The Bert Show – "Vault: Steve Carell Joins The Show"

Date: February 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lighthearted episode, The Bert Show welcomes acclaimed actor and comedian Steve Carell for an entertaining and candid interview. The conversation covers Steve’s early post-college ambitions (including a failed radio audition), his brief stint working as a rural mail carrier, a playful TMZ anecdote, reflections on family life, and a plug for his then-upcoming film "Get Smart." The episode is full of laughs and captures Carell’s genuine, self-deprecating wit while offering unique insights into his life off-camera.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Steve Carell’s Almost-Radio Career

• Post-College Auditions:
  Steve recounts his attempts to break into radio, revealing he once auditioned as a newsreader for a bizarre station broadcasting only into a tunnel leading to Logan Airport.
  • Steve Carell: “I auditioned for a job as a newsreader for something called the Sumner Callahan Radio Network, the station that only broadcast into the tunnel leading to Logan Airport because there was no reception...people could hear it for all of about 45 seconds.” (01:28)
• Radio Jokes:
  The hosts and Steve joke about the tiny potential audience and his desperate desire for the job, highlighting his trademark self-mockery.
  • Steve: “Oh, I was desperate. I was hungry. Are you kidding me? To get it?” (02:32)

2. Early Work Experience: Delivering Mail

• Mail Carrier Anecdote:
  Steve shares that he never worked in a traditional office, drawing instead from his time as a rural mail carrier in Massachusetts.
  • “The closest I worked was the US Post office. I was a rural mail carrier in Massachusetts.” (03:11)
• Comedic Dangers:
  Details the impracticalities of delivering mail with a left-hand drive car, working “incredibly dangerous” conditions.
  • “All of our cars were left hand drive, so we had to drive with one hand and deliver the mail out the right window. So it was incredibly dangerous.” (03:23)
• Lingering Effects:
  Admits he continued to discover undelivered mail in his car months after quitting.
  • “For months I was still finding mail that was like stuck under my feet. I'm really bad at it.” (03:40)

3. Avoiding the Celebrity Spotlight & The TMZ Story

• Being Recognized:
  Steve discusses his minimal run-ins with paparazzi, describing a particular encounter with TMZ and explaining his aversion to the show’s tactic of making celebrities look foolish.
  • “There was a guy with a video camera, and...he said he was from TMZ. And, you know, I know what they're about. So I just chose not to talk to him. That was basically it.” (05:05)
  • On TMZ: “They just try to make people...they’re like the bullies in school. They just try to make people look stupid. ...I get it, they’re making a living and they’re poking fun at people, but I just chose not to say anything.” (05:29)
• Celebrity Hotspots:
  Steve suggests many people who show up on TMZ are seeking out that attention, but it’s not for him.
  • “My life is pretty boring, so I don’t. There’s really nothing, you know, me coming out of a restaurant, I don’t know, frankly, who would even want to see that.” (06:33)

4. Family Life & Simple Pleasures

• Excitement Off-Camera:
  When asked about the most exciting recent event in his personal life, Steve draws a laugh with his “dad pride.”
  • “My family flew back to the east coast and my kids...they were really good on the plane. That was exciting. ...We were kind of over the hump in terms of like the screaming and...running up and down the aisles. ...So that was an exciting sort of monumental moment for us.” (07:09)
• Showcasing his down-to-earth approach to fame and family, Steve’s answer contrasts the high-wattage lives often portrayed by Hollywood celebrities.

5. Movie Plug: "Get Smart"

• Role & Story:
  The show wraps up (somewhat chaotically) asking Steve to describe his then-upcoming film.
  • “I play Maxwell Smart. This is sort of an origin story. He’s an analyst at the spy agency called control, and he is promoted to spy. ...It’s like a big action comedy. It’s sort of a comedic born identity.” (07:54)
• Co-star Banter:
  A playful jab at co-star Anne Hathaway and a quick note about the film’s release.
  • Host: “Anne Hathaway stars with you, right?”
    Steve: “Yeah. She’s very ugly.” (08:13)
• Closing Moments:
  The hosts plug the movie's opening (June 20), joke about interview confusion, and say their goodbyes in classic Bert Show style with Steve still lingering on the line.
  • Steve: “I didn’t know whether I was off or not.” (08:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On missing out on radio stardom:
  Steve: “My career could have taken a very different turn.” (02:59)
• On undelivered mail:
  Steve: “For months I was still finding mail that was like stuck under my feet. I'm really bad at it.” (03:40)
• On the pressure of paparazzi:
  Steve: “They're like the bullies in school. They just try to make people look stupid.” (05:29)
• Dad pride:
  Steve: “...They were really, really good (on the flight). So that was an exciting sort of monumental moment for us.” (07:09)
• On Anne Hathaway, jokingly:
  Steve: “Yeah. She’s very ugly.” (08:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Steve Carell Introduced: 01:01
• Early Radio and Failed Auditions: 01:24–02:59
• Mail Carrier Stories: 03:11–03:54
• TMZ Encounter & Celebrity Culture: 04:39–06:33
• Family Life & Recent “Excitement”: 07:01–07:34
• Plugging "Get Smart": 07:42–08:25
• Awkward Goodbyes & Outro Humor: 08:30–09:23

Tone and Takeaway

The episode is breezy, good-natured, and full of the playful banter that defines The Bert Show. Steve Carell’s trademark humility, dry wit, and grounded approach to fame shine through. Fans and newcomers alike will enjoy this fun, behind-the-scenes peek at one of America’s favorite comedy actors—and why, thankfully, his radio career never got off the ground.