Entertainment Movies Historical Movies Steve Carell Says Buttery New Orleans Fare Helped Him Gain About 25 Lbs. for His Role in 'The Big Short' The star says shooting the film in New Orleans helped him pack on the pounds By Julie Mazziotta Julie Mazziotta Julie Mazziotta is the Senior Sports Editor at PEOPLE, covering everything from the NFL to tennis to Simone Biles and Tom Brady. She was previously an Associate Editor for the Health vertical for six years, and prior to joining PEOPLE worked at Health Magazine. When not covering professional athletes, Julie spends her time as a (very) amateur athlete, training for marathons, long bike trips and hikes. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 8, 2020 10:58AM EST Photo: George Pimentel/Getty Between the beignets, gumbo and po’boys, Steve Carell said he had no trouble gaining around 25 lbs. for his role in The Big Short while they filmed in New Orleans. “It was all New Orleans,” Carell, 53, told PEOPLE at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Gala on Saturday. “Whether you are being a method actor or not, New Orleans is going to add 20 lbs.” Carell, who plays a Wall Street executive that gets ahead of the 2008 real estate crash, says he and director Adam McKay decided that he should add weight for the role. “When I first talked to Adam about the part, he asked if I would put on 20, 25 lbs., and I gladly said that I would,” Carell says, laughing. “I said, ‘I’m way ahead of you!’ ” Carell jokes that the Crescent City’s fat-laden cuisine made the weight gain easy. “Everything in New Orleans has butter as a component,” he says. “The food there is just so good.” RELATED VIDEO: What Do You Think Is the Quickest Way to Make a Lot of Money? Beyond the meals, the actor says he enjoyed filming in NOLA with the rest of the cast. “It was fun. I’d never been to New Orleans before, and it was a lovely place to shoot,” he says. “But again, the food is just amazing.” Carell also donned a blond wig for the role, but previously said his look was nowhere near as bad as costar Ryan Gosling’s. “When Ryan Gosling came out of hair and makeup for the first time, I told him, ‘never look like that again,'” Carell told PEOPLE at the movie’s New York City premiere. Gosling went for a very 80s banker look, with a deep tan and brown hair. “It was perfect for the movie, really bad for him as a human being,” Carell said. “It’s a creep show.” The Big Short is now in theaters nationwide. • Reporting by REAGAN ALEXANDER Close