When taking a look at the most successful comedic actors of all time, there are a few names that stand out from the pack. Names like Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler are obvious standouts, as is Jim Carrey, who is one of the most legendary comedic performers of all time.
Carrey has seen and done it all during his time in the business, and he made millions while wowing audiences with his hilarious performances. During his career, however, he has had some downbeats, including a film that wound up paying him $15 million to eventually underwhelm at the box office.
Let's take a closer look at Carrey and the film that disappointed.
Jim Carrey Is A Comedy Legend
At this point in his illustrious career, Jim Carrey hardly has anything left to accomplish, as he has been a fixture on the big screen for years on end. Carrey had humble beginnings in entertainment, but once he was able to get the right opportunities, the man became a star and never looked back.
During the 90s, Carrey's television work got the ball rolling, and in 1994, he had three massive hits that turned him into a genuine star. Carrey would spend the rest of the 90s and the 2000s capitalizing on his newfound fame, and in the process, he would churn out hit films that have stood the test of time.
It has been an amazing career for Carrey, and he is still landing major roles and starring in movies that the fans love. Needless to say, Carrey's triumphant run on the big screen had made him some serious cash.
He Has Made Millions
After his 1994 campaign made him the biggest comedy star on the planet, Jim Carrey was able to command a premium for his performances on the big screen. It is one of the biggest benefits of becoming a movie star, and Carrey made sure to cash in during the most productive years of his career.
After making $25,000 per episode on In Living Color before becoming a star, Carrey's salary would reach as high as $20 million for a single movie. Movies like The Cable Guy, Batman Forever, Liar Liar, Me, Myself & Irene, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas all paid him $20 million, and thanks to a wrinkle in his contract for Yes Man, he was able to make even more than this.
Few actors are able to command a portion of a film's profits, but Carrey managed to negotiate this when he starred in Yes Man. Famously, the actor took no money upfront for his role in the film, but the profits wound up bringing his paycheck total up to $35 million, which is the largest check that he has ever received.
Carrey has made some major bucks for his biggest hits, but they can't all be winners. In fact, Carrey wound up pocketing a cool $15 million for a film that wound up underwhelming at the box office.
He Made $15 Million For 'Dumb And Dumber To'
In 2014, 20 years after the original came into theaters and became a massive hit, the sequel to Dumb and Dumber, Dumb and Dumber To, was released, and it looked to find a major audience, much like its predecessor had. There was an ill-fated prequel that was released between these two films, but it did not feature Jim Carrey or Jeff Daniels. Despite the boys coming back together, this sequel project was not able to capture the same magic or success as the first movie.
Now, having been a huge movie star since the 90s, it makes sense that Jim Carrey would be pulling down a huge salary for any project that he takes part in. Clearly, the studio thought that this movie was going to be a huge hit, because they were willing to shell out a whopping $15 million for Carrey to get on board. He doesn't normally do sequels, so this was a pretty big deal.
At the box office, the film only managed to bring home $169 million, which is certainly not what the studio was hoping for. The first film made $247 million, and that was during the 90s, so it was worth significantly more when factoring inflation. Yeah, Dumb and Dumber To's $169 million simply wasn't cutting it.
As great as it was for Carrey that he made $15 million for the flick, it ultimately fell flat, and most people simply prefer to pop on the original instead.