While the Grinch has become even more iconic thanks to Jim Carrey’s film portrayal, it’s rarely mentioned how much work went into transforming the actor into the character, with the torturous hours of makeup and the arduous process making the actor incredibly powerful into an unforgettable antagonist. change received. Christmas icon.
A sweet Christmas movie for some and a crazy fever dream for others, Grinch starring since 2000 jim carreywas an unexpected (and ambitious) project for Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, especially as his last major project was Apollo 13.
Of course, the biggest draw for the project was Jim Carrey, the king of comedy in the ’90s. His involvement helped legitimize the idea and certainly made Universal feel comfortable investing more than $120 million. While it undoubtedly had its fair share of problems throughout production,Grinch It was an overall hit, grossing $345 million and becoming a holiday staple.
Getting into Carrie’s costume wasn’t easy. The process included facial prosthetics covered from head to toe in green yak fur and enlarged contact lenses filled with fake snow from the set. Jim Carrey described the process as being buried alive every day, adding that it took eight and a half hours in total, although lead makeup artist Rick Baker recalled that it was more like two and a half hours.
though the makeup team jim carrey did an excellent job dressing as the actor GrinchBehind the prosthetics and makeup, it’s the yellow contacts that really strengthen the whole package. This renders him unrecognizable, allowing the audience to enjoy his performance and not be distracted by the Jim Carrey alarm. The cost of this efficiency was great discomfort for Carey, with the eyes being a main point of pain.
The Grinch became one of the most successful characters ever played by Jim Carrey.
Actor Jim Carrey reached breaking point several times, requiring the effects team to digitally paste him into some shots. i.e. distinctive yellow eyes Grinch He needed a combination of practical and digital effects to make the film a success. Neither the original book nor the cartoon gave much to work with in the wardrobe department. They knew it had to be green and have yellow eyes. According to GX104, they ultimately decided that the live-action Grinch could only be brought to life by wearing yak hair (a medium-sized bovid mammal) and a spandex suit underneath.
jim carrey explained the process behind the scenes to turn it on Grinch It took about eight and a half hours the first time. After it ended, he claimed to have punched a hole in the wall and told director Ron Howard that he could not participate under these circumstances. Rather than lose Carrey, producer Brian Grazer hired a CIA agent to train the actor in torture recovery techniques.