Carell Loses Hair Over '40-Year-Old Virgin'

Aug. 19, 2005 — -- No virgins were harmed in the making of Steve Carell's new movie. But countless chest follicles suffered unspeakable torture, and there may have been some nipple injuries.

Carell might be the hairiest comic east of Robin Williams. And when it came time to do the body-waxing scene in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," the 42-year-old from Concord, Mass., insisted that he would take the punishment without any computer-generated special effects -- in a single, excruciating, curse-Kelly-Clarkson's-name-at-the-top-of-your-lungs scene.

"It had to be real," Carell says. "It wouldn't be as funny if it was mocked up. You have to see it really happening."

The veteran of Chicago's famed Second City comedy troupe knows more than a little about laughter. He did a brief stint on "Saturday Night Live," before joining Jon Stewart's troupe of roving reporters for a five-year run on "The Daily Show." In one of his best bits, he provided the Moviephone voice in a spoof of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

"Hello, and welcome to Moviephone. To select "The Passion of the Christ" -- press one. To select Jesus Christ as your personal savior -- press two. If you were one of they who mocked him, I say unto thee -- press three. To hear these instructions again in Tongues -- press four."

It was a no-brainer to assume he'd parlay his success on Comedy Central's faux news show into supporting roles in film. But after several strong big-screen performances, including some scene-stealers in last year's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," he has suddenly become "The Daily Show's" first movie star.

"We knew he was good," Stewart said Monday as he welcomed him back on the show as a guest to plug the new movie. "We didn't know he was this good."

It's not as if the role as a dimwitted weatherman on Will Ferrell's news team was much of a stretch. Who knew there'd be such a big market for pretend journalists? He provided similar services in Jim Carrey's "Bruce Almighty."