Steve Carell Turned a University Commencement into a Full-Blown Dance Party—and Honestly, We’d Enrol Just for That

Graduation speeches are usually a snooze-fest of “reach for the stars” and “follow your dreams” clichés—until Steve Carell shows up and turns it into So You Think You Can Dance: Academic Edition.

Over the weekend at Northwestern University’s 2025 commencement, the Office legend ditched the usual motivational mumbo jumbo and instead told the crowd to get up… literally. In the middle of his speech, he declared it was time for a “mid-commencement address dance break.” Because, of course, he did.

Cue the Ting Tings’ “That’s Not My Name” blasting through the stadium like it was 2008 again. Carell started busting moves with none other than the Dean of the School of Communication, Professor E. Patrick Johnson, proving that deans can dance—and not just in a stiff “dad-at-a-wedding” kind of way.

Then, in true Michael Scott fashion, Carell ran off the stage and straight into the crowd of grads, high-fiving everyone in his path and boogying down the aisles like it was his own farewell episode. If commencement speeches came with playlists and cardio, we’d probably all pay more attention.

Now, in case you’re wondering—no, Steve didn’t graduate from Northwestern. But he does have some serious Chicago street cred thanks to his early days with the iconic Second City comedy troupe.

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These days, Carell’s keeping busy with Netflix’s reboot of The Four Seasons and the HBO series Mountainhead, which sounds mysterious, possibly dramatic, and hopefully involves less dancing… but who knows anymore.

In short: hats off (and dancing shoes on) to Steve Carell for reminding us that joy, movement, and awkward-but-endearing grooves are sometimes the best part of any celebration.