Comedy scouts and their discoveries

On the lookout for all the laughs they can get Comedy scouting is a rigorous beat best suited to the true believers. Finding the rare superstars amid the legions of wannabes takes as much stamina as instinct. Here are a few examples of how that tenacity can pay off.ALLISON JONES James Franco: Before the James Dean TV movie and “Freaks and Geeks” launched him, Jones cast the then-19-year-old in a Warner Bros. pilot about high school kids living in the 1970s. Jones was struck by his “sweetness” and “natural quality.” Jonah Hill: A nervous and chatty Hill told Jones that he “would very much like to work for Judd Apatow.” Jones was charmed. She cast him in one scene as “EBay Customer” in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” Then again in “Knocked Up,” “Superbad” and “Funny People.” Christopher Mintz-Plasse: His friend’s mom spotted one of Jones’ fliers (“Attention: Nerdy High School Boys”). He faxed in his headshot. “McLovin” had been found.RACHEL RUSCH Mike Bridenstine: Rusch caught his act on a comedy website and booked him on HBO’s Las Vegas comedy festival three years ago. Last summer, he landed a coveted spot on the Montreal festival’s “new faces” lineup. Chris D’Elia: Rusch was sent a YouTube clip of his act by his manager. She went out to catch his live set at the Comedy Store. Then she booked him on Showtime’s stand-up show “Live Nude Comedy.” Last summer, he was one of the select “new faces” at the Just for Laughs festival. Josh Fadem: He was doing a weekly show in the basement of the Ramada Inn in Hollywood in 2005. Rusch kept track of him and last year helped him get to Montreal. Soon Fadem started landing small TV roles until he made it to NBC’s “30 Rock,” playing Liz Lemon’s nutty talent agent.JENNIE CHURCH-COOPER Fahim Anwar: Church-Cooper spotted him on a tiny stage in Long Beach where he was still working days as an aerospace engineer. Now his credits include NBC’s “Chuck,” MTV and Comedy Central.Nasim Pedrad: She was a student at the Groundlings School, bouncing around the stage as a spastic little girl. It blew Church-Cooper away. A few months later, she was cast on “Saturday Night Live.” Opus Moreschi: After she met him at Improv Olympic West, Church-Cooper helped Moreschi produce AllNewYear.com, a yearlong project that he blogged. Shortly after, he landed a staff writing job on “The Colbert Report.”-- Gina Piccalo