Jim Carrey is best known for his comedic roles and his very peculiar style of physical comedy, and in 2000, he starred in the Christmas classic The Grinch, and his reason for doing it makes it even better and more memorable. Carrey rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in some of the most successful comedies of the decade, such as Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber, as well as in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, where he famously played The Riddler. Carrey kept this successful streak throughout the 2000s, beginning with How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Directed by Ron Howard and based on Dr. Seuss’ 1957 classic children’s book of the same name, How The Grinch Stole Christmas introduces viewers to the title character (played by Carrey), a bad-tempered and misanthropic green creature who hates Christmas. After a chance encounter with him and learning of the origin of his hatred for Christmas, six-year-old Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) becomes determined to include the Grinch in Whoville’s Christmas celebrations. One of the most impressive aspects of The Grinch is its makeup and prosthetics, and Carrey had great reasons to put up with that tedious process.
Jim Carrey Put Up With The Grinch’s Makeup Process Because Of The Kids Who Would Watch It
Jim Carrey Had The Grinch’s Audience In Mind
Speaking to ComicBook while promoting Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where he plays Robotnik, Jim Carrey shared that he would play the Grinch again if there could be a better way to bring the character to life. For Howard’s movie, Carrey spent two and a half hours every day on the makeup chair to get all the prosthetics and makeup required to turn him into the Grinch. Carrey mentioned that he could hardly breathe under all the Grinch prosthetics, and makeup artist Kazu Hiro told Vulture that Carrey was very difficult to work with at first, as he was very uncomfortable with the process.
Carrey said that he kept thinking that what he was doing was for the kids, and that ultimately makes his Grinch even better.
Carrey eventually became more comfortable and promised to control his temper, but he told ComicBook that he had another thing in mind while going through the Grinch’s tough makeup process: the movie’s audience. Carrey said that he kept thinking that what he was doing was for the kids, and that ultimately makes his Grinch even better. The Grinch is one of Carrey’s most praised performances, especially how he managed to bring the character from bitter and chaotic to heartwarming and channel the real tragedy of the Grinch.
The Grinch was adamant that he hated Christmas in the 2000 film How The Grinch Stole Christmas, but what he really hated was people.
Knowing that Carrey went through the makeup process of the Grinch for the kids who would watch the movie is pretty heartwarming and speaks volumes about his passion for what he does. In the end, the whole process and its many downs paid off for everyone, as Carrey’s performance continues to be praised and The Grinch won the Oscar for Best Makeup in 2001.
The Grinch’s Makeup And Prosthetics Are Still Impressive 24 Years After The Jim Carrey Movie
The Grinch’s Most Outstanding Element Is Still Its Makeup
While amazing effects and characters can be created through CGI and other modern technologies, the art of makeup and prosthetics continues to be a favorite of artists and viewers. The Grinch is a great example of the incredible craft of makeup and prosthetics, as Carrey is completely unrecognizable and he truly becomes the character. To add to the greatness of the Grinch’s makeup, it also allowed Carrey enough mobility to add his trademark physical comedy to his performance, which makes it even more impressive.
Modern techniques can give Jim Carrey a much easier time on the makeup chair (or none at all if it’s motion capture) and make the whole process of becoming the Grinch a lot easier for him, but looking back at the movie 24 years later, its makeup and prosthetic achievements are even more impressive as there are details that not even CGI could have accomplished.
Sources: ComicBook, Vulture.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a 2000 holiday comedy from director Ron Howard. The film stars Jim Carrey and is based on the Christmas book of the same name. Despite getting mixed reviews upon release, Carrey's performance was praised and the film is now considered a fan-favorite Christmas movie.
Custom image by Ana Nieves.
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