Actor Jim Carrey is one of the most high-profile names in Hollywood, and his versatile skills have seen him feature in various iconic roles over the years. One of Carrey’s most famous performances is in the 2000 comedy movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In the film, Jim Carrey plays the Grinch, a Christmas-hating, green-furred creature known for his ill temper.
Directed by Ron Howard, the film emerged as a major box-office success despite mixed reviews, partially thanks to Carrey’s loveable and powerful performance. Moreover, with the movie coming out during the peak of Jim Carrey’s popularity, it is natural for viewers to wonder about how much the star charged for playing the Grinch.
Also read: Even Jim Carrey Couldn’t Save The Grinch From Critics Hellbent On Destroying Its Credibility
Jim Carrey’s Salary For The Grinch
Jim Carrey’s exact salary for playing the Grinch hasn’t been publicly disclosed. However, Carrey reportedly charged around $20-25 million for the role. Created by Dr. Seuss, the character of the Grinch is arguably among the most iconic fictional characters associated with the holiday season. Therefore, casting an actor with impeccable comedic timing, like Jim Carrey, was sure to be a home run for a live-action adaptation of the character.
However, by 1998, when Carrey was officially cast in the role, the actor had already shocked Hollywood by commanding an acting fee of $20 million for the 1996 comedy movie The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller. Moreover, Carrey also won an Academy Award for the 1998 movie The Truman Show, which likely bolstered his popularity. Given Carrey’s string of critically and commercially successful projects in the late 1990s and his astronomical acting fees for a project during that period, it is safe to assume the actor made at least $20 million from the movie.
Also read: There are 5 Other Actors Apart from Jim Carrey Who Played The Grinch
Jim Carrey Had Trouble Becoming The Grinch
Made on a budget of $123 million, How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released in November 2000 to mixed reviews. Carrey certainly repaid the producers’ faith in his stardom, as his performance as the Grinch was appreciated, and the film earned $345.8 million at the global box office. However, Carrey’s time as the Grinch was reportedly as troublesome as the character during production.
According to the film’s makeup effects artist, Kazu Hiro, Jim Carrey was frustrated with the lengthy process of applying makeup for the role, which initially took two and a half hours. Hiro revealed Carrey’s frustration with the makeup in an interview with Vulture.
“Once we were on set, he was really mean to everybody, and at the beginning of the production, they couldn’t finish. After two weeks, we only could finish three days’ worth of shooting schedule because suddenly he would just disappear, and when he came back, everything was ripped apart.”
Despite the initial hiccups, Jim Carrey eventually became adept with the makeup’s application. By the time production wrapped, Carrey had spent almost 92 days in full makeup to play the Grinch. Hence, it is safe to say that Carrey had to work extremely hard on the project, and his hefty salary for the Grinch was no piece of cake.
