“It was a very odd thing to do”: Jim Carrey Was Not Happy After The Studio Casually Replaced His Character in Dumb and Dumber Prequel after He Worked So Hard to Make it Iconic
Jim Carrey is one of the Hollywood stars who made his career worthwhile with his dramatic roles and iconic physical comedy. Having gained prominence by landing a role in the series, In Living Color, he continued to make his roles iconic. He emerged as a successful star by working in some of the major films including the 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber.
By starring in the 90s film alongside Jeff Daniels, he made it quite special however his extreme efforts went to vain when he was causally replaced in the prequel, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. He felt it quite peculiar to change the cast especially when they were the ones who made the franchise on top.
Jim Carrey’s Thoughts on Dumb and Dumber Prequel That Starred Different Actors
After the immense success of the 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber, reports about its sequel began to surface. Initially, the Canadian native, Jim Carrey refused to be a part of the sequel just because he already has much on his plate, however, he agreed thereafter.
Just when the sequel, Dumb and Dumber To was about to release in 2014, his interview with LA Times gave an insight into what he felt after he discovered Jeff Daniels and he had been replaced in the prequel.
The prequel, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd was released in 2003 starring Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen in the titular roles replacing the original stars.
He shared at the time,
“The businessmen basically went, ‘Well, it’s not really him, is it? We can cast this with anybody!’ They were all talented people but I’d hate to step into the shoes of an actor who’s made an iconic character. That’s a tough one. So I felt bad for them but I also felt like it was a very odd thing to do.”
Despite the immense success and fame the first installment garnered, the prequel was negatively received by the critics. It was obvious that people were comparing the two films which affected it to quite an extent.
Dumb and Dumber Inspired Jim Carrey to Star in Its Sequel
Film director, Peter Farrelly opened up about how Carrey changed his mind to eventually star in the third installment. He initially was hesitant about taking the role once again however the original film helped in reprising his role.
In a 2014 interview with City Weekly, he shared,
“About five years ago, Jim Carrey—I don’t think he had watched the movie since it came out—was in a hotel room watching it on TV or something and I think he got really nostalgic for how much fun we had.”
He then called back the director and shared that watching the film brought back so many memories to him, which is how they went ahead for the sequel. Elsewhere, the actor shared that he was hounded by people to do the film.
Source: LA Times, City Weekly
