Spotlight on the Stars: Steve Carell

For this week’s spotlight piece, I wanted to look at someone from the cast of the upcoming movie Foxcatcher. I had three incredibly talented men to choose from, but I ultimately went with Steve Carell, a talented comedic actor finally getting his time to shine dramatically. The man has been snubbed for Oscar attention before, but this very well could be the year that he finally breaks through and gets an Academy Award nomination. That would cement him not only as the A-list comedy star, but as a truly respected dramatic performer as well. As such, he’s a perfect candidate to shine a spotlight on today. Carell first got his start on the small screen, showing up on television programs like The Dana Carvey Show, Over the Top, Watching Ellie, and of course The Daily Show. The latter was where he really made his initial mark, playing a correspondent. He then began to pop up on the big screen in supporting roles, notably with Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy, Bruce Almighty (stealing scenes in both of those pictures), and the Woody Allen movie Melinda and Melinda, plus Bewitched as well. The groundwork was being put down for the man to really dive in to a starring role and when the opportunity came along, he didn’t disappoint. He became a star with The 40 Year Old Virgin, a film he both co-wrote with Judd Apatow and starred in. Not only was it a critical and commercial hit, it launched Carell’s career in a big way. The movie got a small bit of awards buzz, with much of it centered on his acting/writing. It’s an absolutely hilarious and surprisingly touching comedy, a modern classic, in fact. That performance got Carell on the A-list, allowing him to attempt to do something different his next time out. Carell then followed that up with Little Miss Sunshine, which damn near scored him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. For many, that announced him as someone who could really do more than just make you laugh. Often acting without dialogue, he crafted a sad character that you felt for in a big way. It was very strong work and his snub by the Academy is one that many feel is a particularly stinging one. The other notable films in his filmography so far include the likes of Dan in Real Life, Date Night, Despicable Me, Dinner for Schmucks, Evan Almighty, [...]