15 to Watch: Hollywood's Next A-List

SETH ROGEN

Age 26
Last Seen In Knocked Up and Superbad
Career Box Office $788 million
Asking Price Over $6 million

''He's not a Tom Cruise type,'' sniffs one casting director. Let's dispel that myth right now: From Tom Hanks to Adam Sandler, there have been plenty of ''average'' looking leading men, especially in comedy, so it should be no shock that Seth Rogen is now one of them. Knocked Up proved fertile at the box office, grossing $219 million wordwide thanks in large part to Rogen's Everyman mug and genial comic touch. ''He's this accessible, goofy loaf that you want to root for,'' says a top studio exec. ''He's got an understanding of his strengths, and I think his range is even broader than what he's shown.'' Most important, Rogen is a self-generating star. He writes or co-writes much of his own material (including Superbad), and is building not just a career but a brand. ''He's the Steve Martin of his generation,'' says one producer. That said, comedy styles can become stale — which is why it's good Rogen's branching out into superhero territory with The Green Hornet in 2010.

NEXT UP FOR SETH ROGEN This summer's stoner comedy Pineapple Express, followed by Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

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