Chiwetel Ejiofor

Seth Rogen

Think of him as the anti-Clooney. In an era when even James Bond is looking a bit more scruffy than normal, a leading man with a gut, a fuzzy head of hair and an unkempt beard is just part of a new world order. Rogen stood out with early roles on Judd Apatow’s two TV series “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” but it wasn’t until “40-Year-Old Virgin” that he really seemed bound for stardom. Now, with “Knocked Up” and this summer’s “Superbad,” he’s ready to give Brad Pitt some competition for People’s next Sexiest Man Alive.” The gauntlet has been thrown.

Shia LaBeouf

Somewhere along the way, when no one was looking, LaBeouf hopped aboard the freight train to success. The first time most people took notice of him was in 2003’s “Holes,” but he also made quite an impression on “Project Greenlight,” dealing with the inept directors of the sappy “Battle of Shaker Heights.” This year he surprised everyone by carrying “Disturbia” to a winning weekend. And though “Surf’s Up” may be a bit of a fumble, LaBeouf still has “Transformers” on deck, not to mention that little “Indiana Jones” sequel directed by Steven Spielberg, in which he plays Harrison Ford’s son.

Chiwetel Ejiofor

If only his name were a bit easier to pronounce. According to IMDB.com, the correct way to say it is “chew-it-tell edge-oh-for.” Got that? Most people took notice of Ejiofor in 2002’s very good “Dirty Pretty Things.” Since then, he’s done some scene-stealing work in “Inside Man” and “Children of Men” as well as racking up a Golden Globe nomination for his starring roles in “Kinky Boots” and the HBO film “Tsunami: The Aftermath.” This summer, Ejiofor appears alongside Don Cheadle in “Talk to Me.” He has four new films in production, including “American Gangster” with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington and David Mamet’s “Redbelt.” One of these days — and probably not too long from now — expect Ejiofor to accept an Academy Award. He’s just that good.

Jonah Hill

With roles in three of this summer’s big comedies: “Knocked Up,” “Evan Almighty” and “Superbad,” Hill is ready to follow Rogen’s path to success. Step one: Don’t worry that you don’t look like the typical leading man. It doesn’t matter. Step two: Be part of a cult TV show; in Hill’s case, Oxygen’s “Campus Ladies.” Step three: Be funny alongside established comic movie actors; roles in “Clicked” and his three movies this summer should take care of that. He has five more films coming up, including the animated “Horton Hears a Who,” which features the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot more of Hill.

Justin Long

Who would have thought appearing in Mac TV ads could catapult you to stardom. But that’s just what’s happened for Long, who is so well known through those ads that a group of 13- to 14-year-olds told the L.A. Times that they wanted to see “Live Free or Die Hard” because of him and not for uber-star Bruce Willis. Long has also appeared alongside Vince Vaughn in both “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and “The Break-Up.” And he’s no stranger to Jonah Hill, the two of them starred together in “Accepted” and will appear together again in the comedy “Strange Wilderness,” which will hit theaters in December. PC guy (John Hodgman) must be so jealous.