The 40-Year-Old Virgin kickstarted an era of comedy blockbusters that made superstars of Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen. The romantic comedy defied modest expectations by earning nearly $200 million at the worldwide box office and being named one of the top 10 films of 2005 by the American Film Institute. The basic premise of The 40-Year-Old Virgin started as a comedy sketch that Carell performed early in his career at Chicago's famed Second City improv theater.