Jim Carrey stepped out of his comfort zone to play the role of Joel Barish in the 2004 sci-fi romantic drama, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. However, Carrey’s journey into this role was far from easy, as one incident exposed the nasty side of showbiz to him. The Mask actor disclosed that his director, Michel Gondry, once asked him not to recover from his mental health issues, so that he could portray the broken character perfectly.
The film explores the heartbroken Joel undergoing a procedure to erase the memories of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Clementine, played by Kate Winslet. Gondry along with writers Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bisuth won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film.
Jim Carrey Revealed Director’s Nasty Comment About His Mental Health Issues
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was Michel Gondry’s second film and he initially intended to cast Nicolas Cage in the role. However, scheduling conflicts prevented Cage from committing to the film and Jim Carrey secured the role. Being cast against type, Carrey was not allowed to improvise his portions, a restriction that no other actors in the film had.
A year before shooting began, the Batman Forever actor had a breakup with an unspecified woman. Carrey’s emotional state was highly publicized and when he met with Gondry, the director asked him to stay in that emotional state for an additional year to suit the character. Carrey revealed this incident in the 2017 Netflix documentary, Jim & Andy. The Liar Liar actor recalled The Green Hornet director’s “f**ked up” comment:
“You’re so beautiful. You’re so broken. Please don’t get well.”
Rather than taking offense, Carrey admitted that these comments might have helped him to deliver his most authentic performance. Looking back at the incident, Carrey added, “That’s how f**ked up this business is.” However, there was no bad blood between Gondry and Carrey, both expressing interest in future collaborations.
Gondry even revealed that, among all the actors he had worked with, the Ace Ventura actor was the easiest to connect with. The Mood Indigo director later went on to work with Carrey on the Showtime series, Kidding, in 2018.
Michel Gondry Also Commented About Using Jim Carrey’s Sad, Lonely Look For Kidding
In an interview with The Guardian, Michel Gondry mentioned that when he met Jim Carrey for Kidding, the actor appeared more emotionally worn due to aging. Gondry commented that the Kick-Ass 2 actor had lost his rubber face that helped him imitate people. There were glimpses of sadness and loneliness in Carrey’s face, which Gondry aimed to bring out for the series. The Microbe & Gasoline director told The Guardian:
“Jim and I have both aged. He is a bit more damaged. When he started, he had a rubber face. He could imitate people, contract his muscles, just amazing. But as you get older, the skin gets a little more dry, so when he moves you see what’s underneath. He doesn’t really like to see himself like that, but I see little glimpses of sadness, loneliness, and I bring them out.”
Kidding was undoubtedly another exceptional work from the Dumb and Dumber actor. However, it also points to the darker side of creating such projects at the potential expense of the actor’s mental health. Fans can now enjoy Jim Carrey’s emotionally gripping performance in Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Minds by streaming the film on Peacock Premium.
