They may not draw hordes of paparazzi or receive top-billing, but lesser-known, well-regarded actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kristen Wiig have selling power.
According to research from Nielsen PreView, films featuring actors who are well-liked earned significantly higher revenues at the box office than films headlined by actors with stronger name recognition. 
In 2006 and 2007, comedy films featuring well-liked actors generated an average of $75 million in box office revenues, while those with less-liked actors earned only $44 million, on average.  In contrast, how well the actor is known made …