40 Year Old Virgin came out the same year as the first season of The Office, I'd imagine that helped give it an early boost too (edit: and vice versa).
I believe this is why The Office got a second season. The network and audiences weren't convinced by the first season, but Carell became a star overnight, so the network was willing to keep the show going. Then the writing team found their grove, delivered a second season vastly superior to the first, and the rest is history.
Bruce Almighty in 2003 was his first big theatrical break iirc.
All very true. And he is gold in all of those, although he was still relatively unknown at the time.