With his work spanning decades of TV and film, and a warm presence that’s equally radiant across screens big and small, John Corbett has made an illustrious career from being “that guy” in “that rom-com.”
The 62-year-old actor is perhaps best known for his role as Aidan Shaw: Carrie’s second choice on the ’90s smash hit “Sex and the City” and the second-most controversial character in its contemporary Max spinoff, “And Just Like That…” (All hail the mighty and problematic veterinary receptionist, Che Diaz; long may they reign.)
Corbett is equally celebrated for his breakout film performance as the leading man in indie darling “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Nia Vardalos’ treasured love story from 2002 tells the tale of a sheltered woman and her enormous, meddlesome family introducing Corbett’s dashing fiance character, the magnanimous school teacher Ian Miller, to countless kooky relatives, the Greek Orthodox Church, and the healing power of Windex.
Those two star-making moments for Corbett re-collided this summer with the theatrical release of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” (a disappointment IndieWire’s Samantha Bergeson graded a D+) and Aidan’s return to everywhere but Carrie’s apartment in “And Just Like That…” Season 2. With a proposed five-year break on the horizon for Carrie and whatever you call the Opposite of Big (Little? Mini? Petite? Tiny?), Corbett’s return to the Sex and the City-verse remains as big a mystery as anything else on TV these days.
You would be forgiven for picturing the off-duty Corbett — stuck between Ian and Aidan’s heydays and now — sitting pensively, perched on a log somewhere in the nondescript wilderness. Maybe he’s whittling wood…his carefully chosen, wardrobe-issued, puffy vest stiff against the breeze. But with a second-wind arrival as rom-com dad Daniel Covey in Netflix’s “To All the Boys” franchise, true genre fans know the “Raising Helen” and “Serendipity” actor never really left the rom-com behind.
In honor of what can only be described as the John Corbett-aissance (that’s Cor-bett-ah-suhns), IndieWire looks back at some of the actor’s most memorable performances. From “Northern Exposure” to “United States of Tara,” these are the best of the Cor-best — listed chronologically.
With editorial contributions by Mark Peikert, Proma Khosla, Erin Strecker, and Wilson Chapman.
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“Northern Exposure” (1990-1995)
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: Every quirky small town needs a resident DJ, and Cicely, Alaska, got Corbett’s Chris: a philosophical hunk who played an eclectic mix of music and once got punched and fired after reading Walt Whitman aloud on air.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: This is the role that put John Corbett on the map — and, not coincidentally, led to TV Guide calling him an “Alaskan Adonis.” Set in a fictional town and eventually becoming an ensemble dramedy, “Northern Exposure” was a big deal for the five years it was on CBS. And Corbett’s Chris was a quirky, sexy breakout: Is it any wonder that both “Sex and the City” and Nia Vardalos turned to him to play a good-natured hunk? But Corbett’s charms are at their peak in this unjustly forgotten hit (it won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama). The big-hearted guy who offers advice to everyone and muses on the meaning of life, Corbett’s Chris was just what we wanted in the early ’90s: a tender-hearted good guy with a weird streak. And no one plays that better than Corbett, then or now. —MP
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“Sex and the City” (1998-2004)
Image Credit: Screenshot: HBO Who John plays: Sweet furniture designer Aidan Shaw on “Sex and the City” is the dream man prototype for many, joining the show in its third season as a new boyfriend for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker).
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: While some (ahem) would note that Aidan’s nice guy shtick is just that, there’s no doubt that Corbett managed to make an indelible impression on fans — consistently rising to the top of polls of favorite men on the program, with millions of fans clamoring for Carrie to wind up with him over Mr. Big. The part was a perfect showcase for his tender charms: kindness and decency and deeply easy on the eyes. It’s no wonder he popped up for a brief reunion appearance in 2010’s “Sex and the City 2″ — even though the less said about that ill-fated installment (and kiss!), the better. —ES
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“Serendipity” (2001)
Image Credit: ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: Lars Hammond, a world-famous shehnai player/new-age rock yuppie, whose self-obsessed pursuit of fame makes him the ideal romantic foil for John Cusack’s Everyman in “Serendipity.” The 2001 rom-com tells the love story of Jonathan Trager (Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale): two strangers, destined to be together but cosmically pulled apart after a single night in New York City.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: Introduced barefoot on a carpet of rose petals, Lars proposes to Sara in their first scene together. The ring doesn’t fit, a classic sign something is wrong. So Lars attempts to force the circular prison sentence onto his affianced’s hand until Sara actually yelps in pain. Yikes! It’s the perfect introduction to a man who is maybe well-intentioned but blatantly and holistically awful. From Haley Bennett in “Music and Lyrics” to the “Almost Famous” guys, oblivious rockstar characters often steal the show. But Corbett elevates his pitch-perfect caricature with just enough greasy sexiness and half-smart observations (“You can’t fight off an army of blood-thirsty Vikings with a shehnai, it’s illogical!”) to induct Lars into cinema’s Bad Boyfriend Hall of Shame. —AF
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“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002)
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: Ian Miller, the big-hearted school teacher who stumbled into Dancing Zorba’s and stole Toula Portokalos’ heart all those years ago. Nia Vardalos’ beloved indie rom-com from 2002 hinges on the instant connection between Corbett’s non-Greek charmer and the writer/star’s late-bloomer bride: a woman with a huge Greek family in desperate need of boundaries.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: Like a Las Vegas casino built to resemble the Parthenon, both “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” sequels pale in comparison to the original; so only the first of Corbett’s three “MBFGW” outings earns a spot on our list. It remains a monumental performance for the actor, who had previously appeared in the lesser rom-com “Wedding Bell Blues” but got his first real chance at playing the leading man opposite Vardalos. The pair’s chemistry is electric, undeniable, and essential to pushing this will-they-should-they to its congratulatory conclusion. Without the steadfast sense that Ian and Toula are meant to be together, it’s hard to justify so much pre-wedding wackiness. But with a warm laugh and endless patience (the man got baptized, for heaven’s sake!), Ian more than proves he’s good enough for Gus and Maria’s little girl. —AF
