Arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day, Marry Me is a new musical romantic-comedy starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. Directed by Kat Coiro, the film follows superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) as she embarks on a concert tour with her fiancé, Bastian (Maluma).
Kat and Bastian are supposed to be married live in front of millions of viewers at their show until Bastian is caught cheating right before Kat has to walk on stage. Heartbroken and in desperate need of a change, Kat decides to marry a random man in the audience holding a “marry me” sign. That man happens to be a local school teacher named Charlie (Owen Wilson). The two sudden lovebirds now have to get to know each other under the scrutiny of the public eye while trying to figure out if this marriage is just a publicity stunt or a true act of fate.
The movie is based on a webcomic-turned-graphic-novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby. Though the character names and some details have been changed, the premise of the story remains true to the source material.
Before heading to the theater to see Marry Me, check out this guide to find out more about the characters and the actors that bring them to life.
Jennifer Lopez as Katalina "Kat" Valdez
Jennifer Lopez leads the film as Kat Valdez, a famous singer whose unexpected choice on stage throws her into an impromptu marriage. Kat is still reeling from discovering the infidelity of her boyfriend when she publicly says “I do” to a complete stranger. To avoid being slammed by the media, Kat decides to keep up appearances and pursue a relationship with her new husband, Charlie. When her ex-boyfriend Bastian swoops in to try to win back Kat’s heart, Charlie and Kat’s budding relationship is put to the test. Will she be wooed by the glitz and glamour of Bastian or follow her own advice to try something new with Charlie?
Lopez is no stranger to the romantic-comedy genre. Some of her most iconic roles include Maid in Manhattan, The Wedding Planner, and What to Expect When You’re Expecting. In 2020, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Ramona in Hustlers. Her upcoming projects include Shotgun Wedding and The Mother, both set to release later this year.
Owen Wilson as Charlie Gilbert
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Owen Wilson stars as Charlie Gilbert, a math teacher who is thrust into the spotlight when he is abruptly married to popstar Kat Valdez. Charlie is a recent divorcee and single father who doesn’t get out of the house much. He’s dragged to the Kat and Bastian concert by his friend Parker (Sarah Silverman) and his daughter Lou (Chloe Coleman). Parker leaves Charlie standing in the crowd with a sign that reads “marry me”, which inspires Kat to ask Charlie to marry her at the show. After being suddenly wedded to a superstar, Charlie has to quickly adapt to his newfound fame as he begins exploring his relationship with Kat. Charlie offers Kat the chance at having a simple life, which could be exactly what she’s been looking for. But will Charlie’s Everyman charm be enough to sweep the glamorous Kat off her feet?
Owen Wilson is best known for his roles in Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and the Cars franchise. He recently joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mobius in the Disney+ series Loki and starred in Wes Anderson’s latest film The French Dispatch. Wilson is also set to star opposite LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish in the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie based on the famous Disneyland attraction.
Maluma as Bastian
The character of Bastian is played by the real-life superstar Maluma. Bastian is a Grammy Award-winning artist who is engaged to be married to Kat. The two are supposed to exchange vows on stage at one of their concerts, but right before the show begins Bastian is caught cheating on Kat with her assistant. The heartbroken Kat decides to leave Bastian and marry a random fan in the audience, but Bastian is not going down without a fight. He plans to win Kat back and pull her away from Charlie. The battle between Bastian’s celebrity shine and Charlie’s casual appeal will force Kat to choose which kind of life she wants to live and what kind of love she wants to receive.
Maluma is a singer-songwriter from Colombia. In 2020, his album 11:11 was nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the Grammys, and later that year he won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Latin. He recently voiced Mariano in the popular Disney film Encanto, and he is now making his live-action acting debut in Marry Me.
John Bradley as Collin Calloway
John Bradley plays Collin Calloway, one of Kat’s employees and closest confidants. Though Collin works for Kat, he also serves as a friend and support system for the star. When Kat’s marriage to Charlie forces her to mix her professional and personal lives, Charlie steps up to help Kat navigate the new challenges she faces. Kat and Charlie have a close connection, and Charlie is someone who will always be there for Kat when she needs him.
Game of Thrones fans will recognize Bradley as the lovable Samwell Tarly. He has also appeared in episodes of the British series Shameless and Merlin. You can catch Bradley starring in the forthcoming Netflix sci-fi series The Three-Body Problem with Eiza González and Benedict Wong.
Sarah Silverman as Parker Debbs
Parker Debbs is played by the hilarious comedian Sarah Silverman. Parker is a fellow teacher and friend of Charlie’s. She’s the one that invites Charlie to the concert that changes his life, and later she encourages him to pursue a relationship with Kat. Whereas Charlie likes to stay at home and keep to himself, Parker is full of energy and loves to go out. She is arguably way more excited about Charlie’s marriage to Kat than he is at first. Parker is super savvy when it comes to social media and pop culture, and she uses these skills to help Charlie navigate his overnight celebrity status.
Silverman got her start as a writer and featured player on Saturday Night Live. She went on to create and star in her own sitcom, The Sarah Silverman Program, and lend her voice to several animated projects including Wreck-It Ralph, Bob’s Burgers, and The Simpsons. Silverman was recently featured in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, and she has been announced to star in the upcoming psychological-thriller Viral.
Michelle Buteau as Melissa
Michelle Buteau plays Kat’s assistant, Melissa (no, not the assistant that Bastian cheated on Kat with). Melissa is a long-time friend of Kat, and the two have been close since before Kat rose to stardom. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she doesn’t hesitate to bring Kat back down to earth when she needs to. When Kat marries Charlie, Melissa is hesitant to agree with the decision. She thinks Charlie doesn’t fit into the high-profile life Kat has worked so hard to build for herself. Melissa will always be there for Kat, but it might take her a bit longer to warm up to the idea of Charlie becoming part of their lives.
Buteau is the charismatic host and narrator of the Netflix reality series The Circle. She has also appeared in several other rom-coms such as Always Be My Maybe, Happiest Season, and Isn’t It Romantic. Buteau’s next project is the sci-fi comedy Moonshot, which is set to release on HBO Max in March of this year. She will also be starring in Survival of the Thickest, a Netflix comedy series based on Buteau’s own book of essays.
Chloe Coleman as Lou Gilbert
Charlie’s daughter, Lou, is played by Chloe Coleman. Lou encourages her dad to attend the concert and pushes him up on stage after Kat says that she wants to marry him. Without her support, Charlie would have likely never even gone to the concert and met Kat. Lou’s advice of “just say yes” becomes crucial to this story. It’s these words that push Charlie to agree to marry Kat and take a chance on their relationship. Lou and Charlie clearly have a close bond, and he seems to really take what she says to heart.
At just 13-years-old, Chloe Coleman has racked up an impressive list of acting credits. She appeared in HBO’s hit series Big Little Lies as Skye Carlson, and she’s recently starred in the films My Spy and Gunpowder Milkshake. Later this year she will appear in Avatar 2 and 65, followed by Dungeons and Dragons in 2023.
Marry Me will be released in theaters and on Peacock simultaneously on February 11.