretty hot.
Sorry to hafta throw this minor bucket of cold water on the ladies out there, but I'm afraid M-Mc-C is married with children now. See...
Even when taking a picture with his FAMILY this guy can't even wear a shirt then. This brings me to another key issue surrounding Matthew McConahuey. There is only one right way to take this guy's picture -- and that's with his shirt off! Take a picture with his shirt on, and you're doing it wrong.
Matthew McConahuey's romantic sweetheart in real life is Camila Alves. And their two children are: Levi (born in 2008) and Vida Alves (born in 2010). I found that out by doing a Google search of "Matthew McConahuey's family". So hey Levi and Vida, don't worry if you end up looking like mom, you're a hottie; if you end up looking like dad, you're a hottie. Kinda in a can't lose gene pool there.
Watch enough movies with Matthew McConahuey in them, and you tend to see the same on-screen persona on display, only with different trapping. M-Mc-C's on-screen personais one that wants to be in some ego-driven competition with someone else, where he pits his scheming against someone else's. The eye candy's always there, but Matthew want to be in a mind-game with an adversary. That's his game. Maybe I didn't describe it very well, but that's how I see it.
As far as me siting Matthew McConahuey as the greatest romantic comedy lead of all-time, that high praise is directly attributed to his MASTERFUL work in "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days." I'm not saying that based on his entire body of work that Matthew McConahuey deserves the title. As M-Mc-C has been in such underwhelming rom-com hybrids such as "Fool's Gold" (2008), which stared his former sweetheart from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days": Kate Hudson; "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" (2009) with Jennifer Garner.
Just as a granted Jenna Elfman best romantic heroine of all time in the rom-com genre for her portral of Shari in "EDTV" (1999) see post "Building the Perfect Heroine in a Romantic Comdedy: Exploring Issues in Rom-Com Movies Voume II" so the best male lead in romantic comedy is based on a single, hit-it-out-of-the-park style performance. And as such, Matthew McConahuey did just that in his performance of Benjamin Barry in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."
The facial expressions delivered by Matthew McConahueywhen he's apologizing to Kate Hudson (Andi Anderson) after she acts like a "mental person" and single handly ruins his boy's night out, cards game, is priceless. On one level he's apologizing, but in inner sub-text he wants to rip her head off. Genius acting. THAT'S the kind of thing that a screenwriter can hint at in a script, but it's up to the actor to pull it off, and maximize it's comedic potential. And Matthew McConanuey maximized this scene's comedic potential. It's all about setting this guy up as this smart, suave guy, then putting him in awkward situations where his metal is tested.
And like I wrote about earlier in The Ego-Com (August 2011) some rom-com's center is driven by a couple with competing agendas -- and Matthew McConahuey's on-screen persona blends in perfectly with that.
Now don't get me wrong. There are A LOT of other actors out there who I feel are doing a great job. LOVED Ryan Reynolds in "The Proposal" (2009), and Hugh Jackman ROCKS, though he regrettably hasn't done any romantic comedies other than "Kate & Leopold" (2001) --
"Yeah, and I was in that one, E.C."
Yes, you were, Ms. Ryan, yes you were. BUT to date you've NEVER done a film with Matthew McConahuey, the toast of today's post.
"Don't you get snarky with me, pencil-boy. I can see right through you. Need I remind you that I made movies with TOM HANKS! A guy you so casually dismissed in your assessment of the best romantic comedy leads of all-time."
Whoa, Meg, what happened? Just a minute ago you looked so happy. Happy to back in my world again -- of which I'm truly grateful.
Huge fan of Tom Hanks. He can do comedy, very well. And his work in "Saving Private Ryan" was exemplary; loved it. Dude has range. But Matthew McConahuey is a special talent too. Please realize that Tom Hanks and Matthew McConanhuey have vastly different appealing factors. Tom Hanks comes across as more of your, regular, average-everyday Joe, than Matthew McConahuey. Matthew McConahuey comes off as a suave, "I'm-smarter-than-you" type of guy.
Like Tom Hanks -- you can't go wrong. Like Matthew McConahuey -- you like the athletic, jock, blond types. And Tom Hanks real-life wife, Rita Wilson is a total hottie. I really like her. LOVE her appeal in "Sleepless in Seattle" and in "Mixed Nuts" (1994). In fact Rita Wilson looks a lot like a girl I had a secret, high school crush on back in the day... Say 1984 - 1987...
"Yeah... Well I got to make-out with Tom Hanks in not one but THREE of his movies! Check it out, pencil boy: "Joe vs. the Volcano," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "You've Got Mail."
Hate to correct you, luv, but in "Sleepless in Seattle," all you got to do was HOLD HANDS with Tom Hanks. Been a while since I've seen "Joe vs. the Volcano" so I'll take you at your word that you "made-out" with Tom Hanks in that one. But your Annie Reed character DID NOT get to kiss Tom Hanks' Sam Baldwin character in "Sleepless in Seattle."
"Ya know, for a such a self-professed rom-com expert, you sure do know how to piss a girl off."
Sorry, Meg. That wasn't my intention.
Back on point. All I was trying to do in this post was make a case for why I think Matthew McConahuey is the best romantic comedy lead of all time.
"Word. Meg Ryan. Word. E.C. Henry says I'm the best. Let's leave it at that."
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