HOLLYWOOD — "The Office's" Steve Carell may have lost to Ricky Gervais at last month's Emmys, but the comic actor isn't too disappointed. He's having too much fun.

"The writing is great, the producers are fantastic, we get the best directors, and the cast, to a person, are talented and nice," he says of the acclaimed NBC comedy series. "And we're all friends."

Which is why the white-hot comedy star has no plans to give up his day job anytime soon, even though he could probably work less and get paid more by making movies exclusively.

The star of the surprise 2005 hit "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" enjoys slipping back and forth between his regular TV gig and big-screen roles, even when those projects don't pan out. ("Bewitched" anyone?)

His last starring role, in "Evan Almighty," raked in more than $100 million domestically but was critically panned and considered a box office disappointment, owing to its expensive price tag (an estimated $170 million).

"In a lot of ways the movie was criticized based on how much it cost," he said defensively. "Had it been a lower-budget movie, it would've been considered a hit."

Carell, 45, has moved on. He now stars in the romantic comedy "Dan in Real Life," in which he plays a widowed father who unexpectedly rediscovers romance. Dane Cook and Oscar winner Juliette Binoche ("The English Patient") co-star.

"If three years ago you'd said I was going to be Juliette Binoche's love interest in a movie, I don't think I would have believed you," the funnyman said modestly.

Carell plays an advice columnist raising three school-age daughters alone after the death of his wife. Dan's whole world is his girls. He doesn't take the time to consider his own emotional needs until he takes the kids to an extended family gathering in Rhode Island and meets a beautiful brunette at a bookstore. But his newfound joy quickly turns to embarrassment when he discovers that the girl he has just met is his brother's (Cook) girlfriend.

The chemistry between Dan and Marie (Binoche) is undeniable, though, setting up some awkward and amusing moments at the family get-together.

Carell said he was drawn to the project because he found the material interesting and welcomed working with seasoned filmmaker Peter Hedges, who previously helmed 2003's acclaimed dramedy "Pieces of April." Hedges co-wrote the screenplay with Pierce Gardner.

"He's just a smart, warm person with a huge heart," Carell said of the writer-director, "and I knew that was the kind of movie he'd make."

Like Dan, Carell is a father and understands the challenges of raising children.

"I struggle with it," he admitted. "I have a 6-year-old daughter, and being around girls ages 9, 15 and 17 years old just felt like my life accelerated by a few years."

Audiences will likely relate to Dan as well, he said. "Obviously, something's missing but there's no way of knowing what that specific thing is."

He also liked the irony of an advice columnist who's in desperate need of some good counseling.

"It's like a doctor trying to diagnose his own illness," he said.

Binoche, 43, said she also found the story charming and enjoyed the opportunity to work on a Hollywood comedy with a lot of heart. The Parisian said she was unfamiliar with Carell's work when she signed on for the project.

"We don't have The Office' in France and 40-Year-Old Virgin' wasn't big there," she said. But she was impressed with his performance in last year's acclaimed "Little Miss Sunshine."

Hedges had Binoche and Carell sing "Endless Love" together at their first meeting to ensure they had chemistry. While Binoche was game for the impromptu duet, Carell was a bit nervous, recalled Hedges. It didn't take long, though, for the actor to grow relaxed around the acclaimed actress.

"She's just so charming and kind of self-deprecating," he said of his co-star. "She has this huge laugh, and I felt at ease within moments of meeting her. She sort of has that effect on people."

A native of Concord, Mass., Carell said it was fun to shoot in nearby Rhode Island last fall. His parents visited the set a few times and he would sometimes make the 75-minute trip to their home as well.

"It made me think about my childhood," he said of working in New England. "It was nice to be back."

As for playing an advice columnist, Carell said it was kind of a guilty pleasure, though he usually doesn't agree with the advice dispensed in those columns.

Carell said the joy he gets from making movies is in playing different characters. While Andy from "40-Year-Old Virgin" was wide-eyed and cheery, Dan is "a bit downtrodden" and trying to get through each day, he observed.

"At the beginning of the movie, there's not a lot of light in his eyes," he continued.

Sounding almost like an advice columnist himself, Carell explained the importance of making time for oneself.

"I have two little kids and I love them more than anything and put them ahead of any of my own personal needs, but I think there's a danger of losing a part of yourself in not taking care of your own needs, which I think can affect them, because you want to give your kids the best possible version of yourself," he said. "If you don't feel complete and full yourself, then you can't do it for them."