The chocolates and candy hearts are lining the shelves, the colorful bouquets are filling the vases, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.Romantic comedieswere a huge box-office boon in the 1990s-2010s; they were cheap to make with the potential for huge monetary gains. Actors and actresses made the rom-com genre their go-to, easily slipping into charismatic lead performances and dominating the box office on their way to the A-list. Some performers stuck with the genre that earned them the big bucks, while others shied away from rom-coms, to varying success.
While rom-coms don’t currently top the box-office like they once did,now more likely seen on streaming sitesthan big screens, these actresses lit up theaters with their romantic escapades. From early career highlights to current successes, from fresh new romances to later-in-life loves, these ten rom-com queens are adored by audiences and have absolutely crushed the box office. Here they are, ranked by their domestic box office earnings in romantic comedies byThe Numbers. Are there any entries that shock you? Are there any rom-com queens missing from this list?
10Jennifer Garner
Rom-Com Box-Office: $271M
After a handful of bit parts,Jennifer Garnerbecame a household name during her run on the TV seriesAliasfrom 2001-2006.Her strength and versatility on the show, on which she portrayed a chameleon-like spy, proved that she could lead a project as well as handle herself in action scenes. The tough persona didn’t translate as successfully to feature films, with 2003’sDaredevil, in which she played badass Elektra, being overall panned. Soon after, however, Garner found her niche as a rom-com queen, starting with13 Going on 30.
Jennifer Garner exploded onto the A-list with the success of body-swap comedy13 Going on 30, in which Garner’s unassuming charm took center stage (the dimples didn’t hurt either). Apre-MCUMark Ruffaloalso burst onto the audience’s radar with this saccharine-sweet, feel-good rom-com. Garner followed up her success withCatch & Release, alongside theunderratedTimothy Olyphant;Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, with rom-com heavyweightMatthew McConaughey; and a box-office behemoth, the ensemble-drivenValentine’s Day. Garner has deftly transitioned into parent roles in rom-coms likeLove, Simon, and the recent Netflix release,The Family Switch, calls back to Garner’s earlier work, proving how influential in the genre she is.
Top Rom-Coms
Domestic Box-Office Earnings
Valentine’s Day
13 Going on 30
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
9Jennifer Lopez
Rom-Com Box-Office: $319M
An absolute mainstay of therom-com films that permeated the 2000s,Jennifer Lopezis still going strong, releasing two –Marry MeandShotgun Wedding– in 2023 alone.Marry Me, alongside anunderusedOwen Wilson, serves mostly as a showcase for Lopez as a musician, and her revolving door of flashy costumes – which sounds similar to her upcomingThis Is Me…Nowrelease.Shotgun Wedding, withJosh Duhamel, however, attempts to blend action with the romance to decent effect, and was helped by comedic supporting turns fromJennifer CoolidgeandCheech Marin.
While Lopez’s films have had varying degrees of success, both critically and commercially, she has proven time and time again why she ranks highly at the box-office in her romantic comedies. The height ofLopez’s rom-com glory came in the early 2000sin both ensemble films likeWhat to Expect When You’re Expectingand solo projects like her highest-earnerMaid in Manhattan. As one of a few people of color in the romantic-comedy field at the time (and still today),Lopez represented an ideal not typically seen as a romantic leadand offered a fresh perspective on the genre, drawing fans to her films.
Maid in Manhattan
Monster-in-Law
The Wedding Planner
8Cameron Diaz
Rom-Com Box-Office: $385M
One name that is synonymous with the romantic-comedy genre isCameron Diaz, and some of her top-rated filmsare also her highest-earning box-office successes. Typecast in her early career as slightly uptight (A Life Less Ordinary) or unattainable (The Mask), Diaz amped up her girl-next-door charisma withThere’s Something About Maryand solidified her status as a star by going head-to-head withJulia RobertsinMy Best Friend’s Wedding. She brought a grounded realism to a worried new bride that viewers latched onto immediately. That was only the beginning.
Off the box-office success of her early work, Diaz shot to fame and landed starring roles inThe Sweetest Thing, alongsideSelma BlairandChristina Applegate; Christmas classicThe Holiday, withKate WinsletandJude Law;What Happens in VegaswithAshton Kutcher; andSex TapewithJason Segel. Her broad grin and mischievous giggle captivated audiences for years, even when hidden behind a tougher exterior like inBad Teacher. Here’s hoping thatDiaz’s return to theaters withBack in Actionis as successful as her romantic-comedy highlights.
