‘40 Year Old Virgin’ Steve Carrell Is the Steve Carrell We Want But Will Never Get Again

Certain comedians prompt certain audience expectations. Bill Murray is always supposed to be the endearingly aloof cool guy in a sea of quirk. Will Ferrell is the dumb, quick-tempered man child who’s perpetually too large. Seth Rogan will forever be the bro-y pothead. And Steve Carrell is the unwittingly offensive idiot with a heart of gold. At least, that’s the Steve Carrell that was sold to us in The 40 Year Old Virgin. It’s also the reputation the comedian has been scooting away from ever since.

The premiere of The 40 Year Old Virgin, which is now on Netflix, quietly changed comedy. Not only was the film super producer Judd Apatow’s first directed feature, but it gave future mega-star Steve Carell his first big stage. Prior to playing a perpetually awkward adult virgin, Carell had shined in smaller roles in both Evan Almighty and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Virgin‘s Andy Stitzer was more than a one-joke character, though. He was a comedy lead with his own emotionally difficult story to tell.

With the film’s heavy use of improv and record-breaking million feet of film, Apatow and Carell developed the often cluelessly offensive yet lovable character who would go on to influence Carell’s work on The Office as Michael Scott. Virgin‘s Andy capitalized on all of the same Carell strengths The Office would later perfect (filming on 40 Year Old Virgin ended on April 1, 2005, a week after The Office debuted on NBC). Both made good use of deadpan line reads sold thanks to Carell’s constantly hopeful expressions. They both reveled in Carell screaming insane insults that were too bizarre to be mean. The film and show both even made use of Carell’s talent with low-stakes physical comedy. Michael Scott became the ultimately explored extension of Andy. But neither seem to be a character Carell is interested in anymore.

A year after 40 Year Old Virgin‘s premiere, Carell starred in another comedy with a very different feel: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s Little Miss Sunshine. Instead of silly, sweeping jokes about sex, the indie film followed a loving but highly dysfunctional family that included Carell’s suicidal Uncle Frank. Few movies have become cultural touchstones to the same degree as Little Miss Sunshine, but the movie seemingly sparked a shift in Carell’s passions.

As Carell has expanded in the comedy world, his selections have become far less broad and more niche. Dan in Real Life; Crazy, Stupid, Love; The Way, Way Back; Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; Battle of the Sexes — Carell gives complicated and worthy performances in all of these quirky comedies, but each project is a far cry from his broad comedy days. That’s especially true when you keep in mind the actor’s more recent and somber projects, which include Foxcatcher, Beautiful Boy, Last Flag Flying, and Welcome to Marwen. At some point Steve Carell became less interested in the Steve Carell audiences grew to love in 2005.

He all but told us this when he hosted Saturday Night Live last year. A sketch called “SNL Host Steve Carell Is a Serious Actor” completely revolved around this premise, showing Carell attempting to relearn comedy for his new role as Dr. Farts. But the moment that most clearly referenced his career shift happened during his opening monologue. While convincing Carell to consider a reboot, actor and fellow The Office star Ed Helms says that if Carell takes the money he “wouldn’t have to do all those sad movies anymore.” Of course, trying to bully Carell into being a comedy star again was one big joke. But it also speaks to an audience disconnect happening around the actor’s career.

No matter how much people may want Steve Carell to be defined by 40 Year Old Virgin‘s Andy or his spiritual successor in The Office, that’s not happening. Carell sees a different path for his career and he’s been working on it for a while now. That’s his right, and transitioning from comedy to drama is a change many actors have mastered. It’s also one we need to respect. It’s nice to revisit 40 Year Old Virgin again, especially since it comedically still holds up. But it’s time to see Carell’s career for what it is, and not what we want it to be. 

Where to stream The 40 Year Old Virgin