Who should be the next great rom-com star?

In years past, the biggest stars in Hollywood were romantic comedy stars: Katharine Hepburn. Cary Grant. Audrey Hepburn. Barbra Streisand. Tom Hanks. Meryl Streep. Julia Roberts—the list goes on. Yet somewhere along the way, we stopped respecting the rom-com, so movie stars stopped showing up for them. A generation of talented young actors has passed over the genre entirely, skipping straight to serious dramas, superhero fare, or even the industry’s old scapegoat, television.

Now it feels like the romantic comedy is finally enjoying a renaissance, with many of the old players (like Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, and Sandra Bullock) joining the resurgence. The titles of Next King and Queen of the Rom-Com are wide open, however, and The A.V. Club has some ideas about who should step up and take the crown. Click through to see our nominees for the next big rom-com stars.

Geraldine Viswanathan

Contrary to some of the other entries on our list, Geraldine Viswanathan already has a solid rom-com under her belt (). But unlike some of her peers (Lana Condor, Zoey Deutch, Kaitlin Dever, etc.), that film flew under the radar enough that it feels necessary to say: put Geraldine Viswanathan in all of your romantic comedies! She’s already proven consistent comedic chops with , but Broken Hearts Gallery showed she could carry a film on her shoulders. Viswanathan can pull off quirky like the second coming of Zooey Deschanel with a grounded, girl-next-door charm that wouldn’t be out of place in a Meg Ryan movie. The energy she brings to a performance is contagious. So please, Hollywood, give us more. [Mary Kate Carr]