There’s Something About Mary
My Best Friend’s Wedding
7Diane Keaton
Rom-Com Box-Office: $386M
Perhaps a surprising entry,Diane Keatonhas been making a living out of romantic comedies since as far back as the 1970s withWoody Allen’sAnnie Hall. Since then, Keaton has successfully transitioned from leading lady (Baby Boom) to mother-of-the-bride (Father of the Bride) and back (Something’s Gotta Give). Typically, “women of a certain age” aren’t portrayed as the leads in romantic comedies, often sidelined in favor of the next popular ingénue. But Keaton has defied the odds of Hollywood with a total of roughly 11 romantic comedies under her belt, and counting!
While Diane Keaton’s romantic comedies might not be as successful at the box office individually, their earnings combine into an impressive $386 million domestically. Keaton’s conservative dress and aw-shucks demeanor endear her to onscreen suitors; she has exciting chemistry with the likes ofHarrison FordinMorning Glory,Robert De NiroinThe Big Wedding, andMichael DouglasinAnd So It Goes. Even Diane Keaton’s most recent film, 2023’sBook Club: The Next Chapter, celebrates the idea that love knows no age limits, which keeps audiences optimistic and returning to her films.
Something’s Gotta Give
The First Wives Club
Father of the Bride
6Sandra Bullock
Rom-Com Box-Office: $436M
Sandra Bullockstarted her career in rom-coms withLove Potion No. 9before making a fast rise to A-lister with the action film,Speed. It wasn’t Bullock’s action chops that drew audiences to her, though, it was her affable demeanor in the face of adversity and her romantic film chemistry withKeanu Reeves. In fact, Bullock has made an enviable career by magnifying her clumsiness and capitalizing on her relatable “tomboyish” charm in projects likeMiss CongenialityandThe Proposal,alongside similarly self-depricatingRyan Reynolds. Bullock’s ability to laugh at herself (see the infamous ice scene inWhile You Were Sleeping) encourages audiences to laugh (and love) along with her.
Even whenBullock portrays in-over-their-head or frustrated characters(Two Weeks Notice), she finds a way to get through the challenge with a quick wit and a smile on her face. After taking a slight break from films, she made an excellent return to rom-coms, with a splash of action, in 2022’s hystericalThe Lost CityalongsideChanning TatumandBrad Pitt. The film offered the chance for Bullock to portray a more adult version of her tried-and-true rom-com persona to great effect. She gets down and dirty in the wilderness but ultimately succeeds in life and love. Audiences want to root for her as much as they aspire to be her.
The Proposal
Miss Congeniality
The Lost City
5Katherine Heigl
Rom-Com Box-Office: $444M
Now the stuff of legend, rom-com queenKatherine Heiglinfamously had a “problematic” interview discussing her role in theSeth Rogen-produced classicKnocked Up, her most successful rom-com and the film that catapulted her to superstardom afterGrey’s Anatomy. Arguably due toKnocked Up, Heigl was on everyone’s must-hire list, and she starred in many box-office hits in the span of five years:27 DresseswithJames Marsden,The Ugly TruthwithGerard Butler, and ensemble pieceNew Year’s Eveamong them. After her “out-spoken” interview, though, she was labeled difficult to work with and the offers for bigger budget films dried up.
Katherine Heigl headlinedLife as We Know Itwith Josh Duhamel,Killerswith Ashton Kutcher, andOne for the Moneybefore being fast-tracked to forgettable straight-to-DVD fare. Heigl excelled at more uptight and easily offended roles alongside her more laid-back male counterparts,something she was outspoken about. However, those are the roles that audiences seemed to want to see her in, proven by the box office. Once a queen of rom-coms and dominating the box office, Heigl has since returned to television and fallen off the A-list.
Knocked Up
The Ugly Truth
27 Dresses
Rom-Com Box-Office: $505M
“I’ll have what she’s having.“Meg Ryanwas Hollywood’s go-to leading ladyfor 1990s rom-coms, and the release of the 2023 movie,What Happens Latermarked her long-awaited return to the genre. Once a dominating force at the box office, Ryan starred withsimilarly likableTom Hanksin two of the biggest rom-coms ever,You’ve Got MailandSleepless in Seattle. Her impish, every-woman demeanor was relatable and charming since her explosive and head-turning scene inWhen Harry Met Sally. Women could relate; men were flabbergasted and intrigued.
