There was a time, not all that long ago, that plus-sized women were relegated to the role of the funny best friend in rom-coms or an annoying sibling of the thin, beautiful, fashionable lead female character. Fortunately, those days are at least partially behind us and female leads in romantic comedies come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Filmmakers have also relaxed the standards of fashion and grooming in leads and are allowing their main characters of all genders to express a certain level of dishevelment that is the reality for all of us living our lives off-screen.

Still, we don't like that we have to separate lists of the best romantic comedy leads by straight-sized and plus-sized women. It's 2022 and Hollywood and the media should really come to terms with the fact that most women are over a size 12, not a size 2 or 4. Look at model Yumi Nu; she's gorgeous, celebrating her curves, and planted firmly on the much-coveted cover of the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

We look forward to a time in which women aren't cast according to their dress size (or age), but for now, let's take a look at some truly outstanding actresses rocking their beauty in romantic comedies starring a plus-sized lead. Also, it should be noted that MovieWeb is using plus-sized as a subjective description, not a judgment. Each of these actresses are gorgeous and absolutely fabulous.

8 Life of the Party

Melissa McCarthy is delightful in everything she appears in. She's funny, she's likable, she's relatable, and she always looks like she's having a good time. This is definitely the case with McCarthy's hilarious star turn in 2018's Life of the Party, where she plays Deanna "Dee Rock" Miles, a newly divorced mother who decides to shake up her life by going back to college to complete the degree she abandoned decades ago. Unfortunately for her daughter Maddie, she enrolls at the same college she currently attends. Dee ends up bonding with her daughter's sorority sisters and bedding a friend of her daughter's boyfriend, who, of course, turns out to be the son of the woman her husband left her for. Since this is a rom-com, Dee ends up happy and her ex-husband ends up humiliated.

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7 Phat Girlz

Back in 2006, Mo'Nique starred as a department store clerk who aspires to be a fashion designer in Phat Girlz. Mo'Nique plays Jazmin Biltmore, a plus-sized woman who has always been overweight. She designs and makes her own clothes that flatter her fuller figure. When she wins a trip to Palm Springs, she takes her best friend and fellow plus-sized lady Stacey (Kendra C. Jonhson) and her skinny cousin Mia (Joyful Drake) with her.

There she meets a handsome doctor from Nigeria, Dr. Tunde. She is surprised when he expresses interest in her rather than Mia, however, her insecurity with her weight drives him away. She goes home deflated and depressed but eventually realizes she deserves love no matter what her size is. She flies to Nigeria to tell Dr. Tunde she loves him and after a momentary misunderstanding they get together

6 Just Wright

In 2010, the great rapper turned actor Queen Latifah starred as physical therapist Leslie Wright in Just Wright. Leslie is a die-hard basketball fan who happens to meet and chat up the New Jersey Nets' star player Scott McKnight (Common) at a gas station, and she invites him to her birthday party where he meets her friend Morgan (Paula Patton), a woman intent on becoming an NBA trophy wife. One thing leads to another and Morgan sets her sights on Scott by pretending to have interests in things he's interested in. They get engaged after three months of dating and start planning their wedding.

Scott tears his PCL during the All-Star Game and Morgan gets jealous because his physical therapist is a beautiful blonde woman. She convinces Leslie to be his physical therapist instead. As time goes on Morgan discovers she doesn't like Scott all that much and breaks up with him in a letter, leading to some delightful bonding between Leslie and Scott in this winning rom-com.

5 Isn't It Romantic

In 2019's Isn't It Romantic, a pre-dramatic weight loss Rebel Wilson plays an architect named Natalie who looks on romance and especially romantic comedies with an overdose of disdain. She also has low self-esteem and a pretty disastrous love life. Her assistant Whitney (Betty Gilpin), a huge ran of romantic comedies, is convinced their co-worker Josh (Adam Devine) is interested in Natalie, but Natalie scoffs at this notion as he dates a model on the billboard located directly across the street from their office. Natalie is mugged and knocked unconscious.

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When she regains consciousness, she finds herself trapped in the type of romantic comedy storyline she hates. Everything is topsy-turvy, with Whitney becoming her enemy and Blake, a billionaire client of her architecture firm, falling in love with Natalie. She badly wants to escape the romantic comedy hell she finds her self in, however, to do so, she must find 'true love' in this often witty comedy that even people who hate romance movies might enjoy.

4 Trainwreck

In 2015's Trainwreck, comedian Amy Schumer plays Amy, a woman who was told by her divorced father that monogamy was not realistic. The film fast forwards 23 years to reveal that Amy has grown up to be an alcoholic party girl who sleeps around. She is a writer for a men's magazine who dates the workout-obsessed Steven (John Cena). While on assignment interviewing Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), a successful sports doctor, he suggests they go to dinner. They end up having sex, and she ends up spending the night. He wants to see her again, but she tries to break it off. When Amy gets a call that her dad has fallen, Aaron drives her to his house, beginning a funny and sweet courtship between the immensely likable protagonists.

3 Sierra Burgess is a Loser

In 2018, Netflix debuted Sierra Burgess is a Loser starring Stranger Things' Shannon Purser, a modern-day retelling of the 19th century play Cyrano de Bergerac. Purser plays the intelligent and ambitious Sierra, whose dream is to attend Stanford. She's not one of the popular kids and gets bullied for her looks. Her popular classmate Veronica (Kristine Froseth) gives Sierra's number to a jock flirting with her (Jamey, played by Noah Centineo), since she has a boyfriend in college. Sierra and Jamey start texting, and he thinks he's flirting with Veronica, however, Veronica doesn't have the wit and charm that Sierra naturally comes by. Veronica gets dumped by her college boyfriend and Sierra offers to tutor her in exchange for help with Jamey in this sweet update of the classic tale.

2 Last Holiday

Queen Latifah plays Georgia Byrd in 2006's Last Holiday, a classic movie about learning to love yourself. Georgia is a shy salesperson in the cookware section of a department store who longs to be a professional chef. She keeps a scrapbook detailing her dream, including that her co-worker Sean Williams (LL Cool J) is her dream husband. While flirting with Sean, she hits her head and is taken to have a CT Scan. She's told she has brain tumors that are the result of a rare terminal disorder. Her health insurance does not cover the cost of the operation, so she decides to quit her job and take a dream vacation at a luxurious resort in the Czech Republic. Queen Latifah is confident and a real joy to watch in this inspirational flick.

1 Dumplin'

In 2018, Netflix debuted Dumplin', an ode to drag queens, beauty pageants, and Dolly Parton. Danielle MacDonald plays Willowdean "Will" Dickson, an overweight teenager in a small Texas town whose mother Rosie (a great Jennifer Aniston) has never gotten over her teen beauty pageant victories, and who calls Will 'Dumplin,' a nickname she hates. Dumplin' is primarily raised by her Aunt Lucy, who is her best friend and partner in crime. Lucy tragically dies the summer before Dumplin's senior year in high school, and Dumplin' is lost without her until she discovers the Miss Teen Bluebonnet Pageant. Some of the best parts of this charming film detail the preparations for the pageant with some help from Aunty Lucy's friends at a Dolly Parton-themed drag bar, but the movie as a whole is an endearing delight.