Carell can't stand complaining comedians

Steve Carell has no time for whinging comedy stars.

The American actor has been in the industry since the early '90s, only hitting the big time after starring in comedies like Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

While his roots lie in funny flicks, in recent years he's also taken on more serious roles. His latest movie, Foxcatcher, is based on a real-life murder tale and Steve's portrayal of killer John du Pont has been touted for an Oscar. While he's enjoying the recognition, Steve has no complaints about his lack of film awards.

"I find it difficult to complain, given how much success I've had. To moan about the fact comedies don't get nominated for awards seems a little trivial to me. Too bad for you, big comedy star! That's tough. Why don't you get paid a bit more money and that will make you feel better," Steve vented to British newspaper Metro.

Foxcatcher hits UK cinema screens in January and co-stars Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Sienna Miller.

Playing such a dark character lets audiences see a different side to Steve - but he's adamant he didn't say yes to the role for that reason.

"I never want to take a part in order to prove anything to anybody, because I think that's wrong and pretentious. That's not about doing good work, that's just about self-aggrandisement. I wanted to do this to work with Bennett [Miller, director], and to be a part of his world," he explained.

"It's nice that the movie is being received as it is, that people are talking about it and thinking about it in those terms. That's definitely a great thing, I'm happy for Bennett in particular, because it's something he's lived with for eight years or more."