Jim Carrey once dropped his trousers and mooned his co-star in order to make sure that they got exactly the shot that they needed.
Carrey is known for his over-the-top performances and commitment to the bit – whatever ‘the bit’ is in that particular film.
On this occasion, that required him to go above and beyond, or underneath and down as the case may be, in order to make sure that the film was the best it could be.
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This strange incident took place on the set of Dumb and Dumber, which saw Carrey playing the loveable idiot Lloyd Christmas alongside Jeff Daniels as his equally thick friend Harry Dunne.
Another member of the cast was former NHL ice hockey player Cam Neely, who played the role of Sea Bass, one of a group of truckers that the hapless duo fall afoul of during the film.
Neely was struggling to get a take done, taking forever to get the exact level of surprise that was needed for the take.
That’s when Carrey took matters into his own hands.
Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Neely explained how the whole thing went down, starting with his own on-set troubles.
He said: “So, the bathroom scene at the gas station, where I kick the bathroom door open…
“You have the stall walls and the door and then where the back wall and the toilet would be is the camera setup and the director and the guy filming.
“Jim Carrey was sitting on a milk crate in the corner.
“So, I kick the door open, and I’m supposed to have this surprised look on my face. [And the director’s like,] ‘Cut, Cam, can you get a little bit more of a shocked look on your face?’"
“I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK.’ Second take, third take, fourth take – now, I’m freaking out. … I’m like, I got Jim Carrey sitting on a milk crate, he’s making 10 million or whatever the hell he did for that movie, and I’m like, wasting everybody’s time.”
In 1994, Carrey was one of the biggest stars in the world, achieving silver screen success with flicks like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask all in that same year.
However, it seems as if he was also a good guy to work with, as Neely pointed out.
He continued: “So, I pull Jim aside. I’m like, ‘Listen, Jim.’ I said, ‘Please bear with me. I’m really struggling here.’
“He goes, ‘Ah, Cam, don’t worry about it. I’ve had some scenes that have taken 50 takes. Just relax'.”
So, relax he did, but Carrey had something else planned.
“Next take, I kick the door open, he’s mooning me,” Neely said. “So they got the shot.”
Yep, that would be a surprise, for sure.
In the end, the film was a great success, and continues to be a cult classic to this day.
Whenever you next watch it, you’ll have a new enjoyment for that particular scene, knowing the circumstances under which it came about.
Topics: US News, Celebrity, TV and Film, Jim Carrey, Weird
Tom Wood