Born:
August 16, 1962, in Concord, Massachusetts
Marital Status:
Married to fellow comedic performer Nancy Walls since 1995
Early Career:
After a brief stint as a postal worker and a dalliance with applying to law school, Carell joined Chicago’s famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe, a wellspring of many a Saturday Night Live star, in 1990. He performed and taught at Second City through 1996. One of his fellow performers was Stephen Colbert, with whom Carell joined the staff of the short-lived Dana Carvey Show in 1996 (the sketch-comedy show lasted only seven episodes). Carell also had regular roles on equally doomed sitcoms Over the Top (with Tim Curry) and Watching Ellie (with Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
'The Daily Show':
Carell joined Comedy Central’s The Daily Show in 1999 shortly after host Jon Stewart took over from Craig Kilborn. Carell served as one of the satirical news show’s correspondents until 2004, appearing in popular segments including "Even Stevens" (along with Colbert) and "Produce Pete," and made periodic guest appearances afterward.
'The Office':
In 2005, Carell debuted as the star of the NBC sitcom The Office, a remake of the popular British series. The mock-documentary series chronicles awkward workplace interactions at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His portrayal of clueless, needy and insensitive boss Michael Scott won him extensive praise, and the show has slowly become a hit. He’s been nominated three times for an Emmy for his performance, and in 2006 won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy.
Movie Stardom:
Carell has parlayed his success on The Office into increasingly plum roles in big movies, starting with the title role in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin, written and directed by Judd Apatow. Since then, he’s appeared both in quirky, indie-style comedies such as Little Miss Sunshine and Dan in Real Life and mainstream Hollywood fare such as Evan Almighty (the sequel to the Jim Carrey vehicle Bruce Almighty, in which Carell played a supporting role) and Get Smart.
Notable TV & Movie Roles:
The Office (2005-present)
Get Smart (2008)
Dan in Real Life (2007)
Evan Almighty (2007)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
The Daily Show (1999-2004)
The Dana Carvey Show (1996)
