Fictional Men From Movies And TV That Have Set My Standards Way Too High

So here’s the thing – I may not be the biggest lover of rom-coms, as most tend to be pretty cheesy. But there are some men out there from both movies and TV that I have fallen for – many of which have completely ruined me for real life and have set my standards way too high. And while I’ve been in a committed relationship for several years now, there are just some fictional guys that do it for me – so today, we’ll be going over the top ones. 

Chandler Bing (Friends)

I know that out of everyone in the Friends cast, people talk about Joey being the cutest or however you want to play it, but for me, it’s always been Chandler. I don’t think there’s ever been a better interpretation of best friends to lovers than him with Monica, and I swear to God, he loves her so much. In today’s world, it’s rare to find someone as loving as Chandler Bing. 

Graham Simpkins (The Holiday)

Because who isn’t attracted to Jude Law? But on a real note, Graham Simpkins in The Holiday is probably a clear example of a great movie boyfriend. He’s straightforward with his feelings, is sweet, and somehow still looks good even when he’s pouring his entire heart out. Every time I see him on my TV screen, I know it’s Christmas time again. 

Kevin (Shameless)

Shameless is hands-down one of the best Showtime shows, but you want to know how it’s one of the best characters. Kev, and how he absolutely adores Veronica. This man will go with whatever his wife says or wants and do anything to make her happy, even if it’s totally out there and nonsensical, but he has a good heart – and that’s all that really matters in the end, if we’re being honest. 

Ian Miller (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

Any man—and I mean any man—who is not from a Greek Orthodox family but is willing to learn all the traditions and rules that it entails while throwing themselves into a huge and intense family is a man worth loving. Trust me—as someone who is dating a Greek Orthodox person, this movie is the most clear-cut example of what it’s like—and how loving Ian Miller truly is. 

Gomez (The Addams Family)

Any portrayal of Gomez, whether it be older versions or Luis Guzmán from the Wednesday cast, sets our standards so high. There is no other man in movies and TV who loves his wife more than Gomez loves Morticia. That’s the kind of love that we take to the grave – and it’s something that they clearly intend to do as well. 

Troy Bolton (High School Musical Franchise)

Okay, so maybe this is little me who absolutely adored Troy Bolton and the High School Musical movies, but Troy really was the perfect teen boyfriend. While he certainly had his moments of selfishness (as all teenagers do), he cared for both his friends and, of course, Gabriella, trying to figure out how he could work things out while making everyone happy. That’s dedication. 

Flynn Rider (Tangled)

Oh, Flynn. I swear to God, this man was the love of my life when I was about twelve years old and pretty much set me up for the type of men I would have crushes on in movies and TV. He literally sacrificed his life to cut off Rapunzel’s hair so she could be free from Mother Goethel. That is love right there. 

Jesse (Full House)

Every girl at some point in their lives had a crush on Jesse from Full House. I mean, if we’re being honest, the entire Full House cast was good-looking, and all had their fair share of good traits, but Jesse was just another level of dreamboat man – and John Stamos plays him. You can’t get much better than that. 

Augustus Waters (The Fault In Our Stars)

You know how every girl always has that one character that absolutely shatters their soul at a young age? Yeah, Augustus Waters was mine. When I saw The Fault in Our Stars in the theater at the ripe age of fourteen years old, I was beside myself with this teenager and how lovely he was and I was devastated by the end. He was the epitome of mindfulness and listening to what the other person wanted. 

Prince Philip (Sleeping Beauty)

He literally slayed a dragon for Aurora. He got off his horse and took on a whole mythical beast. You can’t raise your standards higher than that. Honestly, he’s underrated when it comes to Disney princes. 

Charlie (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower)

To this day, I don’t think I have ever met a more sensitive soul than Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He’s not precisely the hunky type, obviously, but there’s something about Charlie’s sensitivity and how much he truly cares about others that makes me want someone just like him, and I could only imagine how those feelings would adapt as he grew older. 

Kristoff (Frozen)

While we all anxiously wait for more Frozen movies, let’s be honest here and say that Kristoff is actually one of the best Disney princes because he’s real. He doesn’t hide behind fancy suits and high titles. He’s an ordinary man who loves his reindeer and his trade, and he clearly loves Anna. Sometimes, that is literally all you need. 

Matt Flamhaff (13 Going On 30)

As someone who had an unhealthy obsession with this movie and the 13 Going On 30 cast, Matt Flamhaff was the movie’s boyfriend for a long time. He’s loyal and sweet and tells it like it is, even when he and Jenna haven’t been in contact for years in the film. I really, really love it. 

Simon Bassett (Bridgerton)

When Bridgerton was first released back in 2020, it seemed that everyone was focused on Simon Bassett, and while the character hasn’t been in the show since the first season, he is undoubtedly still highly handsome and was able to beat his trauma in order to be with the women he loved and give her the child she desperately wanted. They’re both not perfect, but I think they work well for each other, and she helped him become a better version of himself. 

Noah Calhoun (The Notebook)

Noah from The Notebook is the definition of a man who waits. Who waits for just that single chance to be with the person he wants and craves more than anything in this world. There’s a reason why people love Noah and cry every time they watch this movie. He’s just that romantic, even if he comes from nothing. It just goes to show that love has no boundaries. 

Jake Perry (Sweet Home Alabama)

Oh, there is nothing like little kids meeting, falling in love, falling out, and then coming back together. Jake Perry is that and more. While he’s almost as stubborn as Melanie, he knows how to keep up with her like no one else and still loves her just as much to this day. I just get all warm and tingly inside when I watch this film. 

