Tina Fey and Steve Carell spent years gracing our televisions, both playing questionable sitcom bosses. And despite my longstanding love for both Michael Scott and Liz Lemon, it seems like their shared bravado didn’t quite translate off-screen.
Any fans of 30 Rock and The Office will know that if there’s one thing Liz and Michael have in common, it’s an often astounding amount of confidence. But despite their characters, Tina recently revealed that she and Michael are both very different IRL.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on April 16, Tina spoke about how she has a pretty reserved nature, and what made her try and work to overcome it. “Parenthood makes you push through,” she revealed. “You have to demonstrate for your kids how not to be shy, so I’m better than I used to be.” Tina has two daughters: Alice Zenobia and Penelope Athena.
And to illustrate just how hesitant she can be, Tina explained that she and Steve, who star together in her new Netflix series, The Four Seasons, took years to actually become friends. In fact, they’ve only just become close — despite acting opposite each other in the 2010 rom-com, Date Night.
“Steve Carell and I made a whole movie together without ever breaking through to the other side because we’re both very shy,” Tina explained. “Without anyone to make us talk, he and I would both sit in polite silence. After working with this big group, I feel like Steve and I are actually all-the-way-friends now.”
And I don’t know about you, but as someone pretty extroverted who loves nothing more than adopting introverts and coercing them into friendship, that’s just the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Anyway, despite their initial hesitation, it sounds like Steve and Tina are getting along just great. Steve even said that he agreed to hop on the project pretty much no questions asked.
“I was in instantly. You can’t say no to Tina Fey,” Steve said. “‘What is it? I don’t even care, sounds great.’ ‘I haven’t even explained it to you, Steve.’ It doesn’t matter,” he said, recalling their initial conversation.
And when asked about Tina’s comment about it taking 15 years for the two to become close, Steve confirmed it all. “We’ve always liked each other,” he explained to Entertainment Tonight at the April 25 premiere of The Four Seasons. “I’m a huge fan, have been for a long time.” Later that night, he told The Hollywood Reporter that they both were, in fact, “super shy.” “So the two of us, I think we’re very similar in that we don’t want to bug the other — it’s like, ‘I shouldn’t text her, should I call her? No, she’s got kids and they’re busy,’” he said.
“But she was thinking the same thing, and we’re very protective of each other that way,” he added. “I know she’s got a lot going on. So yeah, on this one we became buds. It was really fun, she’s the best.”
Gah, I’m so happy they’re friends. Now lemme join the group chat. The Four Seasons premieres May 1 on Netflix, but in the meantime you can share your thoughts in the comments.
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