Steve Carell Shares the Two Movies He Loves Most

When you think of Steve Carell, you likely picture the bumbling yet lovable manager Michael Scott from The Office or perhaps the socially awkward Brick Tamland from Anchorman.

Given his status as a titan of modern comedy, it is fascinating to see who the actor himself looks up to for inspiration. During a past feature with MTV, Carell opened up about his cinematic influences, naming two films that stand above the rest in his mind.

Interestingly, both of his choices share a common thread that clearly illustrates his appreciation for character acting. Carell named Dr. Strangelove and Being There as his top picks, two films that are defined by the genius of Peter Sellers. “Probably Dr. Strangelove or Being There,” Carell stated when asked for his favorites. “Peter Sellers being the common thread there.”

It is unsurprising to learn that a comedian like Carell is in great admiration of one of the old-school greats like Sellers, who was also famed for playing Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther. When discussing the first film, Carell highlighted the unique ability of the movie to balance comedy with terrifying reality. “Dr. Strangelove, very silly but at the same time incredibly dark subject matter,” he observed.

He went on to praise the film’s audacity, especially considering the era in which it was released. “Thought-provoking… the things they got away with in that movie were astounding,” Carell noted. “So indicative of that period in history, too. Something that gives you chills and makes you laugh at the same time is pretty amazing”.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is widely considered one of the greatest political satires ever made. Directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1964, the black comedy parodies the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. The story follows an insane Air Force general who orders a pre-emptive nuclear attack, triggering a frantic attempt by politicians and generals to stop the crew of a B-52 bomber from starting World War III.

Peter Sellers delivers a tour-de-force performance in the film, portraying three distinct characters: the President of the United States, a British Royal Air Force officer, and the titular scientific advisor, Dr. Strangelove. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Kubrick, as well as a Best Actor nomination for Sellers. In 1989, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

Moving to his second pick, Carell appreciated a very different side of Sellers’ acting range. “I think Being There was so muted and so… there was a tone that movie struck that I had never seen before in a movie,” he explained. The shift from the manic energy of Dr. Strangelove to the quiet introspection of this 1979 classic clearly resonated with Carell.

“It was so gentle and kind yet thought-provoking,” he said of the Hal Ashby-directed film. “I thought it was very smart, and I thought his portrayal of that character was brilliant.” Being There tells the story of Chance, a simple-minded gardener who has spent his entire life inside the walls of a wealthy man’s townhouse in Washington, D.C.

When his benefactor dies, Chance is forced into the outside world, where his simple utterings about gardening are mistaken for profound political wisdom by the power players of the capital. The film stars Sellers alongside Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. Like Dr. Strangelove, Being There was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2015 and has developed a strong cult following among filmmakers and critics alike.

Steve Carell has certainly carried the torch of thoughtful, character-driven comedy into the 21st century. After leaving The Office, he successfully transitioned into a mix of dramatic and comedic roles, earning an Oscar nomination for Foxcatcher and acclaim for films like The Big Short. He has remained incredibly active in recent years, continuing to balance his schedule between blockbuster voice work and prestige television.

Most recently, Carell reunited with his Date Night co-star Tina Fey for the Netflix comedy series The Four Seasons, which premiered in May 2025. The show, which adapts the 1981 Alan Alda film, was a massive hit for the streamer and has already been renewed for a second season slated for Spring 2026. In addition to that success, he starred in the 2025 HBO satirical film Mountainhead, directed by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, which saw him playing a tech billionaire in a crisis.

Looking ahead, fans are eagerly awaiting his next major television project, Rooster, which is set to debut on HBO in March 2026. The series is created by Bill Lawrence, the mind behind Ted Lasso and Scrubs, and features Carell as an author who gets pulled into the chaotic world of academia. With a resume that now rivals the legends he admires, Carell continues to prove he is one of the most versatile actors working today.

Tell us if you prefer the manic energy of Dr. Strangelove or the quiet satire of Being There in the comments.