Cinematic magic can happen unexpectedly. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for Jim Carrey’s best improvised and unplanned movie moments.
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00:00I hereby proclaim this planet...
00:08...Trumania of the Burbank Galaxy.
00:11Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for Jim Carrey's
00:15best improvised and unplanned movie moments.
00:18Hey, want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?
00:21Guys! Guys! Guys!
00:30Number 30. Talking with his butt. Ace Ventura, Pet Detective.
00:34Excuse me, I'd like to ask you a few questions.
00:37How are you supposed to react when someone turns around and starts using their butt as a puppet?
00:42There is no right answer. Jim Carrey made us all wonder this when his character in
00:46Ace Ventura, Pet Detective started literally talking out of his rear end.
00:49This is not the time, Ace. If Pinehorn come down here and see me talking to you
00:53or your ass, I'm history.
00:55According to director Tom Shadiac, the scene came about due to Carrey's goofy improvisation on the
01:00set of the 90s TV series In Living Color. Carrey brought this comedy gag to his Ace Ventura
01:04character in brilliant, humorous fashion. It starts with the pun, then there's the relentless
01:10questioning, and finally, he starts wrestling with his butt in his chair. As he's done so many times,
01:16Carrey brought his amusing silliness to the screen with his unique flair.
01:20All right, that's it! Now it's my turn! Five minutes alone, that's all I need! Come on!
01:27Number 29. Sidewalk Trip, Liar Liar.
01:30You know why I pulled you over? Depends on how long you were following me!
01:33Cursed to break his lying habits and only tell the truth for an entire day,
01:37Jim Carrey's character Fletcher finds himself in a whole lot of trouble. After admitting a
01:41slew of traffic offenses to a police officer, he gets his car impounded.
01:45I sped, I followed too closely, I ran a stop sign, I almost hit a Chevy, I sped some more,
01:48I failed to yield at a crosswalk, I changed lanes in the intersection, I changed lanes
01:52without signaling while running a red light, it's speeding!
01:55Fletcher then gets a taxi and heads over to see his ex-wife. When he arrives at the house,
02:00he gets out and trips on the sidewalk as he runs toward her. Carrey actually tripped by accident
02:05here. This was not in the script. But given how frantic his character is in the scene,
02:09it made sense. So it remained in the movie.
02:1228. Smokin' – The Mask
02:26It's probably the best known line in this Jim Carrey classic.
02:29After his character Stanley puts on the magical mask and uncontrollably twirls around the room,
02:34Carrey delivers the line with a head jerk and a wide smile.
02:43Gotta!
02:43As if this moment could get any cooler, it turns out Carrey came up with it on his own.
02:48That's right, improvisational genius. His execution is notable as he establishes his
02:53green-faced alter ego. It's also one of many scenes that makes it abundantly clear
02:58Carrey was the absolutely perfect casting choice for this role.
03:0327. Jogging at Night – Batman Forever
03:06Like the jacket? It keeps me safe when I'm jogging at night.
03:11This Carrey line exemplifies his incredible ability to stay in character while going off
03:16script. Although it received mixed reviews, particularly in comparison to the other Batman
03:21films, there's no denying that Batman Forever has a stacked cast. That includes Carrey as the riddler.
03:27Batman? Batman, you say? Coming for you!
03:34At one point near the climax, he holds Nicole Kidman's Dr. Chase Moritty in captive.
03:39Carrey, immersing himself in the villain's essence,
03:42enters the room and improvises with this one-liner. The chuckle that ensues caps it
03:47off nicely. Even more than just staying in character, it's the delivery and execution
03:52that are impressive. Now, the real game begins.
04:0026. Institution Scene – Dumb and Dumber 2
04:17At the beginning of the Dumb and Dumber sequel, we learn what Lloyd's life has
04:21unfortunately come to 20 years later. But it's not quite as it seems. Carrey finally
04:26finds that out for himself. Outside a psychiatric ward, Carrey's character is apparently unable to
04:32speak. Eventually, when he finally begins to talk, he reveals the baffling truth to Carrey.
04:44Most of Carrey's lines during this scene were improvised. Who knows what the original script
04:48contained and how many words? Nonetheless, for Carrey, this scene shows that no matter
04:53the situation and setting he's put in, he can make the script become momentarily dispensable.
