Video captures Steve Carell's dance party during Northwestern commencement speech
Halfway through his speech, Carell, who was presented with an honorary degree during the June 15 ceremony, broke into a dance.
"It is time now to follow me in the mid commencement address dance break," Carell said during the speech as the music is amped up. The actor started by grooving to "That's Not My Name" by The Ting Tings before joining School of Communications E. Patrick Johnson in a shimmy on stage. He then ran off the stage and into the crowd of graduates as everyone danced along, tapping their feet and waving their arms.
"That was as invigorating as it was disturbing," Carell joked after the minute-long break as he caught his breath. "Wow, am I out of shape."
Northwestern University celebrated its 167th annual commencement June 15 at the United Center in Chicago, where family, friends and supporters gathered to celebrate graduates, more than 2,500 of whom were in attendance.
During his commencement address, sprinkled with his signature humor, Carell reminded graduates to be kind and take care of each other and channel their insecurities and fear into something constructive, saying, "Turn your jealousy into admiration and use it to fuel your ambition in a positive way."
"Remember the little things, like being kind and that you're not alone," Carell said. "Kindness isn't a weakness—it is a very potent strength. Take care of one another. Remember to laugh when you have the opportunity and to cry, when necessary."
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"As evidenced before, just dance sometimes," Carell added.
"And keep in mind that as badly as you feel about the state of the world, your parents probably feel worse. Use that, take advantage of that," he continued. "Now is the perfect time to exploit your parents' guilt and to emotionally blackmail them. They might even let you live in the basement for an extra six months."
Carell's daughter, Annie, graduated from the School of Communication in 2023. His son, Johnny, is a member of the class of 2026 at the same school, according to Northwestern.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Carell, graduates dance during Northwestern commencement
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