Steve Carell has opened up about something he “never liked” about one of his earlier films — even though it remains a fan favourite.
Now 63, Carell is widely recognised for playing Michael Scott in The Office, and he’s also become a familiar voice to audiences through the Despicable Me films.
With 2026 marking a return to TV comedy for the actor, it’s also prompted some reflection on the projects that helped shape his career.
In a recent interview, Carell revisited one well-loved movie in particular — and admitted there was one aspect of it that he wasn’t sold on at first.
That film is Crazy, Stupid, Love. Released in 2011, it still holds an impressive 80 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and stars Carell alongside Ryan Gosling.
The story follows Carell’s character as he adjusts to life after divorce, while Gosling plays a smooth-talking mentor figure helping him re-enter the dating scene — with plenty of complications along the way.
Although the rom-com drama landed well with both audiences and critics, Carell revealed he didn’t originally like the title — even if he feels differently now.
He told Entertainment Tonight: “I never liked that title. I do now, but when Dan Fogelman wrote it, he didn’t title it. He didn’t call it anything. It was Untitled Dan Fogelman Project.”
Carell added that there were plenty of alternative ideas floating around, but none of them quite stuck, which dragged out the decision-making process.
“Finally, Warner Bros. just said, ‘We’re calling it Crazy, Stupid, Love,'” Carell explained.
He suggested the reaction at the time wasn’t exactly enthusiastic — but with the movie going on to perform strongly, the studio’s decision clearly worked out.
“I’m convinced that if it’s good and people like it, people will like the title,” Carell added. “Doesn’t even matter what you call it.”
Even with Crazy, Stupid, Love continuing to attract viewers years later, Carell’s most iconic work remains The Office, which still draws huge audiences through streaming and rewatching.
Speaking to NBC Insider in 2024, Carell said: “I think it’s funny how young people are when they first start watching The Office, which was always a surprise to me because I never thought it would be appealing to a younger audience.”
More recently, Carell is heading into a new setting with HBO’s Rooster, which arrives on the streaming service on Monday (March 9).