Carell makes iconic role his own, by making Maxwell Smart more resourceful

By Pamela Newlands

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 6/20/08 – “Max is incredibly earnest and dedicated at what he does but wants desperately to prove himself in the field”, says Warner Bros. ‘Get Smart’ star and executive producer Steve Carell. “I saw him as a resourceful, capable guy who had principles he was willing to fight for.”

“Don Adams was so distinctive, there was no realistic way to recreate his approach and his cadence,” says Carell. “I didn’t want to do an impersonation. Watching the television show I always got the impression that Maxwell Smart was no fool. He didn’t always take the route others might have taken but still, even if it was counter-intuitive, he managed to come out on top.” The hit television show ‘Get Smart’, starring Don Adams, aired from 1965 until 1970.

‘Get Smart’ director Peter Segal committed to the movie without seeing the script first, on the strength of Carell’s casting. “In my mind, there was no one else who could do justice to this role,” says Segal. “If you don’t have the right Max, it’s not worth doing.” Carell says, “I wanted to create something new and fresh in a way that honors the original but also stands on its own.”

“I’d say it’s 80% comedy, 20% action, 15% heart, 35% romance, 10% adventure and probably less than 1% horror,” says Carell. “Put that all together and you have more than 100%, which is more, really, than you can expect from any movie.”

‘Get Smart’ is a hybrid of comedy and action. “When you’re having a fight on top of a moving vehicle and you have to deliver three lines before you get smacked by a swinging crane, that’s where it gets technical and you stick to the script,” says Carell who’s known for improvising.

In a fight scene, Carell faces off against seven-foot-two-inch Indian power-lifting champion, Dalip Singh. “His fist is essentially a honey-baked ham,” says Carell. “His biceps are bigger than both my thighs put together. The stunt people did the really heavy lifting and did a great job. I never felt that anything was in jeopardy.”

Carell’s film credits include the hit ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’, which he co-wrote with Judd Apatow. Carell starred in the Oscar-winning dark comedy ‘Little Miss Sunshine’. Recent film credits include ‘Dan in Real Life’, ‘Evan Almighty’ and the voice of Mayor of Whoville in ‘Horton Hears a Who.’ Carell currently stars as Michael Scott in the popular television series ‘The Office’, for which he’s won a Golden Globe.

‘Get Smart ’
Running Time: 108 minutes
Release Date: June 20th, 2008 (USA)
Rating: PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language
Distributor: Warner Bros.