There’s one part of the original filming process he doesn’t want to do again
Jim Carrey has said he would be up for reprising his iconic role as the Grinch, but only on one condition.
One of the most famous roles of his stellar career, Carrey took on the role of the famous green Christmas-hater in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the 2000 adaptation of the Dr Seuss tale.
The movie, directed by Ron Howard, has gone on to become one of the most loved Christmas films of all time, and no doubt many of you will have already watched it this December.
With Carrey as the Grinch, the film also starred Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor, and Taylor Momsen as one of the Who families of Whoville.
If you’re a fan of Mount Crumpit’s most famous resident, then there’s good news for you – Carrey sounds keen for returning as the Grinch for a sequel.
In a recent interview with Comic Book, the actor – who had announced his retirement in 2022 but later reversed the decision – was asked if there was a role he would like to return to.
Carrey replied that he was interested in “figuring out” The Grinch, but there would have to be one thing different this time if he played the role.
He said: “Oh, gosh, you know, if we could figure out the Grinch…
“The thing about it is, on the day, I do that with a ton of makeup and can hardly breathe. It was an extremely excruciating process.
“The children were in my mind all the time. ‘It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids.’ And now, with motion capture and things like that, I could be free to do other things.
“Anything is possible in this world.”
Carrey famously underwent hours of makeup to be given the iconic Grinch-look. He has previously spoken about how the makeup and prosthetics process almost caused him to quit the film, and things got so bad that he even underwent training from a CIA operative who had experience in how to withstand torture.
During an appearance on the Graham Norton Show, the Canadian comic revealed the makeup process felt “like being buried alive every day.”
One the first day of filming, it took eight and a half hours for the makeup and prosthetics to be applied. Carrey recalled how he immediately went back to his trailer and put his leg “through the wall” because he was so frustrated, and told Ron Howard he “couldn’t do the movie.”
One of the film’s producers, Brian Grazer, then decided to call in a CIA operative who had experience in training agents in how to withstand torture.
Carrey was taught “distraction techniques” to get through the make-up process.
The actor recalled: “If you’re freaking out and spiralling downward, turn the television on, change a pattern, or have someone you know come up and smack you in the head, punch yourself in the leg, or smoke – smoke as much as you possibly can.
“So that’s how I got through the Grinch.”
