Jim Carrey has revealed how close he came to walking away from one of the biggest roles of his career, almost returning a reported $20 million paycheck during filming How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
As the holiday classic marks its 25th anniversary, the actor opened up in a new oral history with Vulture about the extreme physical and mental strain the role took on him behind the scenes.
While the Ron Howard-directed 2000 film was a huge success, earning $346 million worldwide and topping the domestic box office that year, Carrey says the experience of becoming the Grinch was almost unbearable.
The transformation involved hours of heavy makeup, prosthetics and a full body suit that left him struggling just to get through the day.
Legendary makeup artist Rick Baker explained that the studio originally wanted a much simpler approach.
“The studio said, ‘We’ll pay Jim $20 million and we want to see him. Just paint him green,'” Baker recalled. But he backtracked, insisting that the character should look like the Grinch, not “the green Jim Carrey.”
After public backlash, the studio agreed to the more elaborate design.
That decision came at a cost.
Explaining how the prosthesis affected his breathing and movement, Carrey said, “I ended up breathing through my mouth the whole movie.”
He described the suit as excruciatingly itchy, his vision severely limited, and even simple actions like scratching impossible.
Producer Brian Grazer said that Carrey refused digital shortcuts and insisted on fully committing to the character, even when it caused him intense pain.
“It was something I asked for that I can’t blame anyone but myself,” Carrey admitted.
Director Ron Howard revealed that after spending eight hours in the makeup chair on the first day, Carrey reached his breaking point.
“He was ready to give his $20 million back! I mean, he was sincere,” Howard said. The actor even started experiencing panic attacks on set.
To keep production on track, the filmmakers brought in a specialist trained in helping people endure extreme stress.
This guidance, along with music from the Bee Gees, eventually helped Carrey cope, and the makeup process was reduced to about three hours.
Looking back, Carrey has said he would only consider playing the Grinch again using motion-capture technology.
For now, his story provides a striking reminder that even the most iconic performances can come at a personal cost far greater than audiences ever see.
