Steve Carell says Gru’s relationship with new family member in Despicable Me 4 is a ‘fun ride to watch’

Virgin Radio

10 Jul 2024, 06:58

Steve Carell is back as loveable supervillain Gru in Despicable Me 4, and he’s got a new character joining him this time round.

With the fourth film in the massively popular franchise hitting cinemas this Friday (12th July), the comedy icon has given Virgin Radio an idea of what we can expect.

Revealing that the protagonist and his family are in Witness Protection, he said: “Gru's life is in danger. His family's lives are in jeopardy. So he moves to this small suburban town, and they all take different names and different identities and try to fit in. So that's where this one picks up.”

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Speaking to Tilly and Felix from the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar, The Office star said of his Despicable Me character: “I think he's a guy who is inherently good, but he's always denying the fact. Like he's trying to fight against the fact that he's a good person. And he wants so desperately to be bad, but he's just naturally good.”

Gru’s wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes are back, and there is a brand new family member this time round, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Steve explained: “Gru Jr. is really good. A fun addition, I think, to the franchise in general. Gru and his son haven't bonded quite yet at the beginning of the movie. And he's adorable, loves his mum, but doesn't love his dad so much. So that's a fun ride to watch.”

The actor added: “He has the same demeanour. He has kind of the same gruff nature.”

When asked about how Gru struggles with his work-life balance, with a new baby in tow, Steve said: “I love how we're talking about this! His work-life balance and the character arcs! Yeah, I think it's true.”

Gru might take his baby to ‘work’ with him, but did Steve and his wife, comedian Nancy Carell, do the same when his own kids were small? “Actually, no,” he said. “We kind of kept our kids completely separate, as they were growing up. So, they had a vague idea of what my wife and I did, but not firsthand. It's not like we ever brought them to set or exposed them to any of that stuff. We kind of wanted to leave that apart.”

Regarding whether they are fans of Despicable Me, he said: “They love it. They were little when this series came out 14 years ago. So, they were young. They're 20 and 23 now. So yeah, they grew up with it. And sort of unironically still love it.”

In the latest film in the series, Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, played by Will Ferrell and Sofia Vergara respectively. Steve said: “It's ostensibly a kids movie. It's a family movie. I mean, I think a lot of the jokes are kind of tailored to adults as well. But it seems to have resonated with teenagers. 

“The last one that came out, there was this viral thing that happened in the States where teenage boys would dress up in suits and go, they called them Gentleminions. And they go to the movie as big groups. And again, unironically, really out of nostalgia. So I thought that was fun.”

Despicable Me 4 is out this Friday, 12th July.

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.