Steve Carrell Deadpans, ‘I’ve Gone Through 20 to 25 Assistants This Year’

It’s been a long time since Steve Carrell was the Daily Show’s Produce Pete, and the actor — who is currently promoting his new film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World — made light of his successes during an interview about the film.

But in the mid-2000’s, Steve Carrell shot to fame both as the lead in the film The 40-Year-Old Virgin, as well as for his role starring in NBC’s hit adaptation of UK sitcom The Office.

Carrell is now a big-time Hollywood player, perhaps more so in ways than his fellow Daily Show stars Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. And he says basically as much, as Us Weekly quotes — albeit with tongue firmly in cheek.

Steve Carrell jokingly claims in an interview while promoting Seeking a Friend for the End of the World that he’s a terror to work for, and quips, “anything nice that’s said about me is diametrically opposed to who I am.”

Carrell says he’s gone through 20-25 assistants, and laughs:

“I don’t bother to learn their names anymore because I know they’re going to be gone. There’s lots of finger snapping. I don’t yell anymore because it’s too much of an effort… I just have utter disregard for everyone.”

He continues:

“I trust you won’t print any of this. I wouldn’t want anyone to know the truth.”

Carrell also talks about the upcoming sequel to Anchorman, and he explains that box office success didn’t factor into the decision among cast to reprise their roles- he explains:

“I don’t think I’ve had more fun ever working on something. Everyone felt the same way, the entire cast — that’s why we all wanted to do it. It’s mostly selfishly for ourselves. I think the motivation was completely selfish. We just had so much fun the first time we wanted to do it again.”

Steve Carrell’s Seeking a For the End of the World was released June 22nd.