Steve Carell's new Netflix series Space Force launched early Friday morning, and if nothing else, it encouraged me to revisit the actor's career. I think it's fair to say that Carell will ultimately be remembered for his iconic turn as Michael Scott on The Office, but he has delivered some great performances on the big screen as well.

I was first introduced to Carell via the short-lived 1996 sketch show The Dana Carvey Show (check out the documentary Too Funny to Fail on Hulu)- which led to a correspondent gig on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. From there, Carell developed into a major scene-stealer, first in 2003's Bruce Almighty, and again in 2004's Anchorman, in which he scored big laughs as idiot meteorologist Brick Tamland. The Office premiered in March 2005, and less than six months later, Carell's endearing mug was plastered all over the country on billboards for The 40 Year-Old Virgin. The following year, he was part of SAG Award-winning ensemble of Little Miss Sunshine, which was nominated for Best Picture.

In recent years, Carell has continued to assert himself as a strong dramatic actor in prestige dramas ranging from Foxcatcher to Beautiful Boy, in addition to films like Freeheld, Battle of the Sexes, Last Flag Flying, Vice, and Welcome to Marwen. None of those films fared too well at the box office, but that's no fault of Carell, who throws himself into every role, yet remains under-appreciated by most critics.

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Image via Aaron Epstein/Netflix

If there's a movie you like that's not on this list, I promise you it was carefully considered, though I'll admit, I never did see Woody Allen's Cafe Society. Those bubble titles that weren't quite good enough to make the cut include thoroughly decent movies like Get Smart, Date Night, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Meanwhile, my own high school friends were shocked I left The Way, Way Back off the list. But yeah, if you were hoping to see Dinner for Schmucks here, or Vice, or The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, or Marwen, or the lackluster sequels to Anchorman and Bruce Almighty, then lower your expectations now, because this list is going to disappoint you. If any movie is owed an apology, it's Battle of the Sexes, because Carell's turn as Bobby Riggs is pretty solid, but the movie itself is just so-so.

Without further ado, here are Steve Carell's ten best movies. Be sure to hit the comments section to tell me just how wrong I am! Just keep in mind that making these kinds lists, well, it's harder than it looks. And yes, that's what she said.

10. Dan in Real Life

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Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The final spot on this list could've gone to any number of films depending on how generous I was feeling on any given day, but in the end, I went with this under-appreciated 2007 dramedy from director Peter Hedges. This isn't a film I've ever gone back to, and it's one that most people barely remember, but it actually did respectable business, taking in $47 million at the domestic box office. Carell plays the titular Dan, a widowed advice columnist who takes his three daughters on a trip to his parents' home in Rhode Island for an annual family gathering. While visiting a local bookshop, Dan strikes up an instant connection with a mysterious woman, only to soon discover that she is his brother's new girlfriend. You can imagine where things go from there. What you probably never imagined is that this romantic triangle includes Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook, who I still can't believe starred in the same movie, let alone played an actual couple onscreen! Dan in Real Life doesn't reinvent the wheel but it's a feel-good movie with a stacked cast, including Emily Blunt, Amy Ryan, Allison Pill, Britt Robertson, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Matthew Morrison, and a young Lucas Hedges. Carell makes for a fine father who's just trying to do his best to raise three girls on his own and find love again along the way. It's not a showy performance, but Carell does right by the character and helps keep the film from becoming too treacly. The whole point of this movie is that the only thing you can plan on in life is being surprised, and I think this movie will surprise you if you give it a chance.

9. Last Flag Flying

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Image via Amazon

Richard Linklater is one of our most humanist filmmakers, and even though no one saw this 2017 drama, I found it to be a touching film about friendship and loss. Carell stars alongside Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne as a trio of Vietnam veterans who reunite after Carell's son is killed in the Iraq War. This is a very different performance than Beautiful Boy. In that film, Carell plays a father fighting to save his son, while in Last Flag Flying, he's already too late. And though the military wants to give the fallen soldier a hero's sendoff, the truth is more complicated than that, and Carell pleads for a civilian burial so his boy can be laid to rest close to home. It's a small but powerful story that resonates on a gut level as the past refuses to stay buried, and old secrets are revealed. This may be a very melancholy movie, but it plays to Carell's strengths, and cuts deeper than you'd expect.

