When it comes to versatility, few do it better than Jeff Daniels, who has had no problem switching between dramas and comedies throughout his illustrious career. However, for his 1993 comedy, Dumb and Dumber, which will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Daniels recalled his agents being against him taking the gig in the Jim Carrey-led film.
While this proved to be the right decision, as the comedy cemented itself as a classic and made a fortune at the box office, the actor feared his career might end because of the toilet scene. But opposed to his fear, the scene was lauded by fans and critics, and it also reminded Clint Eastwood of his failed date.
An upset stomach doesn’t differentiate between people
Clint Eastwood Could Relate to Jeff Daniels’ Toilet Scene
Considering the actor was coming off the success of various dramas and was notable for his serious roles, his agents were reasonably against the actor starring in the comedy. While they eventually gave in to Jeff Daniel‘s decision to work with Jim Carrey, when it came to filming the toilet scene, the actor feared this might be the beginning of the end for his career.
Fortunately, this wasn’t the case, as the scene, which sees his character having a blowout after drinking a laxative-spiked tea, earned rave reviews and even reminded Clint Eastwood of his failed date. While playing golf alongside The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly star, Daniels revealed that the actor came up to him and recalled having a similar experience like the toilet scene during a date.
He told USA Today:
Clint says to me, ‘I just saw Dumb and Dumber and you know, the toilet scene? That happened to me. And then he tells a story about dating this woman that he really wanted to impress, but the shellfish hit him the wrong way from lunch.
It’s easy to see why the actor was initially hesitant about filming the toilet scene, and if it wasn’t for Carrey, he might not have been able to pull it off.
Jim Carrey’s Pep Talk Helped Jeff Daniels Pull It Off
When it came to filming the prolonged toilet scene, which sees his character suffering from intestinal issues, Jeff Daniels feared he might be risking his career. But thanks to a pep talk from the fearless Jim Carrey, who assured the American Rust star that everything was going to be great, Daniels gave it his all to the point that he almost passed out.
Daniels recalled:
I told Jim, ‘This is either the beginning of my career or the end of it.’ Jim, who is fearless, told me, ‘It’s going to be great. You’ve just got to go all the way with it… That was a couple hours of porcelain gymnastics. And that close-up when they pop in tight on my red face. I had been doing it so long, I had almost passed out.
Although the sequel two decades later underwent issues that plague most comedy sequels, the original still remains a classic and one of Daniels’ most beloved works.