Steve Carell has surprised teenagers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires with free prom tickets

In a video shown to the students and shared on the organisation's Instagram page, the 'Despicable Me' star said: "Attention! Attention all seniors.

"This is Steve Carell with a very special announcement.

"I work with a wonderful charity based out of Virginia called Alice's Kids, and Alice's Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of our prom tickets.

"And if you have already paid for your prom tickets, they will reimburse you for your prom tickets.

"It's a pretty good deal.

"Have fun, enjoy the prom.

"And remember, this is Steve Carell. Take it easy, guys."

Ron Fitzsimmons, ex ecutive director of Alice's Kids said that it was the charity's aim to give them a special night after what has been a "devastating year" - which has seen thousands of homes destroyed and school campuses also affected by the blazes.

He told ABC News: "Going to prom should be a celebration, and we wanted to help make the big night just a little easier for seniors whose lives have been turned upside down by the wildfires.

"Hopefully, this allows the students to unwind and have some fun after a devastating year."

Ron explained Steve was asked to make the announcement to the teenagers because of his fan base.

He told People magazine: "For some reason, someone mentioned that the kids 'love' Steve Carell.

"It seems they got 'hooked' on The Office during COVID and they also know him from Despicable Me. Now, Steve and [his wife] Nancy have been big supporters of ours for years so I came up with the idea of having Steve announce the free tickets in senior assemblies. I asked if he would do a video and he sent it to me within hours!

"The prom is a rite of passage and so many kids would not have been able to pay the approximately $150 fee. We were thrilled to lift them up and let them have a party."