When you think back on it, it’s amazing how big of an impact ANCHORMAN had on the comedy world. It turned Will Ferrell into an A-list superstar and gave Judd Apatow the clout to write and direct his first film, THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN. It was on the set of ANCHORMAN that Apatow and Steve Carell hatched the idea for VIRGIN and that film would propel them to superstardom in their respective fields.
Before ANCHORMAN, while Carell was widely respected in the comedy universe, he was publicly only known as a correspondent for “The Daily Show” (his break-out supporting role in BRUCE ALMIGHTY had not yet theaters). He had to pay his dues just like the rest of them and audition for his now-legendary part in ANCHORMAN and now that audition tape has surfaced. It’s easy to see why Carell won the part with his dedication to maniacal laughter until his face turns purple. Check out one of the very first appearances of Brick Tamland below…