It’s been over 14 years since Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was released. In that time, one of the most memorable quotes from the film has become a phenomenon of its own: Steve Carell’s character, shy and awkward weatherman Brick Tamland, saying, “I love carpet. I love desk. I love lamp.”
Now, Carell has revealed that the now-iconic line — a staple in the comedic repertoires of seventh-grade class clowns and fully-grown heterosexual men on first dates alike — was completely improvised.
In a talk at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, the Beautiful Boy star said the line originated because director Adam McKay wanted Carell to have more to say in the scene, but he hadn’t written more material for his character.
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So Carell did what any good Second City alum would do — improv, baby.
“He literally said, ‘Just say something,’ and hence came, ‘I ate a big red candle’ and ‘I love lamp,’” Carell said. “The ‘I love lamp’ thing was just me at the end of a scene staring at a lamp and I said, ‘I love lamp’ and Will [Ferrell] picked up on it and said, ‘You’re just saying things you’re looking at.’”
The best part of the experience? That it came with a paycheck.
“And we got paid to do it,” Carell said. “There was a budget and there were cameras, it was insane.”
Sounds like a great choice to us — unlike, say, milk on a particularly hot day.