Variations on a Theme: The Seven Faces of Michael Cera

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One of the most frequent criticisms leveled against Michael Cera is that he plays the same character in every single one of his roles, like some alternate-universe John Cusack circa the ‘80s. This is basically true—Cera’s bread is buttered on the nerdy, awkwardly-endearing side, and he seems to have had no problems cashing paychecks made out to George Michael Bluth these last few years. But at the same time, each of the characters he’s played have had their own quirks and charms, enough for him to maybe, kinda make the case that he’s also a man of many hats. Well, we all know that Cera is way too shy in real life to make that argument, so we’ll make it for him.

1. The Psychopath (La Femme Nikita)
Before he stole our hearts as George Michael, he was trying to kill us with his mind. As Cera recently revealed on Letterman, he had a bit part in an episode of La Femme Nikita in 2000, where he played a psychotic psychic:

2. The Bleeding-Heart (Arrested Development)
Ahhhh, where it all began. This show was something of an incubator for the manchild who would emerge over the course of the next two-and-a-half seasons, giving birth to the style that would become Cera’s calling card:

3. The Hustler (Clark and Michael)
This short-lived, mockumentary-style web series followed Cera and Clark Duke’s attempts to land a contract for a TV series pilot. Naturally, shenanigans ensue, and the duo continue to butt heads and lament the oft-thankless nature of showbiz, until they finally hustle their way to the top and land a contract with CBS: