The enduring hilarity of Just Friends has captured the hearts of viewers for over a decade and a half. The film, featuring Ryan Reynolds as the formerly heavyset Chris Brander, who has since become a ladies' man, first premiered in 2005. The romantic comedy follows Chris as he reconnects with his old high school pal, Jamie Palamino (played by Amy Smart), while home for the holidays.
After a plane fire reroutes Chris and singer Samantha James' (Anna Faris) flight to New Jersey instead of Paris, Chris is unexpectedly reunited with his former crush Jamie, who had rejected him in high school. Complicating matters is the presence of Dusty Dinkleman (Chris Klein), another high school friend who also harbored feelings for Jamie. Chris finds himself grappling with old insecurities as Dusty makes a play for Jamie right in front of him. To make matters worse, he is stuck taking care of Samantha, who is smitten with him but whom he has no interest in.
In November 2020, Chris Marquette, the actor who portrayed the character of Mike Brander in the movie, commemorated the 15-year milestone of "Just Friends" by sharing a nostalgic photo from the comedy. He posted a snapshot of Anna Faris' character interrogating him for information, and accompanied it with the words, "Happy anniversary #justfriends."
Marquette humorously commented, "@vancityreynolds, you'll always be chubby to me," followed by expressing his gratitude for being a part of the film. He further added, "It was an enjoyable experience working alongside the rom-com master @rogerkumble and the immensely talented @smarthouse26 @annafaris @iamchrisklein."
Meanwhile, Reynolds paid homage to his character's memorable musical scene in which he sings All-4-One's "I Swear," during his TikTok debut in June 2021.
The first video shared by the Deadpool star features him doing a lip-sync to the track. In a comical fashion, Reynolds embodied his rom-com character as he sang to the screen, reminiscent of Chris' performance in the movie's beginning. The video includes the spirit finger moves that Chris passionately portrayed while thinking about his crush, which Reynolds also reenacted. Despite Reynolds' warning, his fans are sure to enjoy this entertaining clip.
Scroll down to see what the main cast of Just Friends has been up to since 2005:
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‘Just Friends’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris and More
Chris quickly realizes he has been in love with Jamie all along, but she only sees him as a friend. As Chris tries to win her heart, hilarity ensues as he navigates the friend zone and tries to transform himself into the man of her dreams. Despite the predictable plot, the chemistry between Reynolds and Smart and the comedic performances of Anna Faris and Chris Klein make Just Friends a fun and entertaining movie to watch.
Chris finds himself in an unexpected situation when his flight to Paris with popular singer Samantha James is diverted to New Jersey due to a plane fire. To his surprise, he is reunited with his former crush Jamie, who had rejected him during their teenage years, and another high school friend named Dusty Dinkleman, who also had feelings for Jamie. As Dusty tries to win Jamie's heart, Chris is plagued with insecurities from his past, feeling like the rejected overweight kid all over again. To make matters worse, he is stuck taking care of Samantha, who is infatuated with him despite his lack of interest.
In November 2020, Chris Marquette, the actor who portrayed the character of Mike Brander, marked the 15th anniversary of the film with a nostalgic picture from the comedy. He shared a snapshot of Anna Faris' character trying to extract information from him and captioned it with "Happy anniversary #justfriends."
Marquette teased Reynolds with a playful jab, saying, “You'll always be fat to me @vancityreynolds,” but he quickly expressed his gratitude for being part of the film. He was thrilled to work with rom-com expert @rogerkumble and the talented cast members @smarthouse26 @annafaris @iamchrisklein, calling the experience a blast. Meanwhile, Reynolds paid tribute to his character's unforgettable musical scene, where he sang All-4-One's "I Swear," in his TikTok debut back in June 2021.
The first video shared by the Deadpool star features him doing a lip-sync to the track in a comical manner. He embodies his rom-com character and sings to the screen in a way that is reminiscent of Chris's performance in the beginning of the movie. Reynolds even reenacts the spirit finger moves that Chris did while thinking about his crush.
