Nicholas Sparks' Leading Men

by Helen Earnshaw | 6 July 2013

Nicholas Sparks is one of the most adapted writers of recent years and we have seen a whole host of his novels made into successful movies.

And one of the things that all of these films have is common is that they star some of Hollywood's hottest actors.

So to celebrate the release of Safe Haven on DVD & Blu-Ray on Monday we take a look at some of the actors who have played the lead roles in this movies.

- Josh Duhamel (Safe Haven)

Josh Duhamel is the latest actor to star in a Nicholas Sparks adaptation as he takes on the role of Alex in Safe Haven.

The movie sees Duhamel team up with Julianne Hough in the Lasse Hallstrom directed movie.

Alex is a widower with two young children who befriends a young woman when she arrives in town.

But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.

- Channing Tatum (Dear John)

Dear John was released back in 2010 and saw Channing Tatum take on the role of John Tyree, a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Special Forces.

The movie saw Tatum team up with Amanda Seyfried for the first time as this was his first major romantic lead.

Dear John tells story of John Tyree (Tatum), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Seyfried), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation.

Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by John's increasingly dangerous deployments.

While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letters overseas, correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences.

This was the first time that Hallstrom had directed a Nicholas Sparks adaptation - he would go on to helm Safe Haven.

- Ryan Gosling (The Notebook)

The Notebook remains one of Ryan Gosling's most famous roles as it was the movie that really put him on the map.

The Notebook was released back in 2004 - yes it really will be celebrating it's ten year anniversary next year - and saw Nick Cassavetes in the director's chair.

The movie saw Gosling take on the role of Noah in a movie that charts the relationship between Noah and Allie as social difference tear them apart.

This is the most loved of all of the Nicholas Sparks adaptations and is widely regarded as one of the best romance movies of recent years.

- Zac Efron (The Lucky One)

The Lucky One hit the big screen at the beginning of summer 2012 and saw Zac Efron step into a Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

Directed by Scott Hicks the movie saw Efron take on the role of Logan, a U.S. Marine who has travelled back home after his third tour of Iraq.

During his final tour he found a photograph of a young woman - a picture he carries around as a good luck charm. Once home he sets out to find the woman in the picture and thank her for keeping him safe.

Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner and ay R. Ferguson were all also on the cast list.

- Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song)

Liam Hemsworth grabbed everyone's attention when he teamed up with Miley Cyrus back in 2010.

The movie was one of Hemsworth's early Hollywood roles as he took on the role of Will Blakelee in the film.

Directed by Julie Anne Robinson the movie follows Ronnie Miller, a rebellious girl who is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father.

The movie follows Ronnie reconnecting with her father as well as her blossoming relationship with Will.