Despite the critical and commercial success of the 1997 romantic comedy ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ actor Dermot Mulroney found himself with few acting opportunities in the year following its release. In a recent interview, Mulroney attributed this to his relatively minor role in the film, despite it featuring an ensemble cast that included Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett.
‘I was sitting there ready for the gift with purchase that was supposed to come along with being in a popular movie, and instead, I probably didn’t work for a year,’ Mulroney explained. ‘I chalked it up to me being so tiny on the poster, the little guy on the cake. I thought, gosh, you guys, if you’d made me a little bigger, maybe I could have gotten a job.’
Directed by P.J. Hogan, ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ follows Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts), a woman who realizes she’s in love with her long-time friend Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney) after he announces his engagement to Kimberly Wallace (Cameron Diaz). Desperate to win him over, Julianne sets out to sabotage the wedding with the help of her other friend, George Downes (Rupert Everett).
Despite the setback in his acting career, Mulroney went on to star in dozens of other projects, including the recent romantic comedy ‘Ticket to Paradise,’ in which he plays the father of Bea (Sydney Sweeney). As a veteran of the rom-com genre, Mulroney shared some advice with the film’s other lead, Glen Powell, about the impact of these types of movies.
‘I didn’t want him to do what I did, which was minimize how important something is that might feel a little light or a little fluff when you’re doing it,’ Mulroney said. ‘What these movies mean to people,’ I told Glen, ‘will last for decades.’ It will last until after you’re gone in a way that maybe the other cool stuff he’s doing won’t. It has a different kind of absorption.’
