You remember that specific brand of mid-2000s comfort movie? The kind where a regular girl from the Midwest somehow ends up dating royalty? Honestly, The Prince & Me is the peak of that genre. It hit theaters in 2004, right when Julia Stiles was the reigning queen of teen cinema and the world was still obsessed with the idea of a modern-day fairy tale. But looking back, it wasn't just the "Wisconsin meets Copenhagen" plot that made it work. It was the chemistry.
The Prince and Me cast really sold the idea that a chemistry pre-med student could fall for a reckless Danish prince undercover at college. It’s been over two decades. A lot has changed since Prince Edvard (or "Eddie") first tried to figure out how to do laundry in a dorm basement.
Julia Stiles as Paige Morgan: Beyond the Pre-Med Dreams
Julia Stiles was already a massive star when she took on the role of Paige. She’d done 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance. She had this intellectual, no-nonsense energy that made her believable as a student more interested in organic chemistry than tiaras. In the film, Paige is fiercely independent. She isn't looking for a prince; she's looking for a career in medicine.
Stiles brought a groundedness to the role that most rom-coms lack. After the film, she didn't just stick to the "girl next door" trope. She leaned heavily into the Bourne franchise as Nicky Parsons, showing she could handle high-stakes action alongside Matt Damon. Later, she earned critical acclaim for her work in Hustlers and the series Riviera.
She's also one of the few actors from that era who managed to transition into motherhood and directing while keeping her private life mostly under wraps. She actually recently revealed she had a third child without the paparazzi even catching wind of the pregnancy for months. That’s a total Paige Morgan move—handling business quietly and efficiently.
Luke Mably as Prince Edvard: The Heartthrob Who Chose a Different Path
Then there’s Luke Mably. He played Eddie, the spoiled royal who heads to Wisconsin because he saw a "Girls of Wisconsin" video and thought it looked like a good time. Mably had to balance being a jerk in the first act with being a romantic lead in the second. It’s a tough tightrope.
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Mably is British, but he played Danish surprisingly well. Or at least, well enough for American audiences in 2004.
After the movie, Mably didn't follow the typical Hollywood "leading man" trajectory. He did return for the first sequel, The Prince & Me 2: The Royal Wedding, but that was it. He shifted toward more indie projects and British television. You might have spotted him in the supernatural drama The Gates or the combat hospital drama Combat Hospital. He’s stayed relatively low-key compared to his co-star, often focusing on painting and photography when he isn't acting. He’s got this edgy, artist vibe now that is worlds away from the clean-cut Prince of Denmark.
The Supporting Players: Ben Miller and Miranda Richardson
Let’s talk about Soren. Ben Miller played the long-suffering royal aide who has to follow Eddie to the U.S. and basically live in a frat house. Miller is a comedic genius in the UK, known for Armstrong and Miller and more recently, the lead in Professor T. He provided the "straight man" comedy that kept the movie from getting too sugary.
And Miranda Richardson as Queen Rosalind? Casting gold.
Richardson is a two-time Oscar nominee. Having her play the stern, traditional mother-in-law-to-be added a level of prestige to the film. She’s the one who forces Paige to realize that being a queen isn't just about wearing pretty dresses—it’s a job. Richardson has continued to be a powerhouse, appearing in everything from Harry Potter (as Rita Skeeter) to Good Omens.
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The Recasting Confusion: Why the Sequels Felt Different
If you happened to catch the three sequels that went straight to DVD, you probably noticed something weird. The Prince and Me cast changed significantly. Julia Stiles didn't return for the sequels. Instead, Kam Heskin took over the role of Paige Morgan for the next three movies.
Recasting a lead is always risky.
While Heskin did her best, the dynamic shifted. The first movie was a theatrical release with a decent budget and a specific "indie-film-meets-studio-romance" feel. The sequels—The Royal Wedding, A Royal Honeymoon, and The Elephant Adventure—leaned much harder into the slapstick and Hallmark-style tropes. Fans of the original often treat the 2004 film as a standalone story because the chemistry between Stiles and Mably was so specific to that moment in time.
Why the Movie Still Finds New Audiences
Why are we still talking about this cast?
Because the "fish out of water" story is timeless. But specifically, this movie arrived right before the social media era. There were no iPhones. People didn't Google "Prince of Denmark" the second they met someone suspicious. The mystery could actually breathe.
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The film also dealt with a very real tension: the choice between a career and a relationship. Usually, in these movies, the girl drops everything for the guy. The Prince & Me actually had Paige walk away at one point to finish her exams. That resonated with people. It made the characters feel like humans rather than just archetypes.
Behind the Scenes Facts You Probably Forgot
- The Wisconsin Setting: Even though it’s set in Wisconsin, a huge chunk of the movie was actually filmed in Toronto, Canada, and the Czech Republic. The "University of Wisconsin" scenes were mostly filmed at the University of Toronto.
- The Shakespeare Connection: Both Julia Stiles and Luke Mably had Shakespearean ties. Stiles was famous for 10 Things (based on The Taming of the Shrew) and O (based on Othello). Mably had recently come off a production of Macbeth.
- Real Royalty: The movie was released just a few months before the real-life Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson, an Australian commoner he met at a bar during the Sydney Olympics. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.
Where to Find the Cast Today
If you’re looking to catch up with the Prince and Me cast in their more recent work, here is the short list of where they've landed.
- Julia Stiles: Look for her in Orphan: First Kill or the series The Lake. She’s also very active in the New York theater scene.
- Luke Mably: He recently appeared in the film Break and does a lot of work in the horror/thriller indie space.
- Ben Miller: Check out Death in Paradise or Bridgerton (he played Lord Featherington in season one).
- Miranda Richardson: She recently lent her voice to Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and appeared in the series Fate: The Winx Saga.
Actionable Takeaways for Rom-Com Fans
If you’re revisiting this film or exploring the careers of the cast, keep these points in mind to get the most out of your nostalgic rewatch:
- Watch for the Chemistry: Compare the first film to the sequels. It’s a masterclass in how casting choices (specifically the Stiles/Mably dynamic) can change the entire tone of a script.
- Check Out "The Prince & Me 2": If only to see Luke Mably one last time as Eddie. It’s the only sequel that retains any of the original lead cast.
- Follow the Career Arcs: See how Julia Stiles used this movie as a springboard to escape the "teen queen" label by taking on darker, more complex roles in the years immediately following.
- Compare to Reality: Read up on the real story of Mary, Queen of Denmark. The parallels between her real life and Paige Morgan’s fictional journey are surprisingly numerous, especially regarding the "training" a commoner has to undergo to join a royal house.
The 2004 original remains a staple of the genre. While the sequels took the story in a more whimsical, less grounded direction, the original Prince and Me cast created a movie that actually has something to say about ambition and sacrifice. It’s more than just a crown and a carriage; it’s about whether two people from different worlds can actually function once the honeymoon phase ends. Re-watching it today, the film holds up because it treats its characters’ goals—especially Paige’s medical aspirations—with actual respect.