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Jim Carrey Nearly Quit 'Grinch' After 8-Hour Makeup, SEAL Team Six Founder Helped Him Cope

A 25th‑anniversary oral history verifies the on‑set crisis, showing Carrey would only revisit the role via motion capture.

Overview

  • On day one, the eight-hour prosthetic application led Carrey to threaten to quit and return his $20 million fee, according to Ron Howard.
  • The transformation triggered panic attacks as Carrey endured mouth-breathing, an itchy yak-hair suit, whole-eye contacts, and restricted vision.
  • Producer Brian Grazer enlisted Richard Marcinko, known for founding SEAL Team Six, to teach endurance methods that kept the production moving.
  • The team cut the makeup routine to about three hours and altered the schedule for medical reasons, with Carrey crediting Bee Gees music as a coping aid.
  • Makeup legend Rick Baker defeated a studio push to simply paint Carrey green, the film finished as 2000’s top domestic grosser, and any revisit now discussed would rely on digital enhancements.