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Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Steve Carell's debut, IATSE Studio Teachers for the win, the return of Jeremy Renner, from Heat 2 to Princess Diaries 3, and a banquet.
Let’s go!
STEVEN CARELL IS NOT A 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
Steve Carell doesn’t believe there’s a difference between comedy and drama.
He just made his Broadway debut in the title role of the challenging masterwork Uncle Vanya.
Here’s one of his first lines:
“Cheat on an old husband you can’t stand–what’s immoral about that? Stifle your youth, your deepest feelings–now, that’s immoral!”
Carell could deliver this line with his brand of self-agonizing comedy that characterized his 7-season + finale role of Michael Scott in The Office or the tortured dramatic dryness that epitomized his Academy Award-nominated performance of John DuPont in Foxcatcher.
For him, it doesn’t matter:
“Ultimately, I prepare for them in the same way – it’s all about trying to make it as truthful as you can. A character in a comedy doesn’t know that they’re in a comedy, and the same goes for drama. You don’t act a drama as if you’re in a drama – it’s just life, it’s just what’s happening."
Carell has understood this sentiment since his youth, honing his craft for nearly a decade at The Second City Improv Theater in Chicago.
Watch a 32-year-old Carell navigate this tricky scene where he confesses to a fellow laundromat patron that he’s a serial killer.
As Steve Carell performs on the Broadway stage, he embodies Uncle Vanya, a character defined by disillusionment and unrequited love. This role requires a deft balance between tragedy and comedy.
The challenge of live theater, with its immediate audience feedback and the nakedness of performance without retakes, is the ultimate showcase of his versatile talent.
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