Steve Carell reflects on being a dad while starring in HBO’s ‘Rooster’

Steve Carell has opened up about the constant worry that comes with being a parent — a feeling that hasn’t faded even as his children have grown into adults.

The 63-year-old actor, who shares son Johnny, 21, and daughter Annie, 24, with his wife Nancy Walls, told Extra, “Based on my life experience with my own daughter… as soon as they’re born, you start worrying about them. And I don’t think that ever stops… Your heart is always breaking for them, and full, and you know, watching the world through their eyes, even when they’re adults.”

Carell is currently starring in the new HBO comedy Rooster, in which he plays fictional author Greg Russo.

The series, created by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Shrinking), explores Russo’s complicated relationship with his adult daughter Katie, played by Charly Clive, as she navigates a personal crisis.

In the show, Katie’s husband, Archie (Phil Dunster), is having an affair with a graduate student portrayed by Lauren Tsai, prompting Katie to take drastic action.

Russo agrees to step in as a guest lecturer — with the stipulation that Katie keeps her job — leading to both comedic and heartfelt moments.

Carell praised Lawrence’s approach to storytelling, saying, “He has a special knack for combining things that are really funny with things that are true and honest and emotional.”

He also lauded the freedom given to the cast, noting that Lawrence encourages actors to take ownership of their characters.

“Within a couple of weeks, I want you all to have an exponentially greater percentage of ownership of your character,” Carell recalled Lawrence telling the cast.

“He invited people in to make the characters their own, to make them feel lived in and really breathe life into them… each week the show changes and it gets a little more complex and a little more nuanced, and the relationships become deeper and richer and funnier.”