Jim Carrey Wanted Nicolas Cage To Star In Dumb & Dumber
Nicolas Cage reveals that Jim Carrey originally wanted him to co-star in Dumb & Dumber but turned it down to work on Leaving Las Vegas. Directed by Peter Farrelly on a script from him, his brother Bobby and Bennett Yellin, the buddy comedy revolves around well-meaning friends, limo driver Lloyd Christmas and dog groomer Harry Dunne, as they head out on a cross-country trip to return a briefcase of money to its owner, a beautiful customer of Lloyd's. What the duo don't realize is the briefcase was a ransom payment for the return of its owner's husband, making the two a target for the people behind the kidnapping.
Carrey starred in Dumb and Dumber as Lloyd with Jeff Daniels as Harry, Lauren Holly as the briefcase owner Mary, Karen Duffy and Mike Starr as mercenaries for the kidnapper and Charles Rocket as the kidnapper. Hitting theaters in late 1994, the film was a box office smash, grossing over $247 million against its $17 million production budget, and scored generally positive reviews from critics for the performances from its leads. Though Dumb and Dumber has garnered a cult following over the years and solidified Carrey's star status and Daniels' range in the comedy genre after celebrated work in dramas, the film almost went in a different direction.
In anticipation of the release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage caught up with GQ for a special video in which he answered many of fans' burning questions from the internet. When asked about his having been eyed for Dumb & Dumber, the star confirmed that Jim Carrey wanted him to star in the movie, but Cage turned it down in favor of another project. See what Cage shared below:
"I know Jim [Carrey] wanted me to be in [Dumb & Dumber] with him, but I wanted to do a little movie called Leaving Las Vegas instead."
Written and directed by Mike Figgis, Leaving Las Vegas was based on John O'Brien's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name and told the story of a suicidal alcoholic who elects to move to the titular Nevada town after losing his family and job but begins falling in love with a hardened prostitute. Alongside Cage, the cast for the 1995 drama included Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis, Steven Weber, Emily Procter and Valeria Golina. Leaving Las Vegas was a critical and commercial hit, grossing nearly $50 million against its $4 million budget and scoring rave reviews for Figgis' script and direction and Cage's performance.
Though the thought of Cage and Carrey teaming up for the mindless hilarity of Dumb and Dumber is an appealing concept, the former opting out of the film ultimately proved to be in everyone's favor. Cage would go on to win an Oscar for his work in Leaving Las Vegas, his only to date while also having been nominated for Adaptation, while Carrey and Daniels would confirm their comedic statuses and helping launch a franchise, even if its follow-ups never reached the same critical or commercial heights. Audiences can revisit the original Dumb and Dumber streaming on HBO Max now.
Source: GQ