Jim Carrey is a fascinating actor to watch on screen. He is very dedicated to his craft even though he is mostly subjected to comedic roles. His performances in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Cable Guy, The Mask, The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind show his dedication and commitment to his roles whether it be an outrageous comedy or a drama. He is often regarded as one of the best among his contemporaries.
One of his most memorable films is 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, where he played the titular character based on the popular children’s book of the same name. It seems Carrey had to learn to be patient with the long makeup hours required to become the Grinch. He even went through some drastic training to make that happen.
Jim Carrey Was Trained By the CIA To Become The Grinch
Jim Carrey starred in one of his most memorable films How the Grinch Stole Christmas, where he played the titular character of the Grinch. The character required a of make-up and prosthetics and Carrey had to sit for long hours for the make-up work to be done. He had nearly gotten tired of the process but was told to learn a complex way to endure the long hours.
He talked about this aspect on The Graham Norton Show saying,
“The makeup was like, being buried alive every day. The first day was like 8 and a half hours and I went back to my trailer… and I told Ron Howard, I couldn’t do the movie. Then, Brian Grazer came in and being the fix-it man, came up with a brilliant idea which was to hire a gentleman who is trained to teach CIA operatives how to endure torture.
So that’s how I got through the Grinch. He said eat everything you see. And of you’re freaking out and you start to spiral downward, turn the television on, change your pattern, have someone you know come up and smack you in the head, punch yourself in the leg or smoke as much as you possibly can. It was horrifying and it was like It’s for the kids, It’s for the kids!”
Carrey hilariously went all method in order to endure the grueling make-up hours, in order to deliver something special for the kids. The film became a success and Carrey was praised for his performance in the film.
Clint Eastwood is Jim Carrey’s Personal Hero
Clint Eastwood is one legendary cinematic icon that Hollywood has ever had. He is admired by many in the industry and he is the significant force behind the popularity of Westerns in the 70s and 80s.
One of his biggest fans is actor Jim Carrey and he gave a hilarious and heartfelt tribute to his personal hero at an event where Eastwood was given the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. He said,
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m here tonight, as all of us are, to pay tribute to an American icon. An actor, a filmmaker and truly one of my personal heroes, Mr. Clint Eastwood. Not many people know this, but Clint was one of my first supporters in the business. At the time, I was a struggling actor, and I was cast to play the part of a crazed, drug fiend Rockstar named Johnny Squares in the Dirty Harry film The Dead Pool.
Every guy in this audience, at one time or another, has lived vicariously through Clint Eastwood and his mythological characters. He’s our equalizer. He’s the one who could settle the score for us. The man that every man would love to be. When a bully was pursuing you and pushing you around in the schoolyard, you’d think to yourself, ‘Well, there’s just no justice.’
“Then you’d see a Clint Eastwood movie, and you’d realize that that bully grows up to become the guy who gets his butt kicked by The Man With No Name. It’s our salvation. I don’t know if they meant this: it’s just really a theory of mine.
Eastwood is still working on his next film at the age of 93. He is a living legend and it is no wonder that actors like Carrey have immense respect and admiration for someone like Eastwood who has lived and breathed cinema for the larger part of his life.
