Young Sara Paxton saw Steve Carell as a star-to-be years before The Office made him famous.
• A teenager said Carell would be successful.
• Paxton does great in the True Story series
Today, Sara Paxton, who is 36 years old, talked about working with Steve Carell in the 2004 teen comedy “Sleepover,” which was before he became famous from “The Office.”
As an actor of 14 years, Paxton noticed Carell’s great ability during a short but memorable encounter on the set.
Paxton played an eighth-grader on a treasure hunt during a sleepover in “Sleepover,” along with Alexa PenaVega, Kallie Flynn Childress, Brie Larson, and Mika Boomer.
Carell played a security guard named Sherman Shiner who runs into the girls while they are on their adventures.
In his early years, what made Steve Carell stand out?
- Good timing for comedy
- Great improvisational skills
- Strong presence on screen
- Able to make easy scenes more interesting
When Paxton thinks back on their scene together, he remembers opening the door for Carell’s character because he thought it was a pizza delivery.
Even in this short time, she saw how well he could improvise and be funny, which made her think he would do well in the future.
Carell went on to win a Golden Globe, be nominated for an Oscar, and receive many other honors. Their intuition proved to be accurate.
The actress Paxton has managed to do well in her playing career. In the second season of Peacock’s “Based on a True Story,” she plays Paige, the Copycat Killer who wants to get payback for the death of her sister.
Even though Paxton was nervous at first about joining a group that already had a lot of experience, the crew and other players made her feel very welcome.
The actress said it was like starting junior year: she was nervous at first about fitting in, but she quickly found her place among the friendly cast and crew. You can watch “Based on a True Story” right now on Peacock.