20 Things You Didn't Know About The 40-Year-Old Virgin
17. The Film Is Based On An Improv Sketch Created By Carell
Though the script was co-written by Carell and Apatow, the original seed of the idea was actually a sketch which Carell himself created while performing with the improv comedy troupe Second City.
During his tenure with the troupe throughout the 1990s, Carell acted out many different versions of the sketch, which was centered on a 40-year-old man hiding a big secret.
This eventually graduated into the virgin hook when he teamed up with Apatow, and the rest is history.
As a member of Second City, Carell performed alongside the likes of Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert, and even returned for a one night only reunion event in 2009.