8. Despicable Me

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Image via Universal/Illumination

It's funny... besides The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Anchorman, this was the movie that came up most often when I told people I'd be putting this list together. And they all had a point. Despicable Me isn't an all-time classic like Toy Story or The Lion King, but it's a damn good animated movie with a delightful performance from Carell as the villainous Gru. Though he plays the evil genius with a funny accent, there's something so inherently likable about Carell that I'm not surprised Gru developed into the protagonist of this franchise. The character is, of course, a supervillain who adopts three girls from an orphanage, who teach him what it means to love as he plots a grand heist to shrink and steal Earth's moon. Carell may have only had to show up at a sound booth for a few weeks, but he throws his heart and soul into the role, and his passion for the material comes across in his voice performance. He imbues Gru with a certain sweetness without sanding off the bad guy's edges. It's a tough tightrope to walk, but Carell pulls it off, and there's nothing despicable about that kind of magic trick.

7. The Big Short

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Image via Paramount Pictures

The Big Short earned five Oscar nominations including one for Best Picture, and while I didn't love it nearly as much as the Academy, there's no question that it's one of the better films on Carell's resume. Carell plays Mark Baum, who operates a small trading firm and is disgusted by American banks. Carell fits right in alongside co-stars Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, as well as Marisa Tomei, who plays his wife. The brilliant character is a far cry from Brick Tamland, and director Adam McKay deserves credit for casting his Anchorman star in this kind of role. Carell oozes contempt for banking institutions and the misery they wrought, and even though there's an underlying sadness to this character, it's fun to see Mark rally against "The Man," and maybe even pull one over on him. Carell was a major movie star at this point, but it's nice to see him among an all-star ensemble and hold his own against his fellow A-list co-stars. It's almost as if he was the star of a hugely popular TV show that forced him to share the spotlight with others. Hmmm...

6. Crazy, Stupid Love

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Image via Warner Bros.

This is sort of where it all came together for Steve Carell as a movie star. Let's face it, looks matter in a romantic comedy, and my man is looking like a snack here. Not only does he sleep with Marisa Tomei, but his 17-year-old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) has the hots for him, and his ex (Julianne Moore) may even want him back. Carell plays Cal, a recent divorcee who links up with Ryan Gosling and learns how to pick up women at bars, which allows him to rediscover his confidence in the process. And yet, in the end, this is a movie about honesty. Confidence means nothing if it's false confidence. Real confidence is being comfortable enough to be yourself. This charming rom-com is chiefly remembered for its Gosling-Emma Stone romance, but Carell is the film's true lead. And though everything that can go wrong for Cal does go wrong, in the end, he realizes that things will work out if they're meant to be, and that you're never too old to give up on love. Love may make you crazy, and it may make you say and do stupid things sometime, but as The Beatles once said, "love is all you need." Amen to that!

5. Foxcatcher

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Image via Sony Pictures Classics

"Do you have any idea who I am?" That's how the trailer for Foxcatcher begins, and to be honest, I'd forgive you for not having any idea that John du Pont, the guy with the big nose, beady eyes and track suit, is actually Steve Carell. This was a transformative role for the star of The Office, a prestige drama that forced audiences to see him in a whole new light. It marked Carell's coming-out party as a dramatic actor, and sure, he may look and sound a little funny, but his intense performance is absolutely chilling. Du Pont hailed from one of America's wealthiest families, and he wanted to make his mark in the world by sponsoring a championship wrestling team at his private training facility. But this wasn't simply out of the goodness of his heart. No, John yearns to be part of the program -- one of the guys, so to speak. He wants to get on that mat and wrestle and show his mother he's as tough as his young athletes, but he can never quite measure up, so instead he lives vicariously through the young wrestlers at Foxcatcher, and one in particular -- Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum). The two strike up a friendship, but it soon turns toxic, as John introduces Mark to cocaine, which starts to destroy his body, and alienate shim from his older brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo). Like any good brother, Dave intervenes and nurses Mark back to health, but in the process, he comes between Mark and John, and the consequences are deadly. Carell shows remarkable range with this performance, and for two hours at least, you totally forget that you're watching the guy from The Office in old-age makeup. Foxcatcher may be a tough watch, but it's easy to spot Carell's talent.

