As the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards draw near, we look back at the careers of the lead acting nominees.

Carell got his big break on Carvey's short-lived sketch comedy show — it lasted seven episodes — where he and Stephen Colbert, a fellow Second City alum, created the Ambiguously Gay Duo sketch that carried over to Saturday Night Live.

Carell was a correspondent on The Daily Show for six years, appearing in such segments as "Slimming Down with Steve," "Produce Pete" and "Even Stevphen" with Stephen Colbert. He left the show in 2005 to join The Office.

Carell gained widespread attention for his portrayal of dimwitted meteorologist Brick Tamland in this Will Ferrell comedy. It was the second-straight news personality he played in film, following his turn as newsman Evan Baxter in Bruce Almighty.

In addition to five Emmy nominations, Carell has won a Golden Globe and a Television Critics Association award for his work on The Office. He has announced he will leave the sitcom after the upcoming seventh season. Who can replace Michael Scott? One thing's for sure: It'll be hard. That's what she said.

Proving himself to be leading man material, Carell scored a sleeper hit with this Judd Apatow comedy, which he co-wrote and produced. The success of the film resulted in a ratings bump for The Office.

Carell played Frank, Sheryl's suicidal gay brother, in this critically acclaimed indie hit. The cast won the SAG award for best ensemble.

Carell reprised his role as Evan Baxter, now a Congressman, in this sequel to Bruce Almighty that was loosely based on Noah's Ark.

Carell got clumsy as Maxwell Smart/Agent 86 in this adaptation of the spy parody series. A sequel is slated for 2011.

Funniest couple ever? Carell and Tina Fey starred in this screwball flick about a bored married couple whose date night goes horribly wrong — or does it?

Carell teamed up with Paul Rudd for the third time (following Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin) in this remake of the 1998 French farce, The Dinner Game, about a rising executive who must bring the biggest idiot to his boss' dinner party.