The best Steve Carell roles of all time

Like any Hollywood A-lister, Carell has often lent his voice to animated features. Horton Hears a Who! is not the first of Carell's animated projects that come to mind, but he's certainly one of the highlights in film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book. Like other Carell characters on this list, Mayor Ned is quirky, but he's good-natured and protective of the citizens of Whoville as much as he is of his wife Sally, son JoJo, and 96 daughters.

Film takes of classic television shows can be hit or miss. Get Smart received lukewarm critical reception, but it was a box office hit that made $230 million. Carell was rightfully cast as Maxwell Smart, the United States' intelligence analyst who longs to be an agent. Carell can do harmless, over-the-top comedy pretty easy, and he does it quite well. He had help from fellow Hollywood elite co-star Anne Hathaway as the popular Agent 99.

Another Carell comedy that received mixed reviews but made a load of cash ($152.3 million). It's a fun movie, featuring the strait-laced couple (Carell and Tina Fey) just looking for a pleasant — and overdue — night out. They find themselves in the middle of a potentially dangerous mafia misunderstanding. The antics are serviceable, and the comedy is solid. Carell actually outshines Fey, though both are good enough to entertain most audiences for 90 minutes.

Another entertaining animated moment from Carell. It's not a stretch to say that Carell's dim-witted, hyperactively naive Hammy (a red squirrel) is the most memorable character in this comedy about RJ raccoon's search for food to give a hungry bear. If anything, he's a character we can totally see Carell playing if he was a human. Hammy is not very mature, but his antics provide many moments of good humor. He's also rather lovable in a weird, hopeless kind of way. 

This critically acclaimed Woody Allen romantic-comedy drama featured quite the star-studded cast. Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Kristen Stewart. Talk about stars. But Carell might be the best of the bunch in an entertaining supporting role as this well-known Hollywood talent agent during the 1930s. The fast-talking Stern might not be too bright. He likes to think he's well connected, though some of the era's biggest stars might think otherwise.

Another rom-com where Carell is not the star but consistently good in a supporting role. This time, he plays renowned marriage counselor Dr. Bernie Feld, who is charged with helping Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) Soames rekindle the passion of their 31-year marriage. Feld's methods can be a bit unorthodox, but we actually feel him rooting for the couple and grow a bond with them throughout the process.

This was Carell's first prominent role. Though of the supporting variety, his run as Bruce Nolan's television news reporter rival made enough of an impression on audiences and Hollywood that the humorously arrogant Evan earned his own sequel. However, 2007's Evan Almighty was a forgettable comedy and box-office bomb that really isn't worth mentioning. So, let's stick with this picture — the one that really got Carell's career rolling.

Another mature role for Carell, who plays a widowed dad of three daughters looking to find a social resurgence of sorts. He's attracted to a woman he comes to find out is his brother's girlfriend. Carell's Dan does a nice job of balancing some light-hearted comedy with those more serious moments, which actually seem more dramatic because he can do the laughable moments so well. 

Carell more than holds his own with fellow big-timers Laurence Fishbourne and Bryan Cranston in this underrated comedy-drama. Doc is a widowed Vietnam War vet who just lost his soldier son in Iraq. On a journey with his two war buddies (Fishbourne and Cranston) to retrieve his son's body for burial, Doc again shows off Carell's impeccable talent for balancing both comedy and drama without compromising the integrity or honesty of the character.

The transformation of Gru throughout the Despicable Me film franchise, which is still going with summer 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru, has been quite impressive and entertaining. The former villain-turned-secret agent, who also happens to become a father and husband along the way, is no doubt's Carell's most recognizable animated movie character. Gru has always been known for his bumbling nature and harmlessly dark humor, but who knew he would be such a good family man?

Perhaps Carell's most notable rom-com performance came in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Cal Weaver sours on love after his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) has an affair, so he asks for a divorce. Cal's inconsistency in achieving love ultimately falls on his teen-son Robbie, who eyes the affection of a 17-year-old girl. But Cal eventually changes his mind about finding that one-true love and hijacks Robbie's eighth-grade graduation speech to tell us about it — in what remains the movie's most memorable scene. The film also stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

Some of Carell's best lead-acting work came when tackling a true-life figure. In this case, it's New York Times writer David Scheff, and the film version of his memoir about son Nic's drug addiction. It might be Carell's most emotionally grueling role, which is made more impactful by Timothée Chalamet's superb performance as Nic. For those fans of Carell's comedic roles, it's worth the time to see his dramatic side.

Based on nationally prominent businessman and investor Steve Eisman, Carell's Baum leads a small trading firm that goes after banks and those issuing subprime home mortgages during the 2007-08 financial crisis. Carell and co-star Christian Bale earned much critical praise for their performances in this unique comedy-drama based on real-life events. Baum's overall agitation with banks — and seemingly his job — is concerning yet highly comical in a dark way.

It can be debated whether Mitch is officially based on disgraced former TODAY show co-host Matt Lauer. Regardless, The Morning Show's main antagonist was not really a warm and pleasant guy. He was fired from the show due to alleged sexual misconduct. Yet, there is still something about Mitch that makes it hard for some — we're looking at you, Alex (Jennifer Aniston) — to sever ties. In the end, Mitch realized he was as smarmy as we thought and couldn't live with himself. Carell received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for this role.

The accolades kept coming for Carell. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in this acclaimed biopic about the legendary tennis exhibition between Riggs and Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). Carell expertly plays the blow-hard, chauvinistic former tennis star down on his luck thanks to his gambling addiction. Letting go of the reigns, he truly makes it possible for audiences to want to see Riggs severely have his behind whipped by the determined King. 

Carell won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in this dark, road comedy. Up to this point, Carell was mostly known for his straight-up comedies, but his self-deprecating humor comes through in this Academy Award-winning picture. He plays an intelligent but troubled soul who joins his dysfunctional family on a road trip to a teen beauty pageant in California. It was this moment that Carell proved he's more than just a funny man. His subtlety on this project remains a highlight of his career.

Brick's description of himself might not be the most politically correct, but he's certainly an unforgettable member of the KVWN Channel 4 news team. As we're told, the local TV weatherman is polite and rarely late. He enjoys ice cream, a nice pair of slacks, and loves "lamp." Also, he has an IQ of 48 and once killed a guy with a trident during the famous brawl among local San Diego TV news teams. There is probably somebody right now quoting one of Brick's lines from the original Anchorman — and it never gets old.

From one iconic Carell role to another. Andy is a middling electronics store employee, who is socially awkward and even more inexperienced when it comes to courting the opposite sex. In reality, the introverted Andy is actually a nice guy. Unfortunately, he has some raunchy friends who are hell-bent on getting him laid for the first time. Together, all of that is quite hilarious in one of Judd Apatow's most popular films. Andy's chest-hair waxing experience remains one of the funniest scenes in any Apatow picture. 

Carell's lone Academy Award nomination to date came for his critically acclaimed take as the rather creepy, real-life wrestling-obsessed multimillionaire and philanthropist who builds a renowned training center, where the United States Olympic-champion Schultz brothers train — to both of their detriments. It's quite the departure for Carell, who likely will always be known for his comedy. But again, proving his versatility as an actor is seriously impressive.

While Anchorman put Carell on the comedy map, the American version of The Office made him a superstar. As we've highlighted, Carell seems at his best when playing quirky characters — often, those who have out-kicked their coverage in life. Michael Scott is not a very good regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch, but he means well and actually cares about most of his employees. In reality, he just wants to be respected, befriended, and not end up alone. Carell was nominated for 13 combined Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Awards (one win) for the part.