Taylor Swift knows how to cast men for her music videos — down to their looks so that they resemble certain ex-boyfriends of hers. No, this is not a list of all the men she’s ever dated; that would be tacky. Swift has had her fair share of relationships like all of us, and her fans have gotten some great music out of her heartbreaks.
The country-turned-pop singer has been dating actor Joe Alwyn for over 5 years now, so any vultures pecking around the old jokes about her dating life can give it a rest. The roster of her music video co-stars does not disappoint, ranging from actors to fellow musicians to backup dancers.
Here are 23 actors who have played the love interest in Taylor Swift’s music videos:
Tyler Hilton – “Teardrops On My Guitar”
Actor and musician Tyler Hilton (“One Tree Hill,” “Walk the Line”) portrayed Taylor’s high school crush Drew Hardwick, whom she names in one of her first breakout ballads.
Justin Sandy – “Picture to Burn
Justin Sandy plays the “jerk” that Swift sings about in one of her first ever music videos for “Picture to Burn.” The former NFL player appears as Taylor’s cheating ex mainly in beginning of the 2008 music video.
Lucas Till – “You Belong With Me”
The “Hannah Montana The Movie” star plays the hearthrob Swift sings about in “You Belong With Me.” She fights over him with an alternate brunette version of herself, the “cheer captain” to blonde Swift’s marching band member “on the bleachers.”
Justin Gaston – “Love Story”
The “Nashville” star plays the Romeo to Taylor’s Juliet in the medieval music video for “Love Story.” He went on to star in “Days of Our Lives” for 22 episodes in 2014, and he also portrayed John Stamos in Lifetime’s “The Unauthorized Full House Story.”
Stephen Colletti – “White Horse”
Another “One Tree Hill” star recruited to Swift’s roster was Stephen Colletti, who also starred in “Laguna Beach.” Colletti portrays a boyfriend Swift put on a pedestal only to be let down, as she sings about in the 2009 “White Horse” video.
Toby Hemingway – “Mine”
Hemingway plays the subject of Swift’s lead single off of her 2010 album “Speak Now.” In “Mine,” she sings about a man she meets waiting tables and who becomes a loyal partner in life. The British actor has starred in “Feast of Love,” “Black Swan” and “In Time.” He also starred in “The Covenant” alongside Sebastian Stan and Chace Crawford.
Guntars Asmanis
The Latvian model walks around for a lot of the “Back to December” video looking emotional, kind of like Judd Nelson does at the end of “The Breakfast Club.” Asmanis represents Swift’s ex-boyfriend and Valentine’s Day co-star Taylor Lautner.
Caleb Campbell – “The Story of Us”
The 2011 “Story of Us” music video watches Swift distance herself from Caleb Campbell in college. She agonizes in the library and all over campus.
Zach Gilford – “Ours”
Zach Gilford briefly appears as Swift’s long distance military boyfriend in the charming music video for “Ours.” Gilford had previously appeared in “Friday Night Lights,” and following the 2011 music video, he appeared in “The Purge: Anarchy.”
Reeve Carney – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
Carney took a brief break from his Broadway run as Spider-Man in “Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” to star in 2012’s “I Knew You Were Trouble,” His tattoos help him resemble Harry Styles, who seems to be the subject of this anthem that generated a meme of a screaming goat that then inspired Taika Waititi’s goats in “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
Noah Mills – “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
The video for the first single off Swift’s “Red” album stars model/actor Noah Mills (“The Brave,” “The Enemy Within’” and “PEN15”) as her ex-boyfriend. The “Red” era centers a lot around Swift’s ex Jake Gyllenhaal, as can be seen in later works like her short film for “All Too Well.”
Ed Sheeran – “Everything Has Changed”
In his first collaboration with Swift for on her “Red” album, Ed Sheeran is represented by a little red-headed boy that becomes best friends with a little girl reminiscent of Swift with her white dress and adorable owl backpack. Only at the end of the music video do Sheeran and Swift show up as their respective mini me’s parents.
Vladimir Perrin – “Begin Again”
French actor Vladimir Perrin helps Swift get over an ex in the Paris-set music video for “Begin Again.”
Zayn Malik – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”
Swift and Malik collaborated on “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” for “Fifty Shades Darker,” the second film in the trilogy adapted from the books by E.L. James. Malik and Swift are separate for most of the video, but film a scene together in the end.
Sean O’pry – “Blank Space
Sean O’pry stars as the love interest in Swift’s Miss Havisham-esque music video where she mocks her status as a serial dater. O’pry was 2013’s highest paid male model, and he stoically stands by while Taylor does all kinds of hysterical things to him.
Dominic Sherwood – “Style
Sherwood starred in “Vampire Academy” before he was asked to act opposite her in “Style,” which is most definitely about Mr. Harry Styles. The British actor went on to star in Freeform’s “Shadowhunters” as Jace Wayland, and more recently he has appeared in Netflix’s “The Partner Track.”
Scott Eastwood – “Wildest Dreams”
Clint Eastwood’s son was tapped to star opposite Swift in the ‘50s style music video shot in Africa and inspired by old Hollywood. Swift has since received some criticism for the setting of this music video, but Eastwood went on to star in “The Longest Ride” as well as “Suicide Squad” and “The Fate of the Furious.”
Christian Owens – “Lover”
Owens danced on Swift’s “1989” and “Reputation” tours as well as in Beyoncé’s “Homecoming” Coachella performance. He takes his choreographic skills to the “Lover” music video in which he and swift slow dance inside the colorful “Lover” house.
Brendon Urie in “ME!”
The Pan!c at the Disco lead singer, who recently announced the breakup of the band, both sang on Swift’s lead single for her “Lover” album “ME!” and appeared in the music video as her distanced love interest. They argue in French at the beginning of the film before everything breaks open into color and craziness.
Taeok Lee – “Willow”
The Korean American talent previously danced backup on Swift’s “Red” tour from 2013-2014. He stars as her mystery man in the “Willow” music video, who keeps coming back to her at different points in the story.
Dylan O’Brien – “All Too Well: The Short Film”
The “Teen Wolf” alum stars in “All Too Well: The Short Film” set to “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) (10-Minute Version). O’Brien’s buzz cut and beanie make him a dead ringer for Jake Gyllenhaal, who inspired Swift’s most popular ballad after they dated for a bit.
Miles Teller – “I Bet You Think About Me”
The “Top Gun: Maverick” star appeared as a spurned ex-lover (again, probably Jake Gyllenhaal) in the music video for “I Bet You Think About Me,” which was directed by Blake Lively. Swift haunts Teller in all sorts of bright red outfits until she appears to him a vision in a beautiful ballroom wedding dress.
Laith Ashley De La Cruz
The transgender male model is the latest to appear opposite Swift in one of her whimsical works, the “Lavender Haze” video.
