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Jim Carrey Was Trained By The CIA To Play The Grinch

Jim Carrey Was Trained By The CIA To Play The Grinch

18 years later and it's still one of his best performances. You can never doubt his commitment to a role

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

It is that magical time of year when children almost bankrupt their parents by nagging them for the latest games console or mobile phone and shops play the only seven festive songs they have, on repeat. It's Christmas of course, well, almost.

But it's also the time when families pack into the cinemas to see the latest festive release, so what better opportunity to reminisce about one of the classic Christmas movies of all time, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which incredibly turns 18-years-old today?

That is the age of a full grown adult human being, how has this happened?

Based on the Dr Seuss classic children's book, it tells the tale of the curmudgeonly Grinch, who, rejected by the people of Whoville as a child moves away to live in isolation. That's until one day when the green ogre's cold heart is melted by a little girl called Cindy Lou Who, who convinces the lonely Grinch to return to town.

But when he is humiliated in public, the Grinch decides to get revenge and sets about stealing every Christmas present from every home in town, only to be stopped by little Cindy who shows the Grinch the error of his ways and at the end - SPOILER ALERT - he is finally accepted by the people of Whoville.

Awwwwww.

With a plot like that it was an absolute hit at the cinema, staying at the top of the US Box Office for four weeks and raking in a massive $345.1 million worldwide. It's a veritable classic.

via GIPHY

But for the film's star, Jim Carrey, it wasn't all plain sailing. The comedian revealed in an interview that he had to undergo hours and hours of make-up a day to become the green menace, and it was one of the hardest parts he had ever had to play.

He even had to undergo specialist torture training just to get through it.

Speaking to Graham Norton, he said: "The makeup took eight and a half hours. It was like being buried alive each day. On the first day I went back to my trailer, put my leg through the wall and told director Ron Howard I couldn't do the movie.

"So a guy that trained CIA operatives how to endure torture was brought in," he continues. "That's how I got through it."

"The only thing that worked to calm me through the makeup was everything they had ever done. I've no idea why, but the Bee Gees just made me happy."

"There'd be no Grinch without them!"

It was all worth it, Jim, and we love you for it. Happy Birthday, Grinch.

Featured Image Credit: BBC/Imagine Entertainment

Topics: TV and Film, News, UK Entertainment, US Entertainment