Jim Carrey's Torture- Training Coach on The Grinch Set
How a Military Expert Helped an Actor Cope with Extreme Makeup
During the filming of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, actor Jim Carrey experienced such severe panic attacks from the extensive prosthetic makeup that he offered to return his $20 million salary and quit the production. The intense discomfort led the film's team to bring in an unusual consultant: a former military expert trained in surviving torture.
The Unconventional Solution: A Specialist in Endurance
Carrey revealed that the production hired Richard Marcinko, a man who founded the elite SEAL Team Six and trained CIA and special operations personnel in endurance techniques. Marcinko provided the actor with a series of unconventional coping mechanisms to manage his anxiety on set.
Survival Techniques for a Movie Set
The strategies given to Jim Carrey were designed to break negative thought patterns and physical discomfort. The list of techniques included:
- Punching himself in the leg or a trusted friend in the arm to disrupt the panic spiral.
- Eating everything in sight as a distraction.
- Abruptly changing the environment, such as turning off a TV and turning on a radio.
- Smoking cigarettes frequently, which required a long holder to prevent the flammable yak
- hair Grinch costume from catching fire.
Carrey later learned the full extent of his coach's background, noting the irony that the man who trained him to "endure the Grinch" was also the founder of one of the world's most renowned special forces units. This unique intervention allowed Carrey to complete the iconic role, which became a major holiday box office success.
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