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“Raising Helen” (2004)
Image Credit: ©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: Bet you didn’t know that among his many achievements, John Corbett was the original Hot Priest — well, pastor. In this 2004 romantic drama, he plays a Lutheran pastor and school principal fondly known as Pastor Dan.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: “Raising Helen” faces the tricky task of turning a devastating premise into a lighthearted romp, and Pastor Dan is integral to that. He accepts Helen’s recently orphaned nieces and nephew into his school, tips her off when they’re struggling, helps her parent (sometimes unsolicited), and even replaces a dead turtle (spoiler?). When Helen feels the walls closing in as she loses her carefree single life to play surrogate parent to her dead sister’s children, all Dan wants is to support her and make sure she supports them. The man is the human embodiment of stability and patience! And unlike Hot Priest, Hot Pastor’s love life is totally above board. —PK
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“United States of Tara” (2009-2011)
Image Credit: ©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: In Diablo Cody’s endearingly odd three-season Showtime series, Corbett is Max, the husband of Toni Collette’s titular Tara. A mural painter with dissociative identity disorder, Tara juggles three alternate personalities that manifest themselves in times of stress, often causing complications in her relationship with Max and the rest of her family.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: Corbett has practically made a career out of the supportive boyfriend role, playing men of infinite patience and kindness (see “Raising Helen”) paired with the wild, messy, and insecure woman the movie or show actually focuses on. “United States of Tara” sees him make the transition from supportive boyfriend to supportive husband, playing Max as a down-to-earth, nurturing figure in the family who’s understanding about all the chaos Tara’s mental health can cause.
The show gets most interesting when it subverts and deconstructs Corbett’s almost saint-like perfect man image, as Tara grows worried her husband only views her as a project and Max’s inability to express his frustrations in a healthy manner becomes more apparent. “United States of Tara” is indisputably a showcase for Collette’s performance(s) above all else, but the show gives Corbett some of the meatier and more complex acting work of his entire career. —WC
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“The Boy Next Door” (2015)
Image Credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: Rob Cohen’s 2015 thriller is a slice of extremely silly cheese, but maybe the most outlandish part of the film is that it expects us to buy into a world where John Corbett and Jennifer Lopez were ever a couple. When the film starts, Corbett’s Garrett and Lopez’s Claire are separated and on the brink of divorce, after Garrett had an affair with his secretary at work. Over the course of the 90-minute adventure, however, the two slowly repair their relationship and find their way back together, thanks to that classic relationship saver: surviving a murder attempt from Claire’s student and next-door neighbor Noah (Ryan Guzman), after he grows dangerously obsessed with her from an ill-advised one-night stand.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: The addition of an infidelity storyline aside, Garrett is a pretty classic Corbett love interest, simple and reasonable and devoted to trying to mend things with his wife. It’s a wafer-thin role, and Corbett and Lopez are never able to sell the idea that they’ve ever spoken to each other, much less were married with a son. But in a knowingly brainless erotic thriller like “The Boy Next Door,” that doesn’t really matter. Corbett is perfectly chosen as the sane romantic choice to contrast against the unstable Noah, his grounded nature a refreshing antidote in a cast of people making emotionally compromised and terrible decisions. The scene were Noah talks about how “wet” things got the night before and compliments Claire’s “cookies” in front of her oblivious husband is plenty funny already, but casting a canonical cinematic goody-two-shoes like Corbett as the husband makes it a bit more silly and satisfying. —WC
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“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Franchise (2018-present)
Image Credit: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection Who John plays: Corbett plays the widowed Dr. Daniel Covey in all three of Netflix’s YA romantic comedies (based on the book by Jenny Han) and the serial spinoff “XO, Kitty” — and boy, is he perfect.
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: How lucky are we, the audience, to have watched Corbett’s career transition beautifully from hunky heartthrob to a top-ranking #girldad? Though the stories focus on his daughters and their quest for romance, Dr. Dan is never far off, whether he’s telling them stories about their mother, flirting ineptly with his neighbor, or offering up some free sex ed (much to the girls’ mortification). He’s protective but not overbearing, eventually welcoming Peter (Noah Centineo) into the Song-Covey household, and though it breaks his heart to let Kitty (Anna Cathcart) go to boarding school before she graduates, he’s nothing but a pillar of support. He even gets his own little love story with the aforementioned Ms. Rothschild (Sarayu Blue) in a heartwarming depiction of finding new companionship after loss. It’s a must-see role for Corbett fans, and maybe all parents. —PK
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“And Just Like That…” (2021-present)
Image Credit: Getty Images Who John plays: Sweet furniture designer Aidan Shaw, again, on Max’s “And Just Like That.”
Why it’s one of his Cor-best: He’s back! On the second season of the spinoff show, Corbett returned to give Aidan and Carrie another chance at love, following the death of her onscreen husband Big (Chris Noth). While the duo’s initial moments together were mixed, he quickly became a high point in the back half of the season, reminding viewers why he was such a great asset to the original show. Carrie Bradshaw is still a character that creates wild chaos everywhere in her orbit, but alongside Aidan the show movingly tackled connection in middle age…alongside some of the weirdest fashion choices we’ve ever seen. —ES
