Steve Carell Dancing in the Middle of His Commencement Speech Is Iconic
Steve Carell should give every commencement speech from now on.
Steve Carell showed up to Northwestern University's commencement wearing his dancing shoes.
On June 15, the iconic star of The Office gave the university's graduating class of 2025 a memory they'd never forget. Carell stopped his emotional commencement speech with a well-timed dance break that had every graduate on their feet busting a move.
As the familiar notes of the 2009 Ting Tings hit "That's Not My Name" started blasting through Chicago's United Center, Carell asked everyone in attendance to get on their feet for the "mid-commencement address dance break."
And get on their feet they did, with Carell leading the way!
Watch Steve Carell's impromptu dance party moment here.
As his unforgettable run on The Office proved time and time again ("Sometimes, you just have to be the boss of dancing," his character said in Season 2), nobody dances like him. Carell was definitely channeling his inner Michael Scott as he confidently strode across the stage before descending into the crowd to get the party going even further.
Of course, while Carell's impromptu dance break was memorable, the speech he delivered carried an uplifting message.
Steve Carell delivers a powerful commencement speech to the class of 2025
From the moment he stepped onto the stage to deliver his speech, Carell — whose daughter Elisabeth is a Northwestern graduate and son John is a current student — was laser-focused on one topic: kindness. But naturally, he peppered in some trademark Carell humor every chance he got.
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"I'd like to talk about something quite simple, something that is important to me, and something that I believe we need more of in the world," Carell memorably began. "My topic this morning is kindness. So please just shut up and listen."
"Kindness is not a weakness; it is a potent strength," Carell said later in the speech. "The best way to see and understand another human being is to listen. To listen is to show respect."
Like the family man he is, he also recognized the importance of the commencement occurring on Father's Day with a well-timed quip: "Happy Father's Day," he said. "I'm sorry that this celebration of your child has ruined your special day."