Nick Young (Crazy Rich Asians)

Nick is just uncomplicated. He’s uncomplicated and a good guy who happens to have a boatload of money and loves his girlfriend even more than his family. Do you know how many men are portrayed as being emotionally closed off but have fortunes? So many. So many. But Nick is just good – and that’s really what matters if we’re being honest. 

Edward Lewis (Pretty Woman)

Oh, Edward. Pretty Woman was one of those films that I ended up watching as a teenager, and it became a comfort film. It’s certainly one of Julia Roberts’ best rom-coms, but Edward, in general, is the definition of “I Can Change Him.” A man with money and emotionally closed off but learns how to appreciate life and open himself up to someone new – like, come on. Plus, Richard Gere is always a win. 

Jack Dawson (Titanic)

Good god, Jack Dawson was every teenage girl’s dream back in the 1990s. I mean, I wasn’t even born yet when Titanic was released, but I can see the appeal even now. Even if he comes from nothing, he has a good soul, is quippy and handsome, and has an appeal for breaking the rules and having fun. He’s like a good, bad boy, if that makes sense.

Nick (New Girl)

Okay, I want to preface this by saying that I mean Nick from later seasons of New Girl. I think he had some serious growing up to do for a bit, but once he started to date Jess and especially when they ended up getting back together later down the line, he really turned into a great boyfriend, a good listener, and he’s just funny. Sometimes, all you need is a jokester. 

Mr. Darcy (Pride And Prejudice)

Mr. Darcy was the pride of my entire generation. I can’t tell you how many people are so focused on this man, how just his movements and how he shows his love are everything. This film is the epitome of an enemies-to-lovers movie, and yes, I eat it up every single time, no matter what. 

Westley (The Princess Bride)

What makes Westley such a great pick from The Princess Bride is that he knows when to listen. He knows when to take charge and save the people he cares about, but he also knows when to back off and listen to those around him. He’s brave but not stubborn, and so many men are the complete opposite in films. We need more of him, and I will stand on that hill.

Luke (Gilmore Girls)

I think Luke is another example of the type of man that we all fall for at least once in television shows. And what makes him such a great pick is that he waited. He waited for eight years so that that woman he loved would be ready for him, and that isn’t just the most romantic thing you have ever heard. I mean, he even kept a picture of her in his wallet, for crying out loud. 

William Thacker (Notting Hill)

God, William Thacker is such a sweetheart. I love him so much. Notting Hill, in general, is a great rom-com, but Thacker is what makes it so good. He stumbles over his words, but he is sweet and has this whole nerdy thing going for him that works handsomely. Hugh Grant plays him, so you can’t really get much better than that.

Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead)

It’s Rick Grimes. The Rick Grimes. The entire The Walking Dead cast is excellent, but I don’t think any other man comes close to Rick Grimes and what he has done for his family. He’s ripped out the throats of people to protect them. He’s looked for hours to find his family. And, of course, he and Michonne’s romance is the perfect example of slow-burn. 

Patrick Verona (10 Things I Hate About You)

Heath Ledger is obviously a well-known actor who had plenty of critically acclaimed roles back in the early and later 2000s, but I’ll always remember him as Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You. He was the boy who ended up loving the girl he didn’t expect to and the boy who sang on the steps. Granted, he started off just wanting to make extra money, but we all know he ended up falling in the end. 

Hercules (Hercules)

I want to specify that I’m talking about Disney’s version of Hercules, not the mythical version because the Greek Gods were not super great people. However, this version of Hercules is actually the best and sets my standards so high. Hercules is an underrated film, but the fact that the titular character dives into a literal pool of death to save his loved one makes him that much more attractive. 

Anthony Bridgerton (Bridgerton)

While Anthony Bridgerton certainly has an acquired taste (we all know those side-burns were not doing him any favors in Season 1), he’s really grown on me in Bridgerton, and honestly, the third season did me in. He just loves his wife. He’s so dedicated to her and just wants to make her happy, and any kind of man that does that is worth it. 

Ricky Ricardo (I Love Lucy)

Ricky Ricardo is the blueprint of the best TV husbands. Married to Lucy in I Love Lucy, he somehow is able to put up with Lucy’s schemes, and though she drives him crazy, he still loves her in the end and makes her feel safe at home. These two were such a great example of a loving relationship in the earlier years of TV. 

Jack Pearson (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast is insanely talented, but let me tell you, Milo Ventimiglia set my standards insanely high when I started watching this show and seeing him as Jack Pearson. I mean, he is a loving husband, a doting father, and a hard worker—that’s the recipe. And of course, throw in a little dash of his own trauma, and it adds complexity. I will forever be a Jack Pearson lover. 

Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

Mr. Sheffield is the type of life I think we all secretly want—to work as a nanny, fall for the rich man who hired us, and somehow become a part of his family. But I think the reason I love him so much is that he’s able to keep up with Fran, which is hard. Fran knows what she wants and is an independent woman, but he is with her every step of the way, and I love it. 

Grey Worm (Game Of Thrones)

I didn’t think I’d be putting anyone from the Game of Thrones cast on this list, but thinking about it, I realize that Grey Worm is definitely high-ranking. He and Missandei don’t have the kind of relationship you would expect, and it’s not perfect, but there is no denying his love for her and how much he wants to keep her safe, doing anything in his power to do so. And he’s a great fighter, so there’s a plus there. It makes their relationship that much more tragic towards the end of the series. 

This just makes me want to rewatch every single one of these shows and movies again. I think it’s time for a marathon with some wine and fun times.