Known by colleagues for his humanity, he’s called “mature and civilized” by Tina Fey and comedy’s “kindness at the heart of darkness” by Jon Stewart. In THR’s August 1 cover story, Steve Carell opens up about why he left The Office, his distaste for cruel comedy and how he decided to ditch law school and pursue acting.
Carell was photographed for THR’s cover story by Frank W. Ockenfels on May 29 at Rubix Hollywood, wearing Brioni with styling by Dayna Pink.
Known for his comedy, Carell is also eager to try daring dramatic roles, which heavily influenced his decision to leave Office in March 2011. “I owed the show a lot and I loved doing it, but you have to take risks,” he said.
One such risk will be his starring role in the upcoming Foxcatcher, in which he plays a real-life mentally ill millionaire who murdered an Olympic wrestler in 1996. "I don't think of myself as a comedian," Carell says. "I never even thought I was that funny."
Carell, who turns 50 on August 16, is a Catholic and a deeply devoted family man. He tries to keep his comedy from feeling mean-spirited. "It's not like I want to put sunshine and lollipops into the world," he says. "But I do believe there's been a turn toward an uber-cynical point of view, and it's borderline mean."
"I'm not driven by notoriety or stardom in any way," Carell says. "I never had any aspiration to be a recognizable person." He studied history in college and applied to Stanford Law, but then – with the help of his parents – decided acting was his passion.
He wonders if his unusual path to stardom influenced his gentle temperament. "If I'd had a great level of success early on, who knows how I would have responded. I might have been a complete jerk."
Colleagues praise his talent as well as his manner. Meryl Streep, who stars with Carell in the upcoming romantic comedy Hope Springs, says he has "an uncommon openness and humanity. He is graceful and very generous as a person."
Stewart compares him to Peter Sellers: "He has that same ability to inhabit characters, sometimes with silliness, but underneath is a great deal of humanity, and that's what makes the silliness work."