Summary

• Jim Carrey's involvement legitimized the movie, which became a box office hit and a holiday favorite.
• Audrey Geisel had strict stipulations for the film rights, including a share of profits and a well-known actor as the Grinch.
• Carrey's method acting during his audition convinced Geisel that he could lose himself in characters, securing him the role as the Grinch.

From Jim Carrey's Grinch makeup time to everything that went into creating a live-action Whoville, the details of the making of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a wild story on its own. A cherished Christmas movie for some and a crazy fever dream for others, 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas was an unexpected and ambitious project for Oscar-winning director Ron Howard to take on. The biggest draw for the project was, of course, Jim Carrey, who had been the king of comedy in the '90s. His involvement helped legitimize the idea and the movie went on to become a box office hit as well as a holiday favorite fans return to each year.

However, the success of the movie at the box office does not mean it was an easy endeavor as the behind-the-scenes tales of the making of How the Grinch Stole Christmas tell a tale of a chaotic Hollywood production. Though an iconic Carrey character, he has been open about the torturous Grinch makeup time that made for an uncomfortable shoot for the actor, there are also a lot of other details fans may never have known about How the Grinch Stole Christmas defied the odds and became a classic.

The Grinch Made Taylor Momsen Want To Be A Musician

The Cindy Lou Who Actor Left Acting In 2012

One of Taylor Momsen’s earliest roles was as Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch. Though she was up for the role of Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel series (via Rolling Stone), it was Gossip Girl, where she played Jenny Humphrey, that made her a household name. She left that series to pursue her career in music full time, but she knew music was in her future long before that. Momsen recorded the song “Where Are You Christmas?” for The Grinch soundtrack, and the experience of being in a recording studio is what solidified the idea of working in music. She loved the experience so much that acting just became a means to an end.

Where To Watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Audrey Geisel Had A Lot Of Stipulations For The Film Rights

Dr. Seuss's Estate Also Had A Say In Who Plays The Grinch

Dr. Seuss, real name Theodor Geisel, had refused to sell the film rights for his books. Following his death in 1991, the decision went to his widow, Audrey Geisel, and she put a lot of thought into just what needed to happen if any producers wanted to make a movie from one of her husband’s stories.

She was willing to auction off the rights to How The Grinch Stole Christmas, but producers had to be willing to give her 4% of the box-office gross, half of the merchandising revenue, and 70% of the profit from book tie-ins. That was all on top of the $5 million price tag for the material itself. In addition to the monetary concerns, Giesel also stipulated that the actor playing the role of the Grinch had to have the same level of status as an actor like Robin Williams or Jim Carrey. Carrey obviously ended up getting the part.

Jim Carrey's Magic Hands Ruined A Take

Carrey Reacted In A Grinch-Like Manner

The "tablecloth scene" is a memorable one for Grinch fans. As he recounts his "busy" schedule, the Grinch recognizes a possible opening in his schedule and attempts to find an outfit to go out in. Deciding the tablecloth is an essential part of that outfit, he rips it clean off his table. However, according to Movie Mistakes, that wasn't exactly how the scene was supposed to go. Initially, Carrey was meant to make a total mess, spilling every dish onto the ground. To everyone's surprise, he was a little better at the rip than expected, and when no dish fell, he was directed to clear the table however he wanted. It is an impressive feat that also makes the scene more memorable.

Max Is Actually A Female Dog

Kelley The Dog Played The Grinch's Loyal Sidekick

Max easily won many viewers' hearts because of his naturally cute appearance and ability to somehow play the straight man to Carrey's manic Grinch persona. Another little secret that shows off Max's range is that, according to Humane Hollywood, it's a female dog named Kelley Kelley was undoubtedly a major highlight of the Grinch. The little glances in response to some of Carrey's lines prove she was a star. When it's considered they almost chose to make the dog entirely CGI, it's easy to appreciate the practicality that came with just recruiting a very talented dog instead.

Eddie Murphy And Jack Nicholson Almost Played The Grinch

The Christmas Movie Sought A-List Talent As The Grinch

It's difficult to think that literally anyone else was considered for the Grinch role. After all, Jim Carrey took a rather understated character from a cartoon and turned him into something almost entirely his. Yet, when the studio was doing initial casting, Eddie Murphy and Jack Nicholson were the first names to come up, according to Vulture and ScreenCrush.

While it's unclear how far in the casting process these two ended up, it's understandable that they were considered. Both could've put their over-the-top performances into the role while mixing in their own quirks and creative choices. There's an interesting "what-if" concept for each, but in the end, the Jim Carrey Grinch performance was simply irreplaceable.

Method Acting In Jim Carrey's Audition

Carrey's Man On The Moon Role Spilled Over Into The Grinch

When casting for The Grinch was happening, Carrey was filming the infamous Man on the Moon. Carrey's Golden Globe winning performance was noted as being especially in-depth with Carrey's method acting which resulted in the documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. As a result, Carrey remained in character as Andy Kaufman during the audition. In an interview, Carrey credited this move as he stated it was what convinced Audrey Geisel that he could lose himself in characters, proving he was the right man for the role.

Jim Carrey Ad-libbed Many Of The Grinch's Lines

The Production Followed Carrey's Wild Ideas

Jim Carrey is an actor known for his ability to improvise and Ron Howard wasn't shy about letting the actor shine, which led to some of the film's best lines. The lines Carrey delivers as the Grinch goes through his daily schedule were conjured up by him, according to TV Tropes, as was the table-clearing moment and so much more. Relying too heavily on improvising can let a movie, especially a comedy go off the tracks, but Howard clearly had faith in Carrey as well as an ability to keep focus on the story they were telling.

Tim Burton Almost Directed

Burton Had A Darker Vision In Mind

When thinking of filmmakers who could bring Dr. Seuss' unique world to life, Tim Burton seems like a more obvious fit than Ron Howard. Indeed, Burton met with executives and discussed his vision for the movie, which was supposedly darker in tone and would've closely resembled the original cartoon. Ultimately, Burton had a scheduling conflict and wasn't available, according to Howard's highest-grossing films.

Whoville Was Almost Entirely CGI

A Hybrid Of Practical And Visual Effects Was Ultimately Used

During pre-production, the central location of Whoville was a big topic of discussion in of how to bring to life such a distinct looking place. According to AWN, what became a daunting task of recreating the wildly imaginative world of Whoville from the original books could've been far simpler with the removal of practical effects. The original plan was to film the movie almost entirely on green screen. Thankfully, they stuck with a hybrid of practicality and digital, resulting in a real-life Whoville.

The Grinch's Yellow Eyes Were Practical And Digital

Carrey's Discomfort Led To A Balance

While the Jim Carrey Grinch make-up team did an exceptional job disguising Jim Carrey behind prosthetics and make-up, it's the yellow lenses that really solidify the whole look. It renders him unrecognizable, allowing the viewer to enjoy his performance and forget about the A-list actor under the makeup. The price for this effectiveness was a great deal of discomfort for Carrey, according to The Washington Times, with the eyes being the primary point of pain. Carrey reached a breaking point multiple times, requiring the effects team to digitally paste them on in certain shots.