Scroll down to see what the main cast of Just Friends has been up to since 2005:
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Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds has had a diverse acting career, starting with his role as lovestruck Chris Brander in high school rom-com, 'Just Friends'. He has since gone on to star in a range of films, including 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', 'The Proposal', 'Green Lantern', 'Life', 'Free Guy' and 'Red Notice'. Reynolds is also well-known for his role as Deadpool in the superhero franchise and for voicing Guy in 'The Croods' films. In addition to acting, Reynolds has over 15 producing credits to his name, including 'Deadpool', which he also co-wrote, 'Match Made in Hell', and the upcoming films 'Shotgun Wedding', 'Spirited', and 'Clue'. He has also invested in companies such as Aviator American Gin and Mint Mobile. Reynolds is also a co-owner of Welsh football club, Wrexham AFC with 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's' Rob McElhenney.
Reynolds has been married twice, first to Scarlett Johansson from 2008 to 2011, and then to Blake Lively in 2012. The couple has three daughters, James, Inez, and Betty, and in September 2022, it was confirmed that they were expecting another child. In February 2023, Reynolds and Lively announced via social media that they had quietly welcomed their fourth child.
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Amy Smart
Actress Amy Smart played the character of Jamie Palamino in the movie, who was portrayed as a close friend of Chris without any romantic inclination. She has also acted in various other movies such as 12 Dates of Christmas, Bad Country, The Single Moms Club, Love at First Glance, The Brawler, and 13 Minutes. Additionally, she has appeared in recurring roles on shows like Robot Chicken, Shameless, and Justified before being cast as Barbara Whitmore in Stargirl in 2020.
Smart wed Trading Spaces star Carter Oosterhouse in 2011. Five years later, they welcomed their daughter Flora via surrogate.
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Anna Faris
Anna Faris, a Maryland native, played the role of popstar Samantha James in Just Friends, a film in which Chris is supposed to sign her to his company's record label before their trip to Paris takes a turn for the worse. In addition to her role in Just Friends, she also appeared in Southern Belles, Brokeback Mountain, and Waiting… all in the same year. Faris went on to star in Scary Movie 4, The House Bunny, and Overboard, and lent her voice to Sam Sparks in the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs movies and Jeanette in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films. She portrayed Christy on Mom from 2013 to 2020 and launched her podcast, "Anna Faris Is Unqualified," in 2015, two years before releasing her memoir, Unqualified.
Faris was previously married to Ben Indra from 2004 to 2008 and to actor Chris Pratt from 2009 to 2018, with whom she shares son Jack. In July 2021, she confirmed that she secretly wed Michael Barrett earlier that year.
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Chris Klein
Klein's acting career spans over two decades, during which he has played a variety of roles in both film and television. He is best known for his portrayal of Dusty Dinkleman in the hit romantic comedy, "Just Friends," where he played a lovable and goofy character who had a crush on the female lead, Jamie. Klein has also starred in several other films, including "American Dreamz," "Day Zero," "Caught in the Crossfire," "American Reunion," "Game of Aces," and "Benchwarmers 2: Breaking Balls." In addition to his film work, Klein has appeared on numerous TV shows, such as "Welcome to the Captain," "Wilfred," "The Flash," and "Sweet Magnolias."
The American Pie star married Laina Rose Thyfault in 2015. They welcomed their son, Frederick, in 2016, and daughter Isla in 2018.
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Chris Marquette
Mike Brander, Chris' younger brother, was played by Marquette in the movie and he was responsible for looking after Samantha during her stay in town. Marquette has appeared in various movies such as Fanboys, Race to Witch Mountain, The Odd Way Home, Bad Country, Parker's Anchor, and Faith Based. He has also played roles in TV shows such as All Wrong and Barry before landing the part of Ridge in The Fugitive in 2020. Marquette started the "Coogan Chronicles" podcast with AJ Trauth in October 2020. In January 2020, the actor and his wife Nora-Jane Noone welcomed their daughter Josie into the world after getting married in July 2019.
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Julie Hagerty
Carol Brander, the mother of Chris and Mike, was portrayed by the talented actress, Hagerty. Her impressive acting career includes roles in popular movies such as She’s the Man, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Instant Family, Marriage Story, Noelle, and Somebody I Used to Know. She also made appearances in television shows like Trial & Error, Family Guy, and Black Monday, where she had recurring roles.
The Airplane! star was married to Peter Burki from 1986 to 1991. She wed Richard Kagan in 1999.