Book Boyfriend Casting Corner

Welcome back to Book Boyfriend Casting Corner — the very serious, highly professional casting agency where we take the men currently dominating the cultural timeline… and assign them to our fictional boyfriends accordingly.

Because when authors write “tall, dark and handsome,” I regret to inform you my brain is not generating a faceless man. It’s generating a very specific one.

Usually with a slow blink.
A traumatised backstory.
And at least one viral edit set to Lana Del Rey.

So, casting director hats on... Let’s begin.

First up, the internet’s collective emotional support man: Pedro Pascal.

If the book features any variation of a protective older man archetype, chances are you’re already picturing Pedro. The battle-worn general. The bodyguard who stands slightly in front of her in crowded rooms. The man who has seen horrors but still melts when she touches his face. He is “touch her and you die” energy wrapped in softness — the blueprint for every fictional protector currently ruining our lives.

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Next, we move to the broody rich men department, chaired indefinitely by Jacob Elordi.

If he’s wealthy, emotionally repressed, and communicates primarily through prolonged eye contact, you’ve cast Jacob whether you meant to or not. He is every billionaire heir, every elite boarding school menace, every man who looks like he’s never apologised properly in his life. He specialises in intensity. He doesn’t chase — he watches. Unfortunately, it’s effective.

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Now, for the charismatic heartbreakers — the love interests who feel like a summer you never quite recover from — we submit Bad Bunny.

This is your unpredictable artist boyfriend. Stylish. Magnetic. Emotionally intense but pretending not to be. The man who dances with her once and alters her personality for six to eight business months. He’s the fling that becomes a feelings situation. The one who absolutely writes music about her afterwards.

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For the readers who prefer emotional devastation served quietly, let’s talk about Paul Mescal.

If your book boyfriend is gentle, yearning, and looks like he thinks about her when he’s alone — you’re casting Paul. He is soft masculinity personified. The man who communicates. The man who worships quietly. Emotionally available but still capable of ruining you. A dangerous combination, frankly.

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And finally, for the fantasy lovers and historical romance loyalists, we have resident beautiful tortured genius: Timothée Chalamet.

This is your prince. Your poet. Your morally conflicted heir. He monologues before kissing her. He suffers beautifully. He looks like he’s written letters he’ll never send. Slightly fragile, deeply romantic, aesthetically devastating.

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And that concludes today’s casting session. Because the truth is, when we read romance, we’re not imagining vague men — we’re casting fully produced adaptations in our heads.

So be honest. Who are you currently casting as your book boyfriend? And why is Pedro Pascal involved? (He's mine).