Steve Carrell has discovered for himself just how shallow people can be.

The 52-year-old was asked to wear a prosthetic nose in his latest blockbuster Foxcatcher.

According to the star, the piece transformed his face so much that he looked almost unrecognisable, prompting people on set to treat him differently.

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Shocking: Steve Carrell has said that people treated him differently on the set of Foxcatcher when he wore his prosthetic nose 

'Once all of that make up was on, people reacted and responded to me differently on set,' Steve told the BBC. 'It influenced the performance more than I anticipated.

'People naturally wanted to be separate from me and I was off-putting, so organically I stayed in character. I didn't have any choice because nobody wanted to talk to me.'

Based on a haunting true story, Foxcatcher tells the tale of wrestler Mark Schultz (played by Channing Tatum), who has spent much of his life living in the shadows of his older brother Dave (played by Mark Ruffalo).

Is that you? The piece transformed the actor's face so much that he looked almost unrecognisable

Seriously? According to Steve, nobody wanted to talk to him after his dramatic makeover

However, one day he crosses paths with Steve’s eccentric character multimillionaire heir John du Pont. Desperate to gain his mother's approval and somehow win over his peers, isolated John sees dollar signs when he lays his eyes on Mark.

The creepy loner convinces himself that if he can make Mark a sports star by pushing him to reach his full potential at the 1988 Seoul Olympics – which, he also believes is key to impressing those around him.

When he pitches the idea - without revealing the his hidden agenda - and mentions that the young athlete will be allowed to train at his new state-of-the-art training facility, Mark can't believe his luck. The two gradually begin spending more and more time together and Mark grows to see John as a father figure.

But an unimaginable tragedy is waiting for them on the horizon when John becomes obsessed with Marks' brother Dave.

Time for a change: Steve is famous for his comedy performances but the actor plays a dark and serious character in Foxcatchers

That's better: The actor looked his usual suave self at the film's gala screening at the BFI London Film Festival

Steve is traditionally more famous for his comedy roles in films like Anchorman as well as his TV projects such as The US Office. But the star has said that he is not fazed by the idea of playing a more serious character.

'I just think of myself as an actor, not necessarily a comedic actor,' he added. 'Those are the parts I have been hired to do more often than not.'

Since the movie premiered in Cannes, Steve was instantly tipped to win an Oscar for his impressive performance.

Foxcatcher is set to hit cinemas in the UK on January 9.

Talented: Steve is being tipped to win an Oscar for his performance as eccentric multimillionaire John du Pont

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