Steve Carell says the role that has meant the most to him is not one played on screen but his role as a father.
In a recent interview with L’Officiel, the actor reflected on his life with his two children, daughter Annie, 24, and son John, 21, whom he shares with his wife, actress and writer Nancy Carell.
Carell, best known for portraying Michael Scott in the television comedy The Office, said raising his children has been the most meaningful experience of his life.
He described parenting as the most fulfilling thing he has done, adding that no other achievement comes close in importance.
The actor also explained that his family life recently influenced a moment while filming the upcoming HBO series Rooster.
According to Carell, his daughter Annie worked on the production as a production assistant during filming. While performing a scene in which his character expresses devotion to his fictional daughter, Carell accidentally used Annie’s name instead of the character’s name.
The moment was not scripted, but Carell said it felt natural because he had been thinking about his daughter while delivering the line.
The actor said experiences like that highlight how closely personal life and professional work can sometimes intersect.
Despite decades of success in film and television, Carell has consistently tried to keep his career from overshadowing his family life. He said he has always approached acting as a job rather than an identity.
Maintaining that perspective, he explained, helped ensure that his career never made life feel unusual for his children while they were growing up.
Carell and Nancy Carell have been married since August 1995. The couple first met in the early 1990s while performing together at the Second City comedy troupe in Chicago.
This year marks 30 years of marriage for the couple, whose relationship began long before Carell became widely known through television and film roles.
