Hollywood has found a new kind of leading man, and he isn’t buff, tan or particularly good-looking.
He specializes in playing hapless, average-looking, almost nerdy guys. Losers? Maybe. Yet these characters still manage to get the girl, win the race, carve out their own careers — or build a better ark.
Steve Carell, currently starring as the ark-building “Evan Almighty,” is one of a handful of stars Newsweek magazine branded the Beta males: the quiet fellows who let the win-at-all-costs Alpha male control every situation. Here’s a look at five actors and the Beta males they’ve played.
Steve Carell
Fans of “The Office” and his movies love him, and his co-stars can’t say enough nice things about him. Relegated to roles as a jerk or an idiot early in his career, Carell at last showcased his likable side in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” In true Beta male fashion, he agreed to bare his hairy chest and get it waxed with the cameras rolling to deliver the movie’s signature scene.
Will Ferrell
Perhaps the reigning godfather of Beta males, Ferrell won America over with his everyman charm. Where the Richard Gere-types preen in front of the camera, Ferrell parades around with his shirt off in “Blades of Glory.” Where the Bruce Willises always have a witty comeback ready, Ferrell bellows “Milk was a bad choice!” in “Anchorman.”
Jack Black
Black’s round face belongs on the Beta male Mt. Rushmore along with Ferrell’s, Mike Myers’ and Adam Sandler’s. Comedies such as “Orange County” and “The School of Rock” perfected Black’s lovable-slob image. In the ultimate show of Beta maleness, he squeezed into spandex for the wrestling comedy “Nacho Libre.”
Seth Rogen
Rogen joined the Beta male club with the raucous-but-sweet summer comedy “Knocked Up.” Will the fellow “40-Year-Old Virgin” star follow in Carell’s footsteps?
Jon Heder
Heder’s nerdy wiles made “Napoleon Dynamite” a breakout hit and landed him next to Ferrell in “Blades of Glory.” And don’t look for Heder to turn into a long-locked Lothario any time soon. In the comedy “Mama’s Boy,” he will play a slacker still living at home with his folks.
