Jim Carrey has revealed how close he came to leaving one of the most important roles of his career, nearly giving back a $20 million salary while filming. How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
As the holiday classic celebrates its 25th anniversary, the actor opened up on a new oral history with Vulture about the extreme physical and mental toll this role took on him behind the scenes.
While the 2000 Ron Howard-directed film became a huge hit, earning $346 million worldwide and topping the domestic box office that year, Carrey says the experience of becoming the Grinch was almost unbearable.
The transformation involved hours of heavy makeup, prosthetics and a full body suit that left her struggling to get through the day.
Legendary makeup artist Rick Baker explained that the studio initially wanted a much simpler approach.
“The studio said, ‘We’re paying Jim $20 million and we want to see him. Just paint him green,'” Baker recalls. But he pushed back, insisting that the character should resemble the Grinch, not “green Jim Carrey.”
After public backlash, the studio agreed to the more elaborate design.
This decision had a cost.
Carrey explained how the prosthetics affected his breathing and movement, saying, “Ultimately, I ended up breathing through my mouth for the whole movie.”
He described the combination as being unbearably irritating, with his vision severely limited and even simple actions like scratching impossible.
Producer Brian Grazer explained that Carrey refused digital shortcuts, insisting on fully committing to the character, even if it caused him intense pain.
“This is something I asked for and I can’t blame anyone but myself,” Carrey admitted.
Director Ron Howard revealed that after spending eight hours in the makeup chair on his first day, Carrey reached his breaking point.
“He was willing to give back his $20 million! I mean, he was sincere,” Howard said. The actor even started having panic attacks on set.
To keep the production on track, the filmmakers brought in a specialist trained to help people cope with extreme stress.
These tips, along with the music of the Bee Gees, ultimately helped Carrey get through it, and the makeup process was cut down to about three hours.
Looking back, Carrey said he would only consider playing the Grinch again using motion capture technology.
For now, his story serves as a stark reminder that even the most iconic performances can come at a personal cost far greater than audiences have ever seen.
