Jim Carrey Fought Through The Flu For One Of The Mask's Most Memorable Scenes
Few are as committed to their performances as Jim Carrey. The multi-faceted actor and comedian has proven he's more than the wacky, animated jokester of his early TV and movie career with roles in dramas like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and biopics like "Man On The Moon." In fact, for the latter he remained in-character throughout filming which, as the behind-the-scenes documentary "Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond" showed, was a little too much commitment for some of the production team. He even arranged for Andy Kaufman and Bob Zmuda's abrasive lounge singer character Tony Clifton to show up at a press conference to start a fight.
Of course, among Jim Carrey Movies, "Man On The Moon," isn't the first thing you think of. That honor usually goes to his '90s comedies, and rightfully so. Movies such as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "The Mask" are what made the world fall in love with Carrey's truly unique physical comedy and paved the way for him to branch out to more dramatic roles. But those comedic turns took just as much commitment as any "Eternal Sunshine" or "Truman Show."
Dancing with the flu
Adapted from a decidedly more violent Dark Horse comic book series, 1994's "The Mask," much like its star, is a one-of-a-kind superhero comedy that plays wholly to Carrey's strengths as a physical comedian. As an oral history published by Forbes shows, the Canadian comic was so in-sync with his role as bank clerk turned zoot suit-wearing superhero Stanley Ipkiss, that he fought through the flu to shoot the film's big "Cuban Pete" dance number.
The scene features Carrey as The Mask, salsa dancing his way out of a tricky situation with the police with all the flair and wackiness you'd expect from such a set-up. But it almost didn't happen, according to director Chuck Russell:
"The interesting thing about that is Jim had the flu that first night and he was constantly throwing up. I told him, 'Look, we can shut down and resume when you feel better.' He said, 'No, man. I can do it.' ... It was crazy and he just pulled it together."
You'd never be able to tell Carrey was under the weather if you watch the moment in the film. He's just as bombastic as he is in every other scene featuring his Looney Tunes-inspired hero. The fact that he wasn't just sick but "constantly throwing up" is seriously wild considering the energy that dance so obviously required.
Strange as it seems, the actor's commitment to shooting such a ridiculous moment was a glimpse at what was to come for the "In Living Color" alum, who would maintain that stringent dedication throughout his career — which could be ending with "Sonic The Hedgehog 2." And now I've made it to the end of a "Mask" article without a "sssmokin'" reference, and we need to rectify that. Er ... Jim Carrey must have had a sssmokin' fever filming that Cuban dance scene! Mission accomplished.