Jim Carrey Nearly Quit ‘The Grinch,’ Offered to Return $20 Million Over This Grueling Experience

Jim Carrey recently opened up to Vulture about the grueling experience of playing the Grinch in Ron Howard’s 2000 film “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” marking the movie’s 25th anniversary.

The film was a massive hit, making $346 million worldwide and becoming the top-grossing movie in the U.S. in 2000. But behind the scenes, Carrey endured extreme challenges to transform into the iconic character.

Carrey revealed that the studio initially wanted a simple approach. Rick Baker, the Oscar-winning makeup artist, told Vulture that Universal first suggested, “We’re paying Jim $20 million, and we want to see him. Just paint him green.” Baker pushed for a full Grinch transformation, arguing, “It’s not ‘How the Green Jim Carrey Stole Christmas.’ It’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ He should look like a fantasy character.” Fan reactions from the website Ain’t It Cool News helped convince the studio to approve the full design.

The transformation was punishing. Carrey explained that the Grinch’s prosthetic covered his nose, forcing him to breathe through his mouth. The costume was made of itchy yak hair, his fingers were lengthened, and he wore full contact lenses. He said, “I couldn’t scratch myself or touch my face or do anything.” Carrey even refused to use digital effects for the green eyes, enduring intense pain instead.

Director Ron Howard described how Carrey suffered panic attacks early in filming. “I would see him lying down on the floor in between setups with a brown paper bag. Literally on the floor. He was miserable,” Howard said. Carrey almost quit the film after spending eight hours in makeup on the first day, reportedly ready to return his $20 million paycheck.

To help him cope, the production brought in Richard Marcinko, a former military trainer, to teach Carrey endurance techniques. Carrey shared, “He gave me a litany of things that I could do when I began to spiral… Eat everything in sight. Changing patterns in the room… Smoke cigarettes as much as possible.” He also listened to the Bee Gees during the makeup process, calling their music “so joyful.”

Carrey admitted the experience was painful but felt committed to the role. “You’ve got to be careful what you ask for… that actor has to live in that feeling. They don’t just go home and suddenly stop feeling it,” he said. Special effects artist Kazuhiro Tsuji noted that Carrey’s perfectionism made every makeup session intense. “He just suddenly stands up and looks in the mirror, and pointing on his chin, he goes, ‘This color is different from what you did yesterday,’” Tsuji told Vulture.

Looking ahead, Carrey has expressed interest in reprising the Grinch role using motion capture instead of traditional makeup. “On the day, I do that with a ton of makeup and can hardly breathe… Now, with motion capture… I could be free to do other things,” he said.

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