Biographic - Sunday April 20, 2014 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

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Biographic Steve McGarry Steve Carell For many years, Steve Carell seemed destined to be the "nearly man" of comedy, as a succession of TV shows failed to catch on with the public. His luck changed dramatically with his Golden Globe-winning role in "The Office," a remake of a British hit that wowed the critics and proved to be a ratings winner. Steven John Carell was born in Concord, Massachusetts, on August 16, 1962. He graduated from Denison University in Ohio, where he participated in the University Theater, performed with a student improv group, and was a dee jay on Denilson's WDUB station. After moving to Chicago to pursue a career in acting, he joined the famed Second City Troupe, where he met two people who would have a great impact on his life and career - Stephen Colbert and Nancy Walls. He married Nancy in 1995, the same year they moved to New York. Nancy joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and Steve joined the cast of "The Dana Carvey Show," where he worked alongside Colbert. Carvey's show was soon canceled, beginning a long run of short-lived projects for Steve, including the Tim Curry sitcom "Over the Top," and "Watching Ellie," starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Fortunately, one project was an unqualified success. He followed Colbert to the cast of "the Daily Show" in 1999, and the show provided an anchor while he pursued movie projects. Following a well-received role in the Jim Carrey movie "Bruce Almighty," Steve left "The Daily Show" in 2004, the same year he appeared in the Will Ferrell smash "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." 2005 was a stellar year. He landed the lead in a remake of the hit British TV comedy "The Office." The show became a huge success, and Steve stayed with it for seven years, winning a Golden Globe. Meanwhile, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" established him as a movie star in his own right. The likes of "Little Miss Sunshine," "Evan Almighty," "Dan in Real Life" and "Get Smart," as well as such animated fare as "Over the Hedge" and "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" cemented his status as one of American's favorite comedy stars. In 2010, he teamed up with Tina Fey for the hit movie "Date Night" and voiced the lead character of Gru in the animated "Despicable Me," a role he reprised in the 2013 sequel. To date, those two movies have grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide. Having recently reprised his role of Brick Tamland in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," Steve's upcoming movie projects include the drama "Foxcatcher" and an adaptation of the children's book "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

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