Steve Carell is one of the most prolific comedic actors of his generation. His talent spans both TV and movies, playing the lead character in the American adaptation of The Office while also holding iconic roles in films like The 40-Year-Old Version and Crazy, Stupid, Love. He is also the voice of the mischievous but loving foster father, Gru, in the Despicable Me franchise. Even as a voice-only role, it has still become one of the actor’s defining works.

In recent years, Carell has been taking on more and more supporting roles in his live-action work. Apart from the Despicable Me movies, one of his most recent credits is IF, a live-action and CGI hybrid film wherein he voices an imaginary creature named Blue. He was also part of the ensemble for Asteroid City, Wes Anderson’s 2023 film, but he did not have a lead role. Now, Carell is back to playing a protagonist in a new movie on HBO Max, and it bears some similarity to one of his notable past roles.

Steve Carell’s Mountainhead Performance Is Similar To The Big Short

Both Depict Rich People In A Satirical Way

Carell plays one of the lead roles in the recently released streaming film Mountainhead. The drama is about a group of four tech bro friends who reunite in a secluded mountain mansion during a state of economic turmoil. It is directed by Jesse Armstrong, the creator of Succession. In addition to Carell, the Mountainhead cast includes Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith. Carell plays Randall in the film.

Randall is the oldest member of the tech billionaire group at the heart of Mountainhead, and it is hard not to think of The Big Short when watching it. Carell played Mark Baum in the 2015 Adam McKay movie, who admittedly worked in a slightly different field than Randall. Rather than tech work, The Big Short focused on finance bros. While these are different universes, both films employ a similar satirical style and put wealthy people in their crosshairs, skewering their personalities and antics.

Mountainhead Continues A Steve Carell Trend That Started Around The Big Short

A Little Over A Decade Ago, Carell Started Getting More Serious

With Mountainhead, Carell continues to work on higher-caliber projects than what he was used to in the earlier part of his career. Whereas he had previously focused on The Office and goofy movies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Carell’s career took a shift in 2014 when he gave a chilling performance as John du Pont in the movie Foxcatcher. This wound up getting Carell a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars, elevating his status as an actor and showing off a different side of his acting.

The Big Short was, in some ways, a continuation of this career trend for Carell. While it was not a dramatic role, as the movie had ample satirical comedy elements, The Big Short was a way for the actor to continue work in more prestigious movies and other content outside his more typical sitcom appearances. This trend has continued through the release of movies like Battle of the Sєxes and Welcome to Marwen. Made by an Emmy-winning Succession creative, Mountainhead is another great way to see Carell continue on this career path.

It’s Been A Good Time For Steve Carell On Streaming Recently

He Was In A Netflix Show Recently

Mountainhead comes at a particularly good time for Carell on streaming services. This year, he also played a role in the Netflix romantic comedy The Four Seasons, and, just a few years back, he was on Hulu’s The Patient. The Four Seasons received decent reviews upon its release, getting a 77% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and a second season renewal. Mountainhead has split audiences and critics, but is also skewing positive on the latter side. This movie has now continued to show Carell’s capabilities in high-caliber content, as well as his propensity to be a streaming star.