Steve Carell is a talented actor known for making people laugh and also for playing serious roles that touch the heart. As he turns 62, let’s look back at 10 of his most famous roles that have left a lasting impact on audiences around the world.
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1. Michael Scott in The Office
Steve Carell was made famous by his portrayal of Michael Scott a clumsy and humourous branch manager at Scranton’s branch of Dunder Mifflin paper company in the Office. Michael was a character who was always fun seeking, always seeking the limelight and often found in creating embarrassing situations. Thus, Carell’s skill to combine comedy and tenderness created one of the most adored and remembered characters of the TV series – Michael Scott.
2. Andy Stitzer in The 40-Year-Old Virgin
In The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Steve Carell played a man called Andy Stitzer, who is a mild technophobe and a virgin with no girlfriend. In this role Carell was able to make his way to the stardom of Hollywood comedies. The true to life and most importantly the funny account of Andy trying to find his soulmate made the audience relate with him due to Carell’s brilliant timing.
3. Felonious Gru in Despicable Me
Steve Carell did vocalization of Felonious Gru; a supervillain who becomes a father figure in the films under the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise. The way Gru changed from a wicked man to a caring father, because of his three adopted girls, would not have been so touching and funny if it was not Carell putting his humorous voice into the character.
4. John du Pont in Foxcatcher
In Foxcatcher Steve Carell showed a different side of him by performing the role of John du Pont, a rich and disturbed man with an obsession towards wrestling. This role revealed yet another dimension in Carell and was well-received by the critics, and it was enough to get him an Oscar nomination. His performance was so intense that it showed the versatility of the actor.
5. David Sheff in Beautiful Boy
Steve Carell portrayed David Sheff in Beautiful Boy – a drama depicting a father’s efforts to assist his son beat the vice of drug dependence. The storyline of the movie was very sensitive and it was indeed a real life story. They also liked Corey Carell’s work as a loving but heartbroken father and it was good to see Carell handling difficult topics with sensitivity.
6. Mark Baum in The Big Short
In the Big Short, Carell portrayed the role of Mark Baum, a peace loving non-violent financial wizard who saw the impending catastrophe of the 2008 Global financial meltdown. It was a combination of comedy and drama and Carell was able to give depth to a man fighting the financial system, showing that he can do serious roles well.
7. Bobby Riggs in Battle of the Sexes
In Battle of the Sexes Steve Carell played the role of Bobby Riggs, a professional tennis player. The clipe was based on an outrageous 1973 tennis match between Riggs and Billie Jean King. Carell was funny and profound in the film; he depicted the flamboyant brave man, Riggs, as well as his fearfulness.
8. Brick Tamland in Anchorman
It is significant also to mention one among the favorite roles Steve Carell was learnt to have enjoyed portraying a small-minded weatherman known as ‘Brick Tamland ‘from the movie Anchorman. Everyone loved Brick for his absurd and mindless jokes with humor simply immeasurable provided by Carell. Indeed, some of the character’s humorous quotes such as ‘I love lamp’ are deemed popular in popular culture today.
9. Alan Strauss in The Patient
In the psychological thriller series The Patient, Carell portrayed the character of Alan Strauss, a therapist who himself is a victim of kidnapping, a serial killer at that. It was a rise and fall kind of performance, pretty dark for Carell who is known for his comedic roles, but the dramatic change provided him with a good opportunity to shine.
10. Larry “Doc” Shepherd in Last Flag Flying
In “Last Flag Flying”, Carell portrayed Larry “Doc” Shepherd, an ex-serviceman of the Vietnam War who has lost his son. The themes of the movie were friendships, bereavement, and consequences of war. This role was one of the most notable inventions in Carell’s career, alongside Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne.