He plays therapist Alan Strauss, who's just lost his wife to cancer and is estranged from his adult children.
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"It's a very complicated family experience that he's trying to get through," Carell tells On The Red Carpet. "And on top of that, he gets abducted by a serial killer, so that thickens the plot just a bit!"
His patient Sam, played by Domhnall Gleeson, chains Strauss to a bed and keeps him captive in his basement in the hopes that the good doctor will be able to help quell his serial killer compulsions.
"Sam is a really troubling, intriguing character who every now and again you empathize with," Domhnall says. "They made somebody who does the most horrific things, who when you hear the facts you judge him, correctly. But when you spend time with him, you begin to care about him maybe just a little bit."
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Joe Weisberg, co-creator of "The Patient" says, "you also have to think about the day-to-day things just to make them feel real because everyone's got their quirks and interests and obsessions."
One of Sam's obsessions? Food. The show creators came up with some wild concoctions for Sam to feed his hostage. So we had to ask what the best meal would be to pair with watching "The Patient." Find out in the video above.
Stream "The Patient" now on Hulu.
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