Of the countless characters blooming the festive season for everyone, only a few have become as iconic as the Grinch for a Christmas movie role. The character, known for his dislikeness of the festivities, has been brought to life by several actors over the years in a number of adaptations from movies to TV shows. Throughout these adaptations, several actors have portrayed the character, including Jim Carrey and the Marvel star Benedict Cumberbatch.
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Jim Carrey in the First Grinch Live-Action Christmas Movie Adaptation
In 2000, filmmaker Ron Howard brought Dr. Seuss’ timeless tale to life as a live-action adaptation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Sporting a vivid green look, the renowned actor Jim Carrey embraced the role with his trademark energy and comedic prowess in the Christmas movie.
The movie received praise for Carrey’s transformation into the furry green creature and his work. However, despite his spirited performance, the film received mixed reviews from critics, with many calling it a “cute and funny” Christmas movie and others deeming it “just plain dull story.”
It was still able to gross an impressive box office collection of $345 million and also became the sixth highest-grossing film of 2022 and the second-highest-grossing holiday film at the time, following Chris Columbus’ Home Alone.
The Jim Carrey starrer even won an Oscar for Best Makeup and has since gained a cult following. However, many found the award-winning transformation a bit uneasy, claiming that it seemed more likely to provoke nightmares than evoke the warm fuzzies associated with the holiday season.
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Benedict Cumberbatch Brought a Mischief-Making Upgrade
Popularly known for starring as Dr. Strange in the popular franchise MCU, Benedict Cumberbatch lent his distinct voice to a new animated version of the classic Christmas movie character in the 2018 comedy fantasy film The Grinch.
The movie takes a different route than the traditional narrative, following a younger Grinch as he gets annoyed with the festive cheer and decides to ruin the festive spirit in Whoville with his dog. Many critics did not seem too impressed with the shift the movie took from its source material.
However, The Grinch still went on to be a huge box office hit, making $526.7 million worldwide. The 2018 movie not only took over Chris Columbus’ Home Alone as the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time but also became the highest-grossing Dr. Seuss film adaptation.
Both the actors brought their unique charm to the character. Where Carrey brought out the character’s stormy side with his eccentricity and physical comedy, Cumberbatch focused on the more subtle and mischievous side of the Grinch, showcasing the versatility of this eternally delightful character.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is available to rent to buy on Prime Video.
The Grinch is available on PeacockTV.
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