Jim Carrey, the generational talent who established himself as the definitive star and comedic royalty of the 90s and early 2000s with films ranging from The Mask to Bruce Almighty, often had his fair share of bad days. And although not as troubled as his contemporary, Robin Williams, Carrey was often subjected to comparisons drawn between him and the late legend for their unparalleled brilliance as comedians.
Despite the uncalled-for commentary on his life’s work and it being held constantly in comparison to Williams’, this was surprisingly not the issue that upset The Truman Show actor. Instead, the one thing that did manage to make him veritably uncomfortable happened to be while filming a role that required him to act in a certain way he was definitely not used to.
Jim Carrey Recalls Being Uncomfortable on The Majestic Set
Frank Darabont, one of the most gifted directors of the 90s not only raked in some coveted Academy Awards for his cinematic works but created such immensely ambitious and brilliant projects that they will forever be treasured as timeless classics. The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile immediately come to mind, however among Darabont’s other works, a relatively less famous film, The Majestic served to teach Jim Carrey some timeless lessons of its own.
The 2001 romantic drama was surely an emotional journey for the audience but even more so for the leading star, Jim Carrey for the work it entailed. The actor recalled in an interview with Film Threat:
“Generally the other things I’ve done have been ‘doing’ a lot of stuff to get attention and to affect something happening. This one was so important for me to trust that there was enough there. It was very confronting and I was very uncomfortable with it a lot of the time.
There were times when my instincts went in the wrong directions for the piece and Frank would steer me back […] There are times when you could do all the manipulation you want in your head but really all the audience needs is a blank slate to throw out whatever they believe in there.”
The volatile atmosphere overrun by unruly emotions and an uncontrolled setting was one of the scariest and most uncomfortable setting Jim Carrey felt he has ever been in. He later claimed he didn’t always enjoy being in a state where he was “least controlled”.
Jim Carrey’s Unsuccessful Transition To Dramatic Genre
Not all actors are suited for all genres of cinematic work and it shows. Among the actors rising out of the 80s and the 90s, the comedic genius Robin Williams happened to be a rarity whose transition into drama from comedy was met with critical and Oscar-winning success. Tom Hanks, however, takes the cake because of his drastic turn from banger comedies (Big, Bachelor Party) in the 80s to Oscar-winning heart-wrenching drama (Philadelphia, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump) in the 90s.
On the other hand, for Jim Carrey, following in the footsteps of such assured actors proved to be easier said than done. For one, his experience in 2001 with Frank Darabont was already evidence of that. Despite claiming the director had been influential in his growth as an actor, not being allowed to go full-blown, all-out on his role wasn’t something he could come to terms with quite easily.
“I had Frank coming in saying: ‘No, it is enough. It is real’. I come from a world where you know basically you’re not doing anything unless you’re risking your life on the set, and this was more about how does this person make you feel? Don’t tell us how it makes you feel, just feel it and trust that it’s going to be picked up somehow.”
Despite the failings that he encountered while filming The Majestic (which later panned critically and earned only half of its $72 million budget), Jim Carrey went on to star in the Charlie Kaufman-written sci-fi romantic drama, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind alongside Kate Winslet in 2004. The film was an instant classic, garnering unilateral praise and unparalleled success with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.3 IMDb score.
Source: Film Threat
