Steve Carell is, of course, widely-revered as a comedy actor, and even his more serious roles in the likes of Little Miss Sunshine, Dan in Real Life and Hope Springs are still tinged with plenty of comedy to help lighten the load. Such isn't the case at all with his role as mentally ill millionaire John E. du Pont in Bennett Miller's outstanding true crime drama, which is almost completely devoid of humour and sees Carell taking a major risk in a deeply dark, ugly role. Even forgetting the make-up nose job and general transformative appearance of the character, Carell gives a performance of hugely unexpected restraint, a nasally, immensely creepy man driven to succeed in coaching America's Olympic wrestling team at all costs. With his eccentric behaviour, cocaine-snorting habits and eventually murderous tendencies, it's like nothing the actor has ever done before, and will hopefully ensure he gets offered even more interesting and non-comedic roles in the future, assuming he wants them.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