Piggybacking off her successful one-two punch with Hanks, Meg Ryan had a prolific romantic comedy resume with films likeFrench Kiss, with comedy legendKevin Kline;Kate & Leopold, with a time-travelingHugh Jackman; andI.Q., alongsideTim Robbins, withWalter Matthauas Einstein.Addicted to Love, alongsideMatthew Broderick, marked Ryan’s shift into darker characters, with her role being slightly mean-spirited, before she dove into straight dramas. After her last attempt at a romantic-comedy, 2008’s lacklusterMy Mom’s New Boyfriend, Meg Ryan put filmmaking on hold until last year. Welcome back, Ms. Ryan.
Sleepless in Seattle
You’ve Got Mail
When Harry Met Sally
3Drew Barrymore
Rom-Com Box-Office: $507M
Now the host of her own talk show,Drew Barrymorehas been acting since she was a child inSteven Spielberg’s blockbusterE.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. After turning in several “girl gone wild” performances in the early 1990s, Barrymore settled into her girl-next-door role in rom-coms. Angsty characters in movies likePoison IvyorMad Loveturned into sweet, accessible roles that viewers couldn’t get enough of. In a re-branding renaissance, Barrymore starred in some of the biggest, classic rom-coms of the mid-1990s and well into the 2010s. Ironically, the horror filmScreamis the movie that changed the trajectory of Barrymore’s career, proving to the audience that she could be a vulnerable character they could root for.
Two years afterScream,Drew Barrymore’s first collaborationwith comedy kingAdam Sandler,The Wedding Singer, confirmed her as a solid leading lady. Her off-kilter smile and endearing speech pattern made her someone the audience could see themselves in, quirks and all. Barrymore’s youthful looks were put to good use in the classicNever Been Kissed(even with the problematic plot), and her next pairing with Sandler,50 First Dates, marked her as a box-office superstar. In addition to their excellent chemistry inThe Wedding Singer, Barrymore was just as much a draw as Sandler at this point, proven bythe successfulEver After,Music & Lyrics,Fever Pitch, andGoing the Distance.
50 First Dates
He’s Just Not That Into You
The Wedding Singer
2Jennifer Aniston
Rom-Com Box-Office: $574M
In the mid-1990s,Jennifer Anistonturned into an almost-overnight megastar through her portrayal of Rachel Green onFriends. Instantly relatable, she easily transitioned from her beloved TV persona – which itself was part of a long-running rom-com trope of “will-they-won’t-they” withDavid Schwimmer’s Ross – into successful feature films. The late ’90s marked a busy time for the actress withPicture Perfect,Til There Was You,The Object of My Affection, andShe’s the One. While these films don’t top Aniston’s rom-com box office earnings, they proved she had a future outside the 10-year-spanningFriendsjuggernaut.
After abrief dip into drama withThe Good Girland finally freed fromFriends, Jennifer Aniston’s career got a huge boost fromBruce Almighty,withJim Carrey. As Aniston leaned into the comedy of the film, she proved that she could hang with heavies likeJason Bateman(The Switch),Ben Stiller(Along Came Polly), and ex-boyfriendVince Vaughn(The Break-Up). Aniston shined in box-office hitJust Go with It, her first of threecollaborations with Adam Sandler,as well as in the ensemble film,He’s Just Not that Into You. Since her last big screen rom-com, 2016’sMother’s Day, she’s settled into her very successful TV career withThe Morning Showon AppleTV+.
The Break-Up
Just Go With It
1Julia Roberts
Rom-Com Box-Office: $818M
Could it really be anyone else?Julia Robertsis the reigning rom-com queen, determined by domestic box office earnings. And it’s no wonder, as she’s been in some of the biggest romantic comedies of all time, starting with herbreakout lead role in 1990’sPretty Woman. Funnily enough, this box-office hit led tofour years of thrillersbefore the actress made a return to the rom-com genre with the critically panned (and hated by everyone involved)I Love Trouble. Bouncing between dramas and rom-coms for a few years, Roberts really hit her stride with 1997’sMy Best Friend’s Wedding. From there, audiences couldn’t get enough of Roberts as a romantic leading lady.
Roberts' bright smile and straight-shooter attitude were put to excellent use opposite rom-com kingHugh GrantinNotting Hill. Playing almost a version of herself (an A-list actress), her charm broke through a role that might have otherwise come across as self-indulgent.Roberts' second collaboration withRichard Gere,Runaway Bride, capitalized on their chemistry and audiences were on board for the reunion, making it Roberts' second-highest earning rom-com. Having had starring roles in rom-coms likeThe Mexican,America’s Sweethearts, andLarry Crowne, Roberts also hit high box-office numbers with ensemble rom-comsMother’s DayandValentine’s Day. Julia Roberts is still holding onto her title, starring alongside a frequent pairing withGeorge Clooneyin2022’sTicket to Paradise.
