Roundtable Interview With Steve Carell On Despicable Me 2

One of the most ingenious parts of this film is the edible guacamole sombrero. Have you ever seen something like that in real life?

Steve Carell: Never, but you know it will exist. You know in Cancun this summer, people are going to be walking around with taco hats on, for sure. And I loved how subtly they did it, too. Towards the end, people walking by would just take a chip off and eat some guacamole off the hat. The writers and the animators are really smart. Now, I’ve seen the film twice and there were things I noticed the second time that I didn’t pick up on the first time. It’s really layered. There’s a lot of stuff going on.

The Guacamole hate is the perfect combination of hat and party snack.

Steve Carell: After a while, that could get pretty ugly, though. Pretty messy. If you’re not having equal amounts of guacamole and chip, you’re going to have a problem.

How do you think the music by Pharrell set the tone of the film?

Steve Carell: From the very first scene in the movie, it feels like Despicable Me because of the music, because of that theme song. I think it’s hugely important, because it’s also really cool. It’s not kid music, per se. It’s current. It’s modern. I just think it gives the movie an edge in a good way, in a very positive way that “Wow, kids could potentially like really good, modern music.” And it doesn’t have to be a calliope. It doesn’t have to sound like kid’s music to be in a kid movie.

In Despicable Me 2, we find out that Gru hasn’t had a lot of luck with the ladies. How was it dealing with Gru’s rejection?

Steve Carell: Completely related, I have to say. (laughs)

Do you think that kind of rejection affects guys later in life?

Steve Carell: Are you kidding me? Yeah, definitely. I honestly did relate to that. I think most people do one way or another. Not just in terms of girls or boys or dating, but I think even the most self-confident of people felt like an outsider or that they weren’t being heard or seen or witnessed in some way. I think that’s a really relatable scene and I think it informs a lot about who Gru is. I was so shy and that can go either way, too. You have that one time where the girl says “You’re alright” and then that boosts your confidence. But that one time where you get shot down…I didn’t have exactly that scenario, but yeah, it stays with you. Personally, I was shy for a long, long time with girls. I know, it’s amazing. (laughs)

Steve, you’ve gone from The Daily Show to The Office to Anchorman and now animation. Do you ever stop for a moment and geek out to how surreal things are?

Steve Carell: This is still surreal. I mean, I’m doing a press conference for an animated movie that I’m going to be in. I mean, how did that happen? Who cares what I have to say? I don’t think it’ll ever feel second nature. I don’t think it’ll ever feel deserved. You know what I mean, like “Of course, this is the culmination of my career. This is where it was ultimately headed.” I have never felt that way. It’s a continual surprise that it’s continued.

That concludes our interview but we’d like to thank Steve very much for talking with us. Be sure to check out Despicable Me 2 when it hits theatres on July 3rd.