Steve Carell knew Taylor Swift was 'special' from their first meeting: 'Very sweet, very nice'

Steve Carell’s Swiftie status goes way back. 

The Office alum, who currently stars in Uncle Vanya on Broadway, revealed on Monday’s episode of The Tonight Show that he met Taylor Swift during an appearance on MTV’s music program Total Request Live when they were both starting out.

“Remember TRL? Way, way back. So early on in my career and in hers too — I was obviously much older — but we were both on TRL at the same time,” Carell explained. “I met her sort of in passing and I thought, ‘Boy is she, she seems special.’ Like, even back then. Very sweet, very nice. Just had a really nice first impression.”

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

While he loosely followed Swift’s ascent to superstardom in the years after they met, Carell said that he didn’t become a full-fledged fan of the “Fortnight” singer until he happened upon a video of her performing for a recovering child at a hospital.

“There was no big crew. It was like a really low-keyed, handheld thing that she sort of just did on the sly. And I thought, ‘That’s so cool,’” he recalled. “And not publicized. Just leading with her heart and I thought, ‘Okay, I’m a fan.’ I am going to root for that person.’” 

Carell then shot down host Jimmy Fallon’s assertion that he was a “really nice human as well,” replying, “No, not Taylor Swift level.”

When Fallon maintained that Carell was “up there” in terms of kindness, the comedian dodged the compliment yet again with a perfect punchline. “It’s an act, come on! Hollywood stuff,” he teased. “It’s what gets you ahead.”

He later joked, “Just wait until the cameras go off.”

Watch Carell recall meeting Swift in the clip above.