CRT Cinema

Though it wasn’t his first major movie, we all fell in love with Jonah Hill in the 2007 hit comedy SuperBad. No, this isn’t the same love we feel for Robert Pattinson or Jude Law, It’s that “you’re so hilarious and fat I just want to hang out with you everyday so my life will be as funny as yours.” Prior to his breakout role in Superbad, he had several supporting roles in movies such as The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. In all of these earlier roles he was an amusing contributor but not as memorable because of the small part he played. Hill is one of those actors that gives you the “oh HE was in this movie,” moment when you re-watch these older comedies for the second time. So what is it that makes this 26-year-old so entertaining to watch?Hill seems to have an impeccable ability to portray any situation in a realistic way. In Superbad, the flustered conversations he’d have with Evan (Michael Cera) about his plot to lose his virginity before college or how to acquire alcohol for a high school party reminds us of ourselves and our friends at that age. Instead of the unrealistic, dream worlds of many Hollywood high school scenes, this was totally relatable in an incredibly funny way.Another check mark in Hill’s column is his looks. Believe it or not we actually like watching someone overweight with awkwardly curly hair. For men, it’s a relief to not have to sit through yet another movie while your girlfriend gawks over the airbrushed body of Taylor Lautner. And for the ladies, we become smitten with the sweet and likable “fat kid.”The good news is Hollywood’s listening and we’re guaranteed to see plenty more of this young actor in the near future. Hill is starring in upcoming films such as Cyrus, The Adventurer’s Handbook and 21 Jump Street. Because these films cover various genres, we’ll get to see him playing different roles and find out whether he really is a multi-talented star or just our favorite funny man.