Dermot Mulroney says he had a one-year acting dry spell post-"My Best Friend's Wedding" -- and he's blaming the movie's marketing campaign ... and his teeny-tiny placement.
The actor told the New York Times that he didn't get any work for about a year after acting in the iconic '90s rom-com opposite Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett -- and he attributes this to the fact he was downplayed in the actual movie poster that went around.
He says, "I was sitting there ready for the gift with purchase that was supposed to come along with being in a popular movie, and instead, I probably didn't work for a year."
DM adds, "I chalked it up to me being so tiny on the poster, the little guy on the cake. I thought, gosh, you guys, if you'd made me a little bigger, maybe I could have gotten a job."
Thankfully, Dermot's dry spell didn't last too long. He bounced back with 1999's "Goodbye Lover," and from there ... he went on to carve out a wildly successful career for himself.
Dermot made a rom-com comeback, playing Sydney Sweeney's dad in the recent hit "Anyone But You" ... which also starred Hollywood hunk, Glen Powell.
He's ready to pass the torch to the next generation of rom-com actors -- even standing up for Sydney against a producer who thought she wasn't all that. And, when it comes to rom-coms in general ... he says they have a way bigger impact than anyone realizes.