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Steve Carell reveals he 'almost lost' a body part while filming his iconic movie scene: "The woman who did..."

Steve Carell’s behind-the-scenes story from 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' is one for the books

Whether it’s pulling off risky stunts or enduring injuries, actors often push themselves to the limit of their craft and their dedication can sometimes come at a painful price. But Steve Carell’s behind-the-scenes story from 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' is one for the books. While the chest-waxing scene is a fan favorite, what most don’t know is how excruciating it was for Carell. The pain was so intense, it nearly cost him a body part. In the scene, Andy Stitzer (Carell) is convinced by his friends to wax his chest in an attempt to impress women. True to his method-acting style, Carell went for a real wax instead of using fake props—and it was a big mistake.

During the shoot, Miki Mia, who played the waxing technician, was tasked with pulling off the wax strips. However, as Carell later revealed, her expertise wasn’t quite what it seemed. “The woman who did [the waxing], [she] had on her resume that she was a professional waxing artist, and she’d never done it before!” he shared in an interview with Heart radio. If that wasn’t bad enough, a key safety step was missed. Typically, when waxing sensitive areas like the chest, a protective layer, usually Vaseline, is applied over the nipples to prevent any injury. Unfortunately, Mia skipped this crucial step and got straight to the wax ripping. Now we know why Carell looked like he was in severe pain, it's because he really was!

Carell described the result in painful detail, “I almost lost a nipple. That waxing scene on 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin', one take. For real, you can see blood! The pores were ripped open, and you can really, really judge it by the way the other people in the scene are reacting.” And he wasn’t exaggerating. The look of shock and horror on the faces of his co-stars, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, and Romany Malco were 100% genuine. As Carell screamed through the scene, his fellow actors’ concern was all too real. “They are freaking out that it’s actually happening in front of them,” Carell added, laughing at the memory. Despite the chaos, the entire scene was shot in one take, capturing both Carell’s genuine agony and his co-stars’ stunned reactions, as reported by Unilad.

The authenticity of the moment is part of what makes it so iconic and hilarious. Carell’s pain, both physical and emotional, turned into comedy gold. Watching Andy yell out phrases like “Kelly Clarkson!” as the wax strips were ripped off is hilarious, but knowing it was real makes it even more unforgettable. So, the next time you rewatch 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin', spare a thought for Steve Carell. He didn’t just act out Andy’s pain; he lived it. His commitment gave us a scene that’s as painfully funny as it is unforgettable.