Steve Carell puts heart into comedy. Whether he is playing the iconic Michael Scott or delivering poignant performances in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the man’s ability to balance humor with genuine emotion sets him apart from the rest, wonderfully so. Over a decade ago, Steve Carell starred alongside Paull Rudd in Dinner for Schmucks.
He played the role of Barry Speck, an eccentric, bizarre character who likes to collect dead mice and dress them up for his dioramas. Even while playing a character that others were to make fun of, Steve Carell believes his portrayal of Barry wasn’t directed towards making fun of a person who’s different but rather towards celebrating him. Steve Carell is living proof that comedy doesn’t have to be unconscientious.
Steve Carell Plays a Unique Character in Dinner for Schmucks
In Dinner for Schmucks, Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is invited to dinner by his boss after the latter reveals that the former is a candidate for promotion. However, the catch is that guests have to bring an eccentric person possessing a special and out-of-the-box talent with them only to be made the center of humiliation at the hands of other employees.
While Tim has no problem adhering to the rules, his girlfriend demands that he withdraw from the dinner. However, by luck, Tim runs into Barry (Steve Carell) and he seems to be the perfect plus one for dinner thanks to his “mousterpieces.”
Barry has a passion for creating elaborate dioramas featuring taxidermized mice and is an endearing yet oblivious man with an innocent outlook on life. Needless to say, the cruel world wasn’t going to be kind to someone like him.
Playing a character like Barry comes with unique challenges. The actor has to make sure that their portrayal doesn’t come across as mocking people who are different and unique. Luckily, Carell was the best person to bring Barry to life.
With an impressive blend of comedy and emotional depth, Carell’s portrayal was nothing short of a masterclass in conscientious humor, something he holds in high esteem.
Steve Carell’s Commendable Take on Comedy
In an interview with The Guardian, Carell stated that mean humor has no place in his life. While he understands that Dinner for Schmucks may seem like a mean idea at first considering his character was especially made to be the butt of the joke, he made sure to play Barry with compassion.
Being the gentleman he is, Carell stated that there is a lot of negativity in the world and as far as he’s concerned, comedy should be more human in nature.
In his words,
On the surface it seemed to be a mean idea, but to my mind the movie celebrates rather than mocks people who are different and unique. I would always look to work in that direction. I don’t care for mean humour. It doesn’t sit well with me. There’s already so much bitterness and cynicism out there. What I find funny is human.
This sets him apart from other actors who have dabbled in comedy and would prefer a grittier take on the genre. Case in point – Bob Odenkirk. Odenkirk was considered for the role of Michael Scott in The Office but, obviously, Carell beat him to it. However, the Better Call Saul actor understands exactly why Carell was chosen and why he was the better choice after all.
On Office Ladies, Odenkirk stated that he’s “oddly earnest” when it comes to comedy, and Carell being “genuinely fun” made him a better choice. He then went on to say that it’s difficult to see himself play a “purely light character” which Michael clearly was. He added, “You just are looking for the darkness [in me], and that’s actually great in drama. That’s a plus, you know? But in comedy, it’s not a plus.”
This is why, Carell was perfect for the role of Michael Scott even if Odenkirk comes a close second as seen in S09E16, Moving On. We love both the actors but we possibly cannot imagine anyone other than Carell as Dunder Mifflin’s lovable regional manager.
Dinner for Schmucks is available to watch on Max.
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