The dynamic duo of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels created a cult-like following in 1994 when 'Dumb and Dumber' hit theaters. With a budget of $17 million, the film grossed $247 million, making it a monster hit. To this day, the film is still celebrated as a true classic and one of Carrey's best.
Despite the film's success, things weren't as smooth out of the gate. The Farrelly brothers had a specific vision for the film and apparently, it didn't match what the studio was looking for. Of course, Carrey was the star, but the studio heavily debated the involvement of Jeff Daniels, so much so that he was forced to shoot scenes alone for a week prior to shooting the actual film. We'll delve into the entire situation, along with Carrey's involvement in ensuring that Daniels stayed onboard.
Jeff Daniels Made A Major Career Switch
At that point in his career, Daniels was considering calling it a day. His agents had a vision for him, which was getting an Oscar-worthy part. Daniels soured on this vision and he wanted to do something different, "You know, I was doing a lot of dramas and heading towards an Oscars trail, whatever that is, and I just said, ‘I’m not doing what I was five years ago; I’m not interested.’ I am going to audition for that Dumb and Dumber thing."
His representation wasn't all that thrilled with his decision, in their eyes, Daniels was committing "career suicide." Ultimately, Daniels didn't want to pass up on the chance to star alongside a comedic genius like Jim Carrey, "Look who I get to react to. Jim is a comedic genius. There were comedians that wanted it, but he wanted an actor that would make him listen because he knew it was ping-pong, it was back and forth,” Daniels explained. “So I just let him lead, and [Daniels’ character] Harry Dunne was like on a half-second delay to whatever [Carrey’s character] Lloyd would do."
Daniels would get the part but early on, it was evident that the studio wasn't completely sold on his talent.
The Studio Didn't Want Him
During Jeff's first week on-set, he found it odd as to why Carrey wasn't really acting, aside from one scooter scene. It would later dawn on Daniels that he was still in the audition process. According to Jeff alongside Variety, everyone wanted him, including the Farrelly brothers, however, the studio felt differently, "Everybody wanted me except the studio. Jim’s there, he’s in Colorado, he’s just not working." The studio wanted another comedian alongside Jim Carrey - though Jim and the directors wanted an actual actor that could react to Jim and not try to steal the spotlight.
Despite the stress of it all, one thing didn't change and that was Jim Carrey's constant support of Jeff Daniels. Even when Daniels felt iffy about his future, Jim was always there to ease the actor on, "He was always a champion of me,” he said. “Jim walks in, taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing, they love you.’”
Jeff Got The Part And A Sequel Was Made
We all know by now, the film was a monster hit, so much so that a sequel was made. Carrey normally avoids sequels, however, given the demand for a second film over the years, Jim had no other choice but to finally agree, "Everybody wanted to be a part of this. That’s a great thing about it. Dumb And Dumber has become something that’s part of the fabric of our culture. People literally wouldn’t ever leave me alone about it and that’s why I did the sequel. People hounded me until I decided to do it. It’s really wonderful, though, and the first time we saw the characters coming off the bus in the movie, in all the old clothes, I felt a warm feeling. It was like seeing family that I hadn’t seen in a long while."
We're not talking about Dumb and Dumberer, which didn't include Carrey and Daniels. The film flopped grossing $26 million. Dumb and Dumber To was the actual sequel, the film brought the fans to the theaters, bringing in $168 million on a $50 million budget. Sure, it wasn't as profitable as the first film, however, it was still a great number, proving that fans wanted to see the duo together again.
Jim Carrey will always be remembered for his brilliance in the film, though looking back, we can safely say that Daniels played a pivotal role in piecing the story together. It changed his career forever and the change in paths was well worth the risk.
Sources: Page Six, EW & Den Of Geek
