Jim Carrey’s dynamic and entertaining performance in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) has cemented its status as a festive favorite, yet it also underscored the idea of a truly ‘tortured artist.’
The 63-year-old actor recounted the harsh circumstances he faced on set, spending over eight hours having thick layers of makeup and green yak hair applied to his entire body.
Carrey described the experience as feeling like he was being “buried alive” in the costume, leading to an outburst where he kicked a wall on the first day of filming and subsequently told director Ron Howard he was considering leaving the project.
Faced with the potential departure of the film’s lead character, producer Brian Grazer devised an unconventional solution to Carrey’s struggles, which the actor discussed on “The Graham Norton Show.”
The innovative idea was to “hire a gentleman [Richard Marcinko] who is trained to teach CIA operatives how to endure torture,” Carrey recounted.
This CIA trainer imparted a variety of coping techniques used by soldiers and intelligence agents to withstand torture without losing their sanity.
Carrey certainly found this necessary, as he explained to Variety that wearing the yak hair suit drove him to the brink of ‘insanity,’ with the ten-inch fingers restricting him from scratching his face or performing basic tasks.
In addition, he faced challenges with the uncomfortable contact lenses required for the Grinch’s signature yellow eyes. “I could only see a tiny tunnel in front of me,” he shared with the publication.
To endure this process during the 100 separate instances he had to undergo hours of makeup and prosthetics, his CIA instructor provided several effective distraction strategies.
Carrey elaborated: “If you’re freaking out and spiraling 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.”
Remarkably, over the three months of filming, these techniques proved successful. Although detrimental to his health, Carrey often smoked with a long cigarette holder to prevent the yak hair from igniting.
Carrey also revealed: “Later on I found out that the gentleman that trained me to endure the Grinch also founded SEAL Team Six.”
While the studio’s approach may seem drastic, director Ron Howard noted that Carrey was genuinely prepared to walk away from the project on the first day, even suggesting returning his pay check with interest.
“He was ready to give his $20 million back! I mean, he was sincere,” Howard remarked.
Nonetheless, Carrey recognized the significance of embodying Dr. Seuss’ iconic Christmas character, a role he wholeheartedly embraced after learning to cope with the challenging conditions.
Carrey motivated himself by repeating, ‘It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids,’ to remind himself why he endured the discomfort of itchy yak hair.