“The Hangover” star Justin Bartha to join “The Book of Morman” star Andrew Rannells as gay couple in NBC pilot

Ryan Murphy has been a man with a golden touch in recent years with Glee followed by American Horror Story.

He is going for a hat trick with The New Normal, a comedy pilot for NBC.

Normal is about a gay couple who try to start a family with the help of a surrogate. It was previously announced that Broadway star Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) would play one half of the couple. It has just been learned that the other half will be played by Justin Bartha (pictured, left).

I still remember the first time I ever saw Justin. It was at the premiere in Westwood of the notorious bomb Gigli and he arrived long before then-couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck did. Since he was the only star from the film there at the time, the crowd behind the ropes across the street went wild for him. He waved and seemed to be truly enjoying his first moment in the spotlight.

I didn’t talk to Justin that night but I did get to meet him a few years later at the premiere of National Treasure in which he starred with Nicolas Cage. I thought he was so funny in the movie and told him he was going to be a really big star.

Even though he also starred in the National Treasure sequel as well as The Hangover and its sequel, it seems like Justin has never become the movie star I thought he would be – and should be.

But he’s done what smart and talented performers do: he’s taken good roles on the stage including the Broadway production of Lend Me a Tenor and will next appear in Zach Braff’s play All New People.

If The New Normal becomes a series, this could make Justin the big star I feel he should have been all along!