Jim Carrey Turned Down the Lead in a Movie With a 1 Percent Rotten Tomatoes Score
Jim Carrey is one of the world’s most beloved comedians. A master of physical comedy and widely regarded as a brilliant actor, he has excelled in dramatic roles as well as comedies. He’s won awards and received acclaim from critics all over the world — but to this day, Carrey is seen as a man of the people, a humble artist who prefers to let the spotlight shine on others. Over the course of his lengthy career, the star has turned down several high-profile film roles, including the lead part in one 2002 comedy that has gone down in history as one of the worst comedies ever committed to celluloid.
Jim Carrey turned down the lead role in the movie ‘The Master of Disguise’
Carrey rose to prominence in the ’90s, with roles in classic comedies such as The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He received acclaim for his willingness to take on tough physical challenges, including transforming into storybook characters like the Grinch. While he dabbled in dramatic roles, including movies like Man on the Moon, Carrey remains best known to fans as a gifted comedian.
In 2002, Carrey was the top choice for a movie called The Master of Disguise, a comedy produced by Adam Sandler. Executives were interested in the actor for the role of Pistachio Disguisey, a man who is trained to become a “Master of Disguise” when his parents are kidnapped by a criminal. According to BuzzFeed, Carrey opted to turn the role down, and Saturday Night Live alum Dana Carvey took the lead role instead. This turned out to be a wise decision for Carrey, since The Master of Disguise ended up crashing and burning with critics and fans.
‘Master of Disguise’ was a critical bomb
The Master of Disguise was a major flop, with many critics slamming the concept and execution of the film. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 1% on the Tomatometer, along with a 35% audience score. “In a 40-year career in horror, David Cronenberg never dreamed up an image as chilling or stomach-churning as Dana Carvey as a human turtle,” one critic detailed.
Another took issue with the comedy in the film, writing, “The humor here is relentlessly juvenile, and not even the kids in the audience seemed to like it much.” One critic wrote that it was “embarrassing” to watch Carvey in the film, along with the supporting actors — stars such as Brent Spiner and Jennifer Esposito. Ultimately, many critics and fans consider The Master of Disguise to be not only one of Carvey’s worst films, but one of the worst comedies of the past few decades.
Jim Carrey also turned down a role in the movie ‘Scooby-Doo’
Carrey appeared in a number of movies during the early 2000s, but as his star continued to rise, he opted to become even more discerning in the roles that he accepted. BuzzFeed notes that he didn’t just turn down the lead in The Master of Disguise, but that he also backed out of the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo movie. Reportedly, Matthew Lillard stepped in to take over as the character Shaggy after Carrey opted not to participate in the film.
These days, Carrey is considering taking a step back from acting in general. In an April 2022 interview with Access, he said that he has had “enough” of acting. “Well, I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being fairly serious,” Carrey said, as reported by Page Six. “I feel like — and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists — I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.” Still, he didn’t rule out a return to the screen, noting that if the project was special enough, he would consider acting again.
