10 Intense Movie Performances NO ONE Was Ready For

It's hard to put a label on Steve Carell: his long-running stint as the obnoxious boss on The Office US, the leading role in 40 Year Old Virgin or a sidekick bit-part in Anchorman, should mark him down as the safe and reliable funny man.

But then we get him in films like The Way Way Back and Little Miss Sunshine, where he's displaying acting abilities that prove he's so much more than just comedic.

This is best conveyed in 2014's Foxcatcher, where he plays the real-life eccentric millionaire John du Pont.

Behind the prosthetic is still a hilarious actor, but the atmosphere generated by Steve Carell is poisonously uncomfortable. The tension is laid thick by an actor who is really embodying a gross individual.

Acting opposite Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum, Steve Carell isn't just uncomfortable, he's scary. He portrays a man we don't feel sympathy for, but are repulsed by and pity.

Thankfully since Foxcatcher, Steve Carell has stopped being the doofus in films and has since appeared in more serious roles. While he'll always be Brick from Anchorman, it's good to know he can slip into a menacing persona at any point.