Masi Oka
Heroes

That a time-traveling wage slave who doesn't speak much English would become the fan fave among the capeless crusaders of NBC's Heroes — well, it makes sense now. But Masi Oka, 32, hardly seemed poised for stardom when he took on the role of Hiro Nakamura, and he's still adjusting to the reality of celebrity. ''It's been an amazing year,'' he says. At the start of 2006, Oka was ready to leave acting after bouncing around in guest spots and recurring roles (Without a Trace, Scrubs). Now he has a hit show (Heroes averages 14.4 million viewers a week) and was recently surprised with a Golden Globe nod. ''The first person I called was my mom,'' says Oka, who grew up primarily in L.A. ''She was in Japan, so I got her voice-mail. Five minutes later she called me back and we were both crying.'' Why do fanboys and nongeeks alike connect with Hiro, an exuberant naïf who regards comics with religious solemnity? Maybe because he's the only Hero who isn't painfully conflicted about being super. ''He was stuck in this corporate world, and he got to realize his dream, and he's so happy about it. He's vindicated.'' Sounds like someone we know. — Alynda Wheat