Generations of fans may know Steve Carell solely as Michael Scott on “The Office,” but he’s had a long and varied career in both TV and film.
A lesser actor might have gotten stuck being typecast in Michael Scott-like roles, but Carell has consistently sought out a variety of projects, from the hugely popular animated franchise “Despicable Me” to the dark psychological thriller series “The Patient.”
While “The Office” remains perennially popular, Carell continues to take on intriguing roles, playing a restless retiree in Tina Fey’s hit Netflix series “The Four Seasons” and a billionaire oligarch in the upcoming HBO Max movie “Mountainhead,” from “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong.
If you’re checking out those new releases, or you just binged “The Office” for the thousandth time, here are five great Steve Carell movies that demonstrate the depth of his talent.
‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’
Carell and director Judd Apatow co-wrote the movie that proved to be a breakout hit for both of them. Carell plays Andy Stitzer, an affable but shy electronics store employee who’s reached the age of 40 without ever having sex.
His bro-tastic co-workers (played by Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen and Romany Malco) commit to getting him laid after discovering his secret, and the first half of the movie is filled with often hilariously raunchy humor.
What makes the movie work, though, is the emotional core that Apatow brings to his best projects, treating Andy with sensitivity and sweetness, especially once he meets Trish (Catherine Keener), a kind and patient entrepreneur who’s looking for a deeper connection.
Everyone remembers Carell screaming out “Kelly Clarkson!” during the ridiculous chest-waxing scene, but he’s just as engaging to watch during the quieter moments.
‘Little Miss Sunshine’
![Little Miss Sunshine - Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wvwVkllXT80/maxresdefault.jpg)
Carell plays possibly the most grounded member of the dysfunctional Hoover clan in this heartwarming, Oscar-winning dramedy.
Carell’s Frank is introduced recovering from a suicide attempt, but he’s otherwise remarkably clear-headed, especially compared to his high-strung sister Sheryl (Toni Collette) and her family. Because he isn’t supposed to be left alone during his mental-health crisis, Frank tags along on the Hoovers’ road trip to California to see 10-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) compete in a beauty pageant.
As Frank frequently reminds people, he is the pre-eminent American scholar of author Marcel Proust, and his melancholy observations about life help him bond with Sheryl’s teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano). While everyone around him spirals out of control, Frank finds an inner calm that Carell captures with his wry, understated performance, an early indication of his dramatic range.
Watch on Hulu
‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’
Carell often steals the show in this Will Ferrell-led comedy, set at a San Diego TV station in the 1970s.
Ferrell’s boorish news anchor, Ron Burgundy, clashes with his new female co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), and he looks to his fellow male on-air staff for support. That includes Carell’s dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland, who is prone to non-sequiturs and generally has little idea what’s going on at any time.
Brick randomly asserting “I love lamp” has become one of the most quoted lines from an extremely quotable movie, and Brick provides a sort of pure, innocent counterpoint to Ron and the other lecherous male characters. He’s one of the most endearingly absurd elements in a completely absurd movie.
Watch on Paramount Plus
‘Foxcatcher’
Carell landed an Oscar nomination for his first purely dramatic role, in this true-life story of eccentric millionaire and murderer John E. du Pont. Carell draws on his many oddball comedic characters to play the off-putting du Pont, who became fixated on wrestling and used his vast wealth to sponsor and train Olympic wrestlers.
Mark Ruffalo (who was also nominated for an Oscar) and Channing Tatum play sibling wrestling champions Dave and Mark Schultz, who were recruited to train at du Pont’s private facility.
Carell makes du Pont both creepy and vulnerable, which doesn’t excuse his horrific acts but does allow the audience to understand and even empathize with him slightly. That balance is difficult to pull off, and Carell manages it just as impressively as any of his goofy comedic roles.
Watch on The Roku Channel
‘Battle of the Sexes’
Carell’s Bobby Riggs is not the person audiences root for in this inspirational fact-based drama, about the 1973 tennis match between Riggs and female tennis champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone).
Even though Riggs is a sexist pig, Carell finds the humanity in the role, playing him as a desperate man who remains hungry for the spotlight more than a decade after his retirement.
Riggs is also a huckster and a gambling addict, and he comes up with the idea of the exhibition match to “prove” that men are inherently better at tennis than women. It’s less about making a political point than about making Riggs some money, and in that way he’s more worthy of pity than contempt.
Carell conveys that inner sadness, without taking away from King’s own struggle and significant achievement.
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