‘The Big Short’ Star Steve Carell Talks Ryan Gosling, Claims Christian Bale Is ‘Intimidating’ To Work With

Steve Carell is taking on the world of big banks in his newest film The Big Short. While the comedic genius is playing the role a real-life investor during the 2008 housing crisis, Carell won’t be taking on the banks alone.

In fact, the Nottingham Post is reporting that the movie features a number of Hollywood’s top stars, including Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling. Carell recently discussed his role in the film and expressed his excitement in working with such an all-star cast, including Bale.

“I am still pinching myself that I’m in a film with Christian Bale,” Carrell told the outlet. “He’s a phenomenal actor and such a good guy; I didn’t get to meet him until we started doing press and he’s so smart, funny and self-deprecating.”

That being said, Carell also admitted that he was a little intimidated by Bale and revealed how Bale’s dedication to his role was unmatched.

“Bale’s a consummate perfectionist,” Carell stated. “Before I started filming, I talked to Adam McKay on the phone about character stuff and Christian had already started. He was talking about how great he was doing, how everyone loved him and how he had this fully formed character. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to get on set and just stink comparatively’. It’s intimidating to be in a movie with somebody like that.”

In addition to his comments on working with Bale, Carell told NME that he had a hard time keeping a straight face whenever Gosling was on set. Although Carell’s character in the movie might not get along with Gosling’s, the actor admitted that he was a blast to work with.

“I could be in the background of a scene with a stern, disapproving look on my face but praying the camera didn’t linger on me in case I started tearing up with laughter,” Carell shared. “My character might not find his character amusing but I found Ryan really funny. He’s a great improviser. It was hard not to laugh, every day.”

The Big Short is a comedy-drama that centers on the real-life story behind the financial collapse of the housing market in 2008. Carell plays the role of Mark Baum in the film. Baum is based on the real-life story of Steve Eisman, a hedge fund manager on Wall Street during the financial crisis.

For his part, Bale plays Dr. Michael Burry, who foresaw the collapse of the housing market long before it ever happened. At the same time, Gosling plays a bond salesman named Jared Vennett and performs a lot of the movie’s narration.

Aside from Carell, Bale, and Gosling, the film stars Brad Pitt as Ben Rickert, Finn Wittrock as Jamie Shipley, and Jeremy Strong as Vincent. The movie also includes a number of different celebrity cameos, including Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez, and Anthony Bourdain.

Meanwhile, in speaking to the Guardian, both Carell and director Adam McKay revealed some of the main motivations behind the new film. For starters, Carell explained how the movie is meant to deal with the 2008 financial crisis in a way that is both funny and easy to understand.

For his part, McKay talked about the need to explain everything that went down in 2008 in order to prevent fraudulent acts from happening on a large scale again. In particular, McKay noted how much of the mainstream media failed to properly explain the causes of the financial meltdown and how people should be kept informed on what is really going on behind the scenes.

The Big Short is based on the bestselling novel by Michael Lewis and is currently in theaters.

[Image via Paramount Pictures]