Steve Carell Opens Up About His Two Favorite Films Ever

Steve Carell is one of the biggest names in comedy, known for iconic roles like Michael Scott in The Office and Brick Tamland in Anchorman. But even someone as funny as Carell has his own inspirations. In a past interview with MTV, he revealed his two all-time favorite movies, and interestingly, they share a very clear connection.

Carell named Dr. Strangelove and Being There as his favorites, both of which star Peter Sellers. “Probably Dr. Strangelove or Being There,” Carell said. “Peter Sellers being the common thread there.”

For Carell, the appeal is all about Sellers’ range and the way he handled characters. He talked about Dr. Strangelove, the 1964 black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick, as a movie that mixes humor with serious subject matter. “Dr. Strangelove, very silly but at the same time incredibly dark subject matter,” Carell said. “Thought-provoking… the things they got away with in that movie were astounding. Something that gives you chills and makes you laugh at the same time is pretty amazing.”

In Dr. Strangelove, Sellers plays three very different roles: the President of the United States, a British officer, and the eccentric scientist Dr. Strangelove. The film is a satire about nuclear war during the Cold War, and it earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It is also preserved in the National Film Registry as culturally and historically significant.

Carell’s second pick, Being There from 1979, shows a completely different side of Sellers. “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 said. “It was so gentle and kind yet thought-provoking. I thought it was very smart, and I thought his portrayal of that character was brilliant.”

Being There follows Chance, a simple gardener who has spent his life inside a wealthy man’s house. When his benefactor dies, Chance enters the outside world, and his simple statements about gardening are mistaken for profound political wisdom. Sellers stars alongside Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas, who won an Oscar for his role. Like Dr. Strangelove, the film is preserved in the National Film Registry and has become a cult favorite.

Carell has carried the spirit of thoughtful, character-driven comedy into modern Hollywood. After The Office, he successfully moved between comedy and drama, earning an Oscar nomination for Foxcatcher and praise for films like The Big Short.

Recently, Carell reunited with Tina Fey for the Netflix series The Four Seasons, which premiered in May 2025. The show, an adaptation of the 1981 Alan Alda film, was a hit and has already been renewed for a second season in Spring 2026. He also starred in the 2025 HBO comedy Mountainhead, directed by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, playing a tech billionaire in crisis.

Looking ahead, fans are excited for his next show, Rooster, on HBO in March 2026. Created by Bill Lawrence of Ted Lasso and Scrubs, Carell plays an author pulled into a chaotic academic world. With these projects and his past work, Carell shows that he can still take inspiration from legends like Peter Sellers while remaining one of the most versatile actors working today.

“Probably Dr. Strangelove or Being There. Peter Sellers being the common thread there,” Carell said, summing up why these movies mean so much to him.

So, which do you prefer: the wild comedy of Dr. Strangelove or the quiet satire of Being There?