Steve Carell is perhaps one of the more versatile actors working today. Getting attention on The Daily Show before making his claim to fame as the world’s best (but also somehow most obnoxious) boss in the hit series The Office, Carrell made a name for himself as a comedic genius. Also starring in classic live action comedies such as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and animated films such as Over the Hedge, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who and, most famously, voicing Gru in the Despicable Me franchise.

In addition to brilliant comedic timing, Carell has a diverse catalog of dramatic roles that allow the audience to see him in a different light. Carell’s comedic roles offer a sort of boyish innocence that create a preconception and set expectations of every role he would do. However, Carell exceeds expectations and has nailed more grounded human characters that have a wide range to them. These characters are real, heart-wrenching, and relate to the audience differently. Nevertheless, some offer an unexpected shock value as to Carell’s serious acting chops, making him one of the best comedians who became great actors. These are the most dramatic Steve Carell roles, and where they rank in terms of delivery, sophistication, and audience impact.

9 Mark Hogancamp - Welcome to Marwen

Robert Zemeckis’ 2018 live action and animation hybrid Welcome to Marwen is a biographical exploration into the hardships of Mark Hogancamp. After being viciously attacked one night, Hogancamp must recuperate and utilize his creative talents to overcome trauma.

While probably not one of the best Zemeckis films, Carell’s interpretation of Hogancamp is heartwarming and is a beautiful centerpiece. The physicality of the performance is also noteworthy, as Hogancamp’s motor skills are damaged due to the attack. However, what makes this performance unique is the blend of two characters, between Mark and his miniature alter-ego, Cap’n Hogie. There is more of a confidence to this character and is who Mark aspires to be. The commitment to art as a tool to overcome trauma is a great message that will leave audiences with a warm feeling.

8 Larry ‘Doc’ Shepherd - Last Flag Flying

Alongside Bryan Cranston and Lawrence Fishburne, Carell’s performance in Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying is one to pull at the heartstrings. The character ‘Doc’ grieves over the loss of his son, a marine who died in the Iraq War. There is a reserved nature to ‘Doc,’ but it is clear that there is pain behind his eyes. One of Carell’s more subdued performances, while still offering some light chuckles here and there, the film represents the painful reality families of fallen heroes must endure, along with quietly ruminating about PTSD from war. Carell captures that with utmost truth.

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7 Bobby Riggs - Battle of the Sexes

Battle of the Sexes is a true story of the famous tennis rivalry between Billie Jean King (in one of the best Emma Stone movie performances) and Bobby Riggs. Carell portrays Riggs and his showboating nature perfectly. Riggs plays to the reporters and their cameras quite a bit, and Carell fully commits to the elements of the character that society rightfully deems sexist today. However, there is a great chemistry between Carell and Emma Stone, who banter and wage a war of words publicly and privately. Carell’s performance is unhinged at times, but perfectly represents the hubris that Riggs displayed over his career.

6 Mark Baum - The Big Short

One of if not the best Adam McKay movies, the award-winning financial biography The Big Short is an in-depth look at how the housing crisis of 2008 impacted the lives of investors Michael Burry (Christian Bale), Mark Baum (Steve Carell), Jared Vennet (Ryan Gosling), and Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt). Baum is at times on the brink of explosion towards the wealthiest of the wealthy. There is not a moment that goes by when Carell's on-screen that the audience is not mesmerized by his delivery.

5 Dodge - Seeking a Friend For the End of the World

In contrast to his role as Evan Baxter in Evan Almighty, Carell’s character as Dodge in Seeking a Friend For the End of The World falls helpless to the world’s elements. The end of the world as we know it forces Dodge on a quest to find the one thing he cannot die without, love. When meeting Penny (Keira Knightley), Dodge forms a friendship that later develops over the course of this tender adventure flick. While not action-packed, the film’s core is its heartfelt nature. Carell and Knightley play off each other very well and form this bond that strikes a cord with the audience that’s as powerful as the asteroid plummeting towards Earth.

4 Mitch Kessler - The Morning Show

The news of the world is brought to you every day by faces that seem so familiar. But what The Morning Show demonstrates is that these faces are mere facades. The scandalous nature of ex-morning show host Mitch Kessler makes one of the best AppleTV+ shows a full-on drama. Carell is far from humorous as his character is buried under his own defeat. The character is flawed, but is fleshed out as well as an antagonist should be. However, the series takes its time to explore every character, including Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), and Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup).

Related: These Are Steve Carell's Best Performances, Ranked

3 Frank - Little Miss Sunshine

Carell’s character, Frank, in Little Miss Sunshine is riddled with tragedy. He is a man on the brink of shutting down from the world after a failed suicide attempt. However, his sister Sheryl (Toni Collette) brings him along with her entire family (Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear) on a road trip across the country for her daughter’s (Abigail Breslin) beauty pageant. Frank is a serious intellect, and provides some fascinating outlooks on how he sees the world through the eyes of a poet. Carell takes a more reserved approach for this character who is plagued by sadness but has moments of optimism that blend Carell's two acting styles seamlessly.

2 David Sheff - Beautiful Boy

Amazon Studios' original film Beautiful Boy is a true story of a father and son's chronicles, and details multiple perspectives of familial trauma. Mainly dealing with the impact drug use has on this middle-American family, the film pulls no punches when facing audiences with the harsh reality that the drug epidemic has on the user and those around them. However, Carell as David Sheff is the representation of hope, as he tries to do anything he can to get his son Nic (in one of Timothèe Chalamet's best movie work) the help he needs. However, sometimes the hardest choices have to be made, and Carell holds nothing back in his portrayal of this broken father. It is a tear-jerker, and contains one of Carell’s best performances.

1 John du Pont - Foxcatcher

There are those roles that an actor gets that define them in more ways than one. Bennet Miller’s Foxcatcher is one of the most intense biographical films in recent decades. Foxcatcher is most prominently known for Steve Carell’s breakthrough dramatic and near-horrifying performance as the millionaire philanthropist John du Pont, whose insanity is the factor that sends this icy drama into a tension-filled thriller. Carell’s Oscar-nominated performance is one that is still talked about years after the film’s release. With brilliant chemistry between Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum, Carell shines as an evil, power-hungry megalomaniac.