4. Little Miss Sunshine

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Image via Fox Searchlight

This movie is so good that I wouldn't blame you if you forgot Carell was in it. When I think of Little Miss Sunshine, the first image in my head is that of Abigail Breslin dancing, followed by Alan Arkin cursing, followed by Paul Dano screaming, and it becomes all too easy to gloss over the fact that Carell is wonderful here as the family's suicidal Uncle Frank. Though Carell stands out in his white frock, he kind of just blends in, as this isn't a big, showy performance that calls attention to itself. His performance is much more subtle, and I think his downer energy helps balance out what firecracker Breslin brings to the movie. This is one of two Best Picture nominees on this list, and rightfully so. Not only does it boast a winning indie spirit, but it played like a summer blockbuster, grossing more than $100 million worldwide. It's the kind of film that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure before it brings you to your feet at the end. And that sure sounds like the essence of Steve Carell to me.

3. Beautiful Boy

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Image via Amazon Studios

Pound for pound, this may very well be Carell's greatest performance to date. It feels like no one saw this movie due to its tough subject matter, or, if they saw it, they thought it was too sentimental. Not me. I was a gigantic puddle at the end of this movie which completely wrecked me. I caught it up in Toronto and not only was I the last person to leave the theater, but all I remember afterwards is calling my own dad to tell him how much I loved him -- that's how affecting Carell is in this true story. He plays David Sheff, a New York Times writer whose son, Nic (Timothée Chalamet), is an unrepentant drug addict who can't kick the habit, and doesn't want to, either. The elder Sheff goes to the ends of the earth to help his son, that is, until there comes a point when the only person who can truly help Nic is himself. And that may be the hardest thing to watch -- when a father has to turn away his son for the boy's own good. Both Carell and Chalamet deliver devastating performances that may break your heart, but will leave you hopeful about the Sheffs' future.

2. Anchorman

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Simply put, there is no 40 Year-Old Virgin without Anchorman, which allowed Carell to show what he can really do. Seriously, director Adam McKay just turns him loose here, with hysterical results. All of the main characters in Anchorman are rather brilliantly conceived, and that includes Carell's Brick Tamland. The meteorologist's IQ may be a lowly 48, but he sure comes up with some unforgettable lines that Shakespeare himself would be jealous of. This is a character who claims to have eaten a candle and pooped a hammer, and, despite having an "itchy stomach," it's LOUD NOISES that bother him most. Brick is a sweet simpleton straight out of the '70s with his sideburns and oversized glasses, and as much as he loves lamp, I love this dazzling comic performance, as Carell holds nothing back. And God bless him for that.

1. The 40 Year-Old Virgin

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Image via Universal Pictures

Carell's first film as a leading man remains his very best, and it may be because he co-wrote this uproarious 2006 comedy with director Judd Apatow. He plays -- you guessed it -- a 40-year-old virgin named Andy Stitzer who lives alone, unless his unopened action figures count as roommates. When he tells his buddies during a poker game that he's never had sex, they set out to help him lose his V-card. Hilarity ensues. In addition to The Office, this is the piece of pop culture that Carell will be remembered for. The poster alone is one of the all-time greats, because the image of a smiling Carell with that dorky side part, when paired with the title, tells you everything you need to know about the movie. It tells the entire story. Clip reels of the funniest movie moments in Hollywood history will always include Carell's chest waxing scene, which is worth the price of admission alone. What makes Carell so perfect for this part is his sincerity. He comes off like a nice guy and a genuinely good person, if a bit naive when it comes to women. But over the course of two hours, Andy learns that sex is the easy part -- it's intimacy that's hard. And that's the kind of education that's better coming late than never.