Sidekick to Leading Man

Aug. 3, 2007 — -- Jonah Hill doesn't look that different from the thousands of "colorful" characters and fans who swarm Comic-Con, the largest comic convention in the world, where being a "nerd" has become the standard.

But Hill is different. He is one of the stars of this summer's new movie "Superbad," the next big comedy from Judd Apatow, the creative genius behind "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

This not-so-average looking movie star is comfortable being part of what one critic dubbed the "Season of the Goofball." "I don't care. I'm not offended by it. I think I am a goofy guy," said Hill.

Hill is poised to be the next member of the Apatow troupe to make it big in Hollywood. He finally goes from being the funny sidekick to the leading man in the raunchy teen comedy "Superbad."

"The movie is really about two best friends, myself and Michael Cera. It takes place in one night, like an 'American Graffiti' type of movie. We're trying to buy alcohol for these girls that we like because we think it will make them like us … but it's really a movie about you and your best friend."

For someone who never even aspired to be an actor, this is a dream role for Hill. "I became friends with Dustin Hoffman's kids Jake and Becky, who are great. We just randomly became friends. They introduced me to their dad, Dustin, and whenever he came to town we would all just kind of hang out. Dustin thought I was really funny and … he got me an audition for the movie "I Heart Hukabees."

If he didn't want to be an actor before the "Huckabees," he certainly caught the bug after. Hill quit school and moved back in with his parents in Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time -- a move that would make many parents nervous.

Hill laughs as he remembers how he broke the news to his father. "I told him, 'Look I don't think I've ever really been good at anything else. I think I'm pretty funny, just let me try this.' He let me leave school for a year, and in that year period I did absolutely nothing. … I mean, I tried but you know, kept getting rejected.