If you've seen 27-year-old Canadian actor Jay Baruchel in one of his short-lived TV series - "Undeclared," "The Stones," "Just Legal" - or in films like "Fanboys" and 'Tropic Thunder," then you know he's not your typical leading man. He's more on the geeky side.

In his new film, 'She's Out of My League," he plays a guy doomed to "we'll always be best friends" status when it comes to beautiful women. But he suddenly finds himself dating a woman (Alice Eve) who's not just out of his league, but is the first pick in any attractiveness all-star game. How that relationship plays out is the heartbeat of the romantic comedy.

Baruchel has never let his geekiness stop him in matters of love - on or off screen.

"I was always able to joke my way in with the women," Baruchel says in a telephone interview. "So I've never been too awkward when it came to women."

When asked about working with his beautiful co-star Eve, Baruchel says, "It doesn't suck."

So he's cool around women. His confidence around the opposite sex has translated into other parts of his life, including an acting career that started when he was 13 as the first character killed on "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

Baruchel figured he should be an actor because what else would a kid with "a big mouth and a surplus of energy" do? He wanted to direct horror movies, but he got sidetracked into acting. He's confident that one day he will direct gruesome fright scenes.

For now, he's dealing with being in front of the camera. He has high hopes for "She's Out of My League," which - despite some outlandish moments - is an actual romance story. That, suggests Baruchel, could open the film up to a wider audience.

For his next film, Baruchel is a voice talent for the new animated feature "How to Train Your Dragon." It opens March 26.