The very funny and very talented Steve Carell recently sat down with the The Talks to dish on being referred to as a “comedic actor”, how he prepares for a role and which directors he loves working with the most. Below is an excerpt. Check out the full piece here.
Dd you ever worry that being a comedian would restrict you as an actor?
I don’t want to change someone’s opinion of what I do or what I’m capable of doing. I think that sort of clouds what you’re doing or the choices you make, you know? If you are making choices to prove something to someone I don’t feel like that benefits anyone. So if people think of me as a comedic actor or as a dramatic actor or whatever… That’s fine! I just feel fortunate to be getting jobs and working, so people can think what they want.
Does a comedic acting history influence how you interpret more dramatic roles?
I think it’s reminiscent of the angle that Jon Stewart would take on The Daily Show, you know, he would take on these targets with a very absurdist sense of humor yet at the same time with a very tangible angle. You could feel the sense of outrage — there was a lot of that on The Daily Show. But for me personally, I think I look at projects with what strikes me as human.
How does that impact your preparation for a role? Is it easier in that case?
I always try to prepare as best I can before I get to set, you know, when it comes to portraying a real person, I’ll meet with the real guy if I can; I’ll listen to tapes of him to find out how he spoke. I read up on the world of whatever film I’m in or certainly I’ll read the book if there is one. Basically, I try to get at least an understanding of my characters. All of that I bring with me to the set.
APPARATUS 