8. Steve Carell - Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Steve Carell has been a hugely likeable comedy actor ever since he first came on most of our radars in
Bruce Almighty, and fashioned his status as a comic icon by starring as Michael Scott in the US version of
The Office. However, the opening shot of this sublime, Oscar-nominated drama introduced us to a very different Carell, as his character Uncle Frank sits in a wheelchair in a hospital, lonely, red-eyed, with a dark, scraggly beard. Far from the wacky, loveable oaf from The Office, here Carell plays a homosexual man who is recovering from a suicide attempt. It's an immensely underrated turn that nevertheless did contribute to the film's Screen Actors' Guild Ensemble Performance win. What really surprises is how ably Carell sets aside the mugging and shouting and delivers a quiet, pensive performance of introspection and consideration. Many of his most memorable moments are simple, thoughtful dialogues with the other characters, and it's a credit to the idea that playing against type is what will often best open our eyes to an actor's talents. Carell generally diversifies enough by playing in more dramatic comedies than straight-up mug-fests, but it'd definitely be great to see him in something like this once again.