With a soft and calculated speech pattern, baby-soft face and that soulful, naïve look in his eyes, Michael Cera is making his career out of sweet, awkwardly adorable nerds just looking for a good time. Cera’s brand of comic delivery ushered in a new breed of kinder, gentler, but persistently hilarious comedy. Instead of a pratfall, Cera’s eyes do all the work, letting the audience in on how uncomfortable, or horrified, or enamored his character is feeling. With Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist hitting theaters on October 3rd, let’s take a look back at his most memorable (and adorable) roles.
Arrested Development (2003-2006)In a sitcom whose ensemble cast consisted lesbians, washed up teen idols and Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Cera shined as George-Michael Bluth. As the show’s resident bumbling adolescent, George-Michael wrestled with the tasks of maintaining a close father/son relationship, fighting his incestuous longing to make out with his cousin, and coping with TV’s most dysfunctional clan. Arrested Development broke through the typical sitcom mold thanks to the offbeat characters and knife-sharp dialogue, and paved the way for shows like The Office and 30 Rock to embrace different avenues to showcase comedic skills. Cera perfected his awkward nerd shtick, and created a character so loveable and believable that the viewer would actually hope he would make out with his cousin. Due to poor judgment (or “low ratings”), Fox pulled the plug on the show after three seasons despite receiving Emmy and Golden Globe recognition.
ClarkandMichael.com (2006)
Michael Cera, with best friend Clark Duke, created a series of 10 web videos that showcased how quirky, ridiculous and hilarious they were all by themselves. The premise follows Clark and Michael around while they try to get their own show on a major network. The delusion and persistence that they exhibit in pursing top TV execs to buy their show is altogether dry and hard to watch, yet each 10 to 12 minute episode is as wonderful and enjoyable as anything on TV.
Juno (2007)As Paulie Bleeker, Cera plays second banana and accidental sperm donor to Ellen Page’s Juno, but his presence and sincerity are just as important to the story as Juno’s acerbic wit. With his tiny gold shorts and infinite supply of orange tic tacs, Cera portrays Bleeker as a sensitive soul, unsure of how to proceed in a grown-up situation well over his head. Bleeker’s love for Juno is evident in the trophy panties he kept, but as most relationships go when pregnancy occurs, things get complicated, allowing Cera to perfect his signature wounded-but-hopeful face. When Bleeker and Juno curl up next to each other, her bare feet next to his track sneakers, it is so touching and tragic you can’t help but fall in love with this kid.
Superbad (2007)
If
Sex and the City were made with teenage boys (minus the fashion, money, and social popularity),
Superbad would be the end result. As one of the new incarnation of teenage sex comedies,
Superbad is foul-mouthed, perverted and yet—shockingly tender as its characters grapple with disappointment, adulthood, and love. Cera’s unpopular, virginal Evan and his hetero-lifemate Seth (played by Jonah Hill), embark on a quest to shake off their virginity before heading off to college. Convinced that liquor is the only way to a girl’s heart, their journey gets circumvented after police interfere, fake IDs are botched, and Cera’s crush gets tanked on gold-flecked Vodka. Cera is as horny as the teen boys in Porky’s and American Pie, but maintains his trademark sweetness even the face of his raging pubescent hormones. As a bonus, he can also bust out a mean rendition of the Guess Who’s “These Eyes.”
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (October 3, 2008)Cera’s Nick is dealing with the death of a relationship and, when playing a gig with his band, he is forced to come face to face with his ex and her date. To make her jealous, he pretends that Norah, a girl he barely knows, is his girlfriend. As the night progresses and hijinks ensue, Nick and Norah promises to be an easily digestible feel-good movie with a firm grip on our heart strings. Michael Cera will no doubt cement his role as America’s favorite social wallflower, much to the adoration of dreamy girls everywhere.
Coming Up: Extreme Movie (December 2008)While the
Date/Scary/Superhero/Epic Movie-franchise had played itself out before it even hit the ground, to think of Michael Cera in one of these movies spoofing teenage sex films seems only fitting. This could be the point in his career where the money was probably better than the script. (No trailer was available at press time, but one can only imagine what unholy hell will be unleashed on us just in time for Christmas.)