VetFamily: Steve Carell

Actor Steve Carell is a household name known for his comedy. The brilliant Golden Globe winner’s latest film “Despicable Me 4” just opened at number one at the box office - and he comes from a military family. His father Edwin A. Carell served in the Army during World War II.

The comedian described his dad as “very down to earth, kind, smart, and generous. [My parents] both grew up during the great depression and had a true sense of value: for possessions, for family, for each other.”

Edwin was born September 28, 1925 in New Jersey. His real family name was Caroselli, but he decided to change it to Carell in order to assimilate after his father passed away during the 1950s. 

“I love the name Caroselli,” Steve told The Guardian. “I think it's beautiful and it certainly wouldn't be mispronounced and misspelled as much as Carell has been over the years.” 

Edwin studied one semester at Newark College of Engineering but was drafted to the Army in 1944. He left to serve in World War II and did basic training at Fort Moore, formerly known as Fort Benning, with further training at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg. “The food was very good at Fort Bragg,” he told the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. “It was so much better than at Benning. They had to feed a lot more people and it wasn’t the same.”

He served WWII in the 7th Army, 100 Infantry Division, 397 Regiment, “Item” company. He fought in a mortar squad in northern France and Germany and was awarded both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. 

“I joke that I was decorated with a medal called ‘extreme caution under fire’ because that’s what I did. You have to watch yourself,” he said.

He later continued his education, graduating from Syracuse University, and working for 28 years as a mechanical engineer for Lytron Inc. He married Harriet Koch in 1952 and they were married for over 60 years before she passed away. They had four sons, one of whom became the famous Steve Carell.

“Dad would wake up at 5am and drive me to hockey practice before school and sit there reading a book while I practiced. I learned a lot about raising children from them, because they were committed to their kids, they would do anything to expand our horizons. I don't think I appreciated it at the time, but I do now,” Steve said before Edwin’s death in 2021.

Steve, now 61, is best known for his role as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom The Office, in which he also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, and director from 2005-2011. His films include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and its 2013 sequel, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Evan Almighty (2007), Get Smart (2008), Date Night (2010), and Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011). He later turned to dramatic roles and earned an Academy Award nomination for Foxcatcher (2014). He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for The Morning Show. He recently made his Broadway debut in April in Uncle Vanya. He’s been married to Nancy Walls since 1995 and has two children.

The Despicable Me movie franchise launched in 2010, where Steve plays the main character, Gru. Despicable Me 4 is in theaters now.