Chatting exclusively with Blockbuster.co.uk's Mal Simons about comedy sequel Evan Almighty, Steve Carell spills the beans on his latest starring role, on being compared to Jim Carrey and the dangers of improvising with clumsy baboons.
A regular on topical US comedy The Daily Show from the late-Nineties to the mid-Noughties, Steve Carell's cheeky face was already well known to US audiences when he stole the show, as "possessed" newscaster Evan Baxter, in the otherwise unexceptional
Bruce Almighty (2003). To those of us previously unaware of his talents, Carell's scene-stealing performance certainly brought us up to speed, clearly heralding the arrival of a new King of Comedy.
Later appearances confirmed Carell's talents, his role as mental midget Brick Tamland in 2004's
Anchorman proving particularly popular. Then came his first starring role, as Andy Stitzer,
The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005), and the lead in TV's brightest sitcom,
The Office (2005-Present), easily the equal of the UK original and still going strong after more than 50 episodes. Add to that his hyperactive turn as screwy squirrel Hammy in CG 'toon
Over the Hedge (2006), and his heartbreakingly funny performance as tortured Uncle Frank in quirky ensemble flick
Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and it's clear I'm talking about a star here.
From playing a small supporting role in Bruce Almighty only four years ago, Carell's meteoric rise to fame saw him cast as the star of its sequel, Evan Almighty (2007), available now to add to your list. Speaking exclusively to Blockbuster.co.uk, Carell reveals just how much his life has changed over the past few years. "I'm making more money," he says, a grin on his face. "Now I can definitely put my kids through college, and depending on college tuition, thirty or forty years from now, their kids will be set as well.
"Really though, I don't think my life has altered that dramatically. Frankly the biggest difference is that I don't have to - at this point - audition. I'm not saying I won't again, at some point, but that for me has been the biggest change. When [director]
Tom [Shadyac] first came to me to talk about making a sequel to Bruce Almighty, I honestly assumed he wanted me back for a small, supporting role. But then he offered me the lead, the title role, and I didn't have to read for it or anything. In that regard, my life has changed. Also, I've become a huge jerk."
Instructed by God (
Morgan Freeman) to build an ark in preparation for a great flood, Evan struggles to balance his career, home life and divine duties. "Evan was introduced in the first movie," says Carell, "as kind of a preening, self-absorbed newscaster, but by the end of the film he had mellowed to a degree and learned, at least in part, some of the error of his ways. Evan Almighty picks up after that left off, Evan has been elected to Congress. He's a decent person still, but I think a bit misguided and it's funny to watch someone who's a little high on himself being taken down to the essence of their being and then having to come back again."
Carell insists he was undaunted by the prospect of being compared to Jim Carrey. "That's something Tom and I talked about, the first meeting we had," notes Carell. "I can't say I was ever worried about it, because here's the thing: I have such high regard for Jim Carrey that even being mentioned in the same breath as him, I'm already ahead of the game. I didn't go into this thinking I was going to try to match his performance or try to be better. I honestly don't think I'm capable of it because he is this iconic, comedic persona. I just looked at it and thought it was a great story, and I took it and just did what I could with it. Tried to make it the best I could. It was sort of along the same lines as what happened with The Office, translating from the UK to the US. It was
Ricky Gervais! There was no way I was going to surpass or equal his performance, but I just thought, if I do the best job I can, that's all I can do. I tend not to get nervous about things that are ultimately out of my control."
Speaking of the hard to control, Carell reflects on working with the animals who help build the ark then fill it, two-by-two. "There was a great deal of odour to contend with," he remembers. "The first week of the shoot I was covered with birds, and frankly, animals don't know they're in a movie, so they continue to do what comes naturally, like try to eat your ear or defecate on you, and I quickly became aware of that. But I have to say that when we were out in the field with the ark and were surrounded by elephants and giraffes and a menagerie of different wild animals, after a week or so, I felt the cast and crew become much more relaxed and at ease with the animals, and vice versa. I think we sort of got to a balance and an understanding in a way, and so what seemed sort of odd at first, after a week or two, we were walking by elephants and zebras a foot or two away and it didn't seem unnatural. That was kind of interesting."
Interesting, and sometimes slightly dangerous. "We were shooting a scene where the baboons offer me lemonade," says Carell, "and one time one of the baboons knocked over a glass and I improvised. I said, 'Hey man! What are you doing?!' And I got a little bit of an aggressive tone with them. And these animals are very sensitive to any tonal shift, and he bared his teeth and took an attack stance with me, and it scared the hell out of me, but I kept going because I didn't want to ruin the take. When it was over the trainer came up to me and said, 'You know what? Don't do that - ever again.' And I said, 'Really?!' 'Yeah,' he replied. 'As a matter of fact, never look those animals in the eye.' And I thought 'Oh. Good, well, maybe I should have been told that before we started!' And then, of course, the next take, I was like, 'Hi. don't eat me!' So, if there's anything you can take away from this movie it's don't look anyone in the eye."
Wise words indeed from Steve Carell. See him next in Dan in Real Life (2007), with Juliette Binoche, then in CG 'toon Horton Hears a Who! (2008), with Jim Carrey, and as inept Agent 86 in the movie version of Sixties sitcom Get Smart (2008). And while you're waiting, check out Carell walking, talking and squawking with the animals in Evan Almighty.