He's gone from a virtual unknown to hosting "Saturday Night Live." Now, comedian-actor Dane Cook is taking his status to the next level, quickly becoming one of Hollywood's hottest heartthrobs.

So is he ready for his new sex symbol status? "Yeah… When does that start?" he joked. "Is that tomorrow?"

Maybe not tomorrow, but surely when Dane hits the big screen opposite Jessica Simpson in "Employee of the Month," he'll be turning heads.

Speaking of Jessica Simpson, what is the real story behind the on-set romance rumors? Dane set the record straight to "Extra." "We hate each other," he joked."

Well, maybe Dane thinks it's for show, but Jessica told "Extra" about her favorite quality in Dane: "He is the best at making anybody laugh," she revealed. "I think that's what he's about."

Jessica has welcomed the comic relief since her divorce from Nick Lachey, and she said Dane has put a much-needed smile on her face.

"You know he just wants to make people smile," Simpson said. "It's nice to be surrounded by that."

Playing the love interest of one of the world's biggest stars is a long way from Dane's first gig: a Burger King employee.

"That was my first job, at the BK Lounge," Cook said. "I didn't tell girls I worked at the Burger King, so I said, 'I'm a bouncer down at the BK Lounge.'"

Now, Cook, whose comedy album "Retaliation" charted into the Billboard Top Five, is enjoying his first starring role. "Employee of the Month" hits theaters in late 2006.