Steve Carell will star in an upcoming cancer drama from Warner Bros. titled Priority List. Based on the memoir of the same name, the film will find the comedic actor putting away the laughs to play David Menasche, a teacher who is diagnosed with brain cancer and given just a few months to live. He undergoes multiple surgeries to extend his life, but when a seizure ends his teaching career, he hits the road on a “cross-country journey to reconnect with former students, come to terms with his illness and learn to live fully in the present.”
Though he’s primarily known as being one of the funniest actors in Hollywood, Carell has done drama before, with more serious films like Dan in Real Life and Little Miss Sunshine. His most extensive foray into dramatic territory, however, will be in the upcoming Foxcatcher, in which he plays a schizophrenic murderer. While I’m excited to see the funnyman signing on with Priority List, hopefully it doesn’t mean that he wants to start distancing himself from what he’s known for. I’d be fine with Carell taking on a more serious part here and there, but the man excels when it comes to comedy, and that’s where he should stay (at least, for the majority of his work).
Still, I’m already excited for this project. Carell is one of my favorite comedic actors and I always find it interesting when he steps outside of his comfort zone. It doesn’t happen often, but this particular film seems like it will give him a nice, meaty part and should provide some strong material with which he can display his dramatic chops.
Tell us, what do you think of Steve Carell stepping onto the Priority List for Warner Bros.? Sound off below!
