29 of the quirkiest rom-com careers (that aren't architect)

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Trailer editor (The Holiday)

Simon Mein/Columbia Pictures

There’s plenty to envy in rom-coms: Everyone is good looking, everyone has great clothes, and almost everyone has a cool job. Here are some of our favorites. How did Cameron Diaz’s character pay for that swanky L.A. pad? Cutting together movie trailers, and making them all look like hits.

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Bakery owner (It's Complicated)

Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal

Nancy Meyers movies always feature iconic kitchens, but Meryl Streep’s is a standout (not to mention the kitchen in her gorgeous bakery, where she and Steve Martin make those chocolate croissants…)

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**Bookshop owner (You've Got Mail)**

Everett Collection

Sure, Kathleen Kelly’s business is struggling, but who hasn’t fantasized about owning a cozy neighborhood bookstore?

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Vows columnist (27 Dresses)

Barry Wetcher/Twentieth Century Fox

James Marsden plays a cynic who writes newspaper romance—classic rom-com set-up.

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**"Coffee Collar" inventor (Made of Honor)**

Peter Iovino/Columbia Pictures

In case you forgot, Patrick Dempsey’s wealthy playboy gets to be a wealthy playboy because he invented the little cardboard that goes around a hot cup of to-go coffee.

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**Art restorer (Made of Honor)**

Peter Iovino/Columbia Pictures

Michelle Monaghan’s character has a cool gig restoring old paintings.

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Apartment dresser (Leap Year)

Jonathan Hession/Universal Studios

Amy Adams’s rom-com job in the Ireland-set guilty pleasure is setting up houses for real estate agents before their showings to help the properties sell.

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Boat salesman (Failure to Launch)

Paramount Pictures

Selling boats to rich people? Alright, alright, alright.

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Greeting card writer (500 Days of Summer)

Chuck Zlotnick/Fox Searchlight

Sure, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character is also an architect, but before that, he meets Summer while working at his certifiably quirky greeting card job.

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**Sports doctor (Trainwreck)**

Mary Cybulski/Universal Studios

Both professional and also memorable, Bill Hader’s character hits the rom-com sweetspot.

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**Playwright (Something's Gotta Give)**

Bob Marshak/Columbia Pictures

Diane Keaton’s job is basically wearing summer linens, but it’s also playwright.

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Fashion designer (Sweet Home Alabama)

Everett Collection

Reese Witherspoon is an-up-and-coming fashion designer, who also gets to be engaged to McDreamy.

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Wedding dress designer (The Parent Trap)

Everett Collection

Slightly more specific than just being any tpe of fashion designer, Natasha Richardson played a famous wedding dress designer.

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**Vineyard owner (The Parent Trap)**

Everett Collection

Seems pretty nice to get to ride horses around a giant vineyard estate all day.

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Aquarium veternarian (50 First Dates)

Darren Michaels/Columbia Pictures

Adam Sandler got to hang with seals and penguins acting as a character who worked at Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

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Television composer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

Everett Collection

Jason Segel’s character worked composing the “ominous tones” for his girlfriend’s crime television show, but his real passion was vampire puppets.

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Voiceover artist (In A World...)

Roadside Attractions

Lake Bell portrayed a character trying to break the glass ceiling in voiceover work.

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**Web fashion retailer (The Intern)**

Francois Duhamel/Warner Bros.

Jules (Anne Hathaway) founded an online startup for selling clothes.

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**Author (The Decoy Bride)**

Everett Collection

David Tennant plays a literary author who wrote a bestselling book about a tiny Scottish island.

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eBay store owner (40 Year Old Virgin)

Suzanne Hanover/Universal Studios

Catherine Keener ran a store to help people sell things on eBay. No, you couldn’t just buy the things in the store.

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Gossip columnist (Hitch)

Barry Wetcher/Columbia Pictures

Most rom-com heroines have vague jobs in media, but at least Eva Mendes’s job has a bit of specificity.

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**Personalized letter writer (Her)**

Warner Bros. Pictures

Joaquin Pheonix plays a man who works at a company that uses AI to construct faux-personal notes.

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**Brewery employees (Drinking Buddies)**

Everett Collection

Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson play coworkers who are allowed to drink on the job together.

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**Screenwriter (Playing It Cool)**

Daniel McFadden

In this meta rom-com, Chris Evans plays a screenwriter who dreams of writing action movies.

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**Theater director (The Incredible Jessica James)**

Everett Collection

When she’s not a waitress, Jessica (Jessica Williams) works at a children’s theater workshop.

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YouTube comedian (Mr. Roosevelt)

Beachside Films

In her indie comedy, Noel Wells plays a character who’s trying to make it as a comedian, one YouTube subscriber at a time.

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Political staffer (Definitely, Maybe)

Andrew Schwartz/Universal Studios

Ryan Reynolds’s character worked on the Bill Clinton presidential campagn before having a daughter with a mystery mother.

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**Landscape architect (Just Like Heaven)**

Peter Iovino/DreamWorks

Sure, it’s ALMOST architect, but if you recall, Mark Ruffalo’s character actually designed gorgeous outdoor garden spaces.

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28 of the quirkiest rom-com careers (that aren't architect)

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Trailer editor (The Holiday)

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Bakery owner (It's Complicated)

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Bookshop owner (You've Got Mail)

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Vows columnist (27 Dresses)

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"Coffee Collar" inventor (Made of Honor)

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Art restorer (Made of Honor)

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Apartment dresser (Leap Year)

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Boat salesman (Failure to Launch)

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Greeting card writer (500 Days of Summer)

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Sports doctor (Trainwreck)

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Playwright (Something's Gotta Give)

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Fashion designer (Sweet Home Alabama)

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Wedding dress designer (The Parent Trap)

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Vineyard owner (The Parent Trap)

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Aquarium veternarian (50 First Dates)

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Television composer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

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Voiceover artist (In A World...)

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Web fashion retailer (The Intern)

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Author (The Decoy Bride)

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eBay store owner (40 Year Old Virgin)

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Gossip columnist (Hitch)

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Personalized letter writer (Her)

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Brewery employees (Drinking Buddies)

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Screenwriter (Playing It Cool)

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Theater director (The Incredible Jessica James)

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YouTube comedian (Mr. Roosevelt)

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**Bookshop owner (You've Got Mail)**

**"Coffee Collar" inventor (Made of Honor)**

**Art restorer (Made of Honor)**

**Sports doctor (Trainwreck)**

**Playwright (Something's Gotta Give)**

**Vineyard owner (The Parent Trap)**

**Web fashion retailer (The Intern)**

**Author (The Decoy Bride)**

**Personalized letter writer (Her)**

**Brewery employees (Drinking Buddies)**

**Screenwriter (Playing It Cool)**

**Theater director (The Incredible Jessica James)**

**Landscape architect (Just Like Heaven)**