Book to Screen
Breaking Down All 7 ‘Evelyn Hugo’ Husbands — Plus, the Men Who Should Play Them
Evelyn Hugo is finally on her way to Netflix! To anyone tempted to kiss their phone at the sight of this news, please don’t chip your tooth.
It’s hard to believe that March marks two years since Taylor Jenkins Reid’s first book-to-screen adaptation. But, now that Daisy Jones & The Six has graced our Spotify Wrapped not once, but twice, to say that we are eager for a new TJR adaptation would be a serious understatement.
While the Netflix film adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was announced in 2022 with Leslye Headland as the director, we spent years waiting for a fragment of an update, utterly convinced the film had been dropped… Until now. On February 11, 2025, it was announced that Maggie Betts has taken over the role of director, and Evelyn Hugo is still in the works.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows Monique Grant, a young reporter tapped out of obscurity to write the biography of fifties starlet Evelyn Hugo, who is best known for having an astounding seven marriages. While reconciling with her own divorce, Monique listens to Evelyn recount her rise to fame and every one of her infamous relationships, hoping to finally answer Hollywood’s biggest question: With seven husbands and (seemingly) nothing to show for it at 79, who was the love of Evelyn Hugo’s life?
Last year, our sister site TV Insider created a dream cast with the actresses we hope to see take on the iconic roles of Monique, Evelyn, and Celia St. James, a fellow actress whose relationship with Evelyn takes an unexpected turn. Now that Netflix has confirmed the continued progress of the adaptation, we feel it is about time we continue our dream cast!
Without any further ado, we are proud to introduce newcomers and TJR aficionados alike to our picks for all seven of Evelyn’s husbands and a glimpse into each couple’s unique relationship.
As always, let us know if you agree with our dream cast of Evelyn’s husbands. Comment below with who you would cast as Evelyn’s leading lads!
1. Josh Andrés Rivera as Poor Ernie Diaz
At the time of her first marriage, Evelyn Hugo was only 15. Ernie Diaz, a young guy whose best quality was his impending move to Hollywood. He either didn’t know or simply didn’t mind that Evelyn was underage. For Evelyn, marriage was a ticket out of Hell’s Kitchen. For the first of Evelyn’s many husbands, we’ve selected Josh Andrés Rivera, who is best known for the role of Sejanus Plinth in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. While Ernie is more of a stepping stone in Evelyn’s career than a romantic prospect, we want an actor who can serve strength and naïveté all at once. Rivera is the perfect guy for the job.
2. Patrick Schwarzenegger as Goddamn Don Adler
For all intents and purposes, Don Adler is Hollywood. Don is a prolific actor who got his start by simply being born to two well-known silent film actors. Evelyn and Don have chemistry both on and off screen, making them the perfect Hollywood couple. At least, that’s what it looks like from the outside… For Don Adler, we immediately thought of Patrick Schwarzenegger, an actor by birth, who currently has us enraptured by his performance in The White Lotus Season 3. While The White Lotus takes place in the present, it’s clear that Schwarzenegger most certainly has the old Hollywood charm needed to play Evelyn’s most illustrious movie star husband.
3. Dylan O'Brien as Gullible Mick Riva
For the TJR fans who are in deep, this one hits different. Evelyn’s infamous third husband, Mick Riva, is the rock star best known for stringing together the big four Taylor Jenkins Reid books (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, Malibu Rising, and Carrie Soto is Back.) While his marriage to Evelyn is brief, we know that Mick Riva is one of the roles fans are the most excited to see cast. That being said, hear us out when we say Dylan O’Brien would make a phenomenal Mick Riva. Not only do we know O’Brien can shape shift into any role, as seen in Taylor Swift‘s All Too Well: The Short Film, O’Brien has a (not-so-secret) history as a musician. He’s featured on vocals and drums with the band Slow Kids at Play. Give that man a stage and some rock star hair — and, trust us, you’ll see Mick Riva, too.
4. Joe Alwyn as Clever Rex North
Evelyn describes Icelandic actor Rex North as “so beautiful it [is] nearly boring.” Fulfilling a classic romance trope, Evelyn and Rex are two stars faking a relationship to bolster their fame and popularity. When considering the trajectory of Evelyn’s relationship with Rex North, it was no surprise that Joe Alwyn came to mind. While perfectly fulfilling Reid’s description of Rex’s dimpled smile, for us, Alwyn’s role in Conversations with Friends proved his ability to play an actor caught in a complicated relationship, winning him the part.
5. Jonathan Bailey as Brilliant, Kindhearted, Tortured Harry Cameron
Let’s be real, attach any project to Jonathan Bailey, and we’ll be dying to see it. Cast Jonathan Bailey as a character in a project we’re already dying to see, and we might just lose our minds. Harry Cameron is one of the most beloved characters in the story of Evelyn’s life. As the producer who discovered Evelyn back when she was waiting tables, Harry goes on to be one of Evelyn’s most inseparable friends, ultimately earning him the title of husband number five. We’re almost certain Bailey, the heartthrob known for roles in both Bridgerton and Wicked, was born to play Harry Cameron. Charming and kindhearted, with one of the best smiles on screen today, there’s no one we would rather see by Evelyn’s side.
6. Rossif Sutherland as Disappointing Max Girard
Evelyn develops a creative partnership with French director Max Girard long before the two get married. While Evelyn truly sees a future with Max, she questions what he loves more: the person he wants her to be or the person she truly is. For Max Girard, we’ve chosen Rossif Sutherland, best known as Nostradamus in CW’s Reign. While Sutherland’s most obvious French connection was playing the court seer in 16th century France, his mother was a French film actress and the actor himself is fluent in the language. While there is definitely nothing “disappointing” about Rossif Sutherland, we know his Max Girard would be a perfect match to the upsetting character.
7. John Corbett as Agreeable Robert Jamison
After spending most of her life by Celia St. James’ side, Evelyn marries her brother. Lucky husband number seven is Robert Jamison, a silver fox who has recently left his Wall Street career. Together, Evelyn, Robert, and Celia move to Spain to live a life outside the spotlight. To fill the shoes of Evelyn’s last husband we have chosen John Corbett, a fan favorite actor from Sex and the City, And Just Like That…, and, of course, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. If Corbett hadn’t already won our hearts as a bonafide romance legend, we’re sure that playing Evelyn’s family-first husband would do the trick. Turns out, seeing Corbett as Robert Jamison would simply be the icing on the cake.