05:1025. Beating Himself Up in the Restroom – Liar Liar
05:19Fletcher takes things to the extreme in an effort to delay court proceedings.
05:24According to co-star Carrey Elwes, Carrey improvised a large amount of the crazy
05:28courtroom bathroom scene. Yes, he really did beat himself up, using a few different methods.
05:38He even cracked his head pretty good on the concrete floor. This shows just how
05:42far Jim Carrey is willing to go to get the most out of a scene and movie.
05:46The bathroom scene is memorable in and of itself, but knowing that Carrey came
05:50up with many of the actions on the fly makes it even more noteworthy.
06:0024. Somebody Stop Me – The Mask
06:07Carrey's iconic green-faced character gets himself ready with his grooming routine,
06:11topping it off with a yellow feathered hat. Confident in his new mask and his new skin,
06:16you could say, he delivers this comical line while looking at himself in the mirror.
06:20According to the actor himself, this wasn't in the script.
06:28The specific phrasing Carrey decided to use for the scene ended up working incredibly well,
06:33especially in the larger context of the movie. He goes on to prove that with his new look and
06:38flamboyant dance moves, he's right, no one can stop him.
06:4623. Alrighty Then – Ace Ventura, Pet Detective
06:56During the filming of this classic comedy, Carrey thought back to a line he said on the series
07:01In Living Color. Thinking it would be a fitting line for Ace Ventura, he decided to give it a
07:05whirl. He was right! The Alrighty Then line became Ventura's signature catchphrase and one
07:12of Carrey's most famous quotes in his acting career. It made sense to reuse it in the sequel
07:17as well. It's amazing to think that a quote he improvised became such an integral part of his
07:22character's persona. Alrighty then! Well done, Jim!
07:26Hey, maybe I'll give you a call sometime. Your number still 9-1-1? Alrighty then!
07:3322. Can't Buy Me Love – Yes Man
07:40Keeping the cameras rolling when the actors don't know it can be a great strategy for catching
07:44off-the-cuff moments. That's apparently what happened in the Can't Buy Me Love singing scene
07:48with Yes Man co-star Zooey Deschanel.
07:56Those vocals, in addition to the background and camera angles, made it a worthy inclusion
08:02in the film. That's especially true given the chemistry with Deschanel,
08:06who went along with Carrey's singing nicely. Carrey's description of how the scene came
08:09about is fascinating, as he talks about the impact of being absorbed in the Beatles' aura.
08:2121. Mama – Liar Liar
08:26Part of the human experience is choosing what and what not to say. Certain thoughts are better left
08:34unsaid. But Jim Carrey's character Fletcher literally cannot lie, so he uncontrollably
08:40speaks his mind in this elevator scene. When he steps into the elevator, he sees an attractive
08:51woman, and he just can't stop himself from verbalizing his dirty thoughts. Toward the
08:55end of the awkward interaction, Carrey improvised. This one-word ad-lib, including
09:00the ensuing noises, turned out to be rather funny and suitable to the scene and character,
09:04so it was put in the movie. 20. Uncovered Sneeze – Ace Ventura,
09:18When Nature Calls Unsurprisingly, you can expect to get a lot
09:22of great improvised Jim Carrey bits from his more unrestrained characters,
09:26and there are few of his as unhinged as Ace Ventura. He's introduced to the African Wachati
09:36tribe, and his cultural ignorance is evident from the outset. Soon enough, his guide Greenwall
09:42explains that the tribe was untouched by disease until they met colonists, at which point Ace does
09:48about the worst thing he could do. Reportedly, Carrey came up with the action himself. Though
10:03the tribesmen he sneezes on probably knew what was going to happen, judging by his perfect reaction,
10:09we like to think that he didn't. 19. Fall from Above – Fun with Dick and Jane
10:16Fun with Dick and Jane is a remake that's gone mostly forgotten among the Carrey community,
10:21and probably for good reason. But if there's evidence that Carrey can stay in the moment
10:25when a bit goes wrong, it's this one. During the climactic heist sequence of
10:45sorts, Dick manages to get an employee to leave the building so he can use her computer to print
10:51a vital document. However, another employee walks into her office, and Dick hides by hanging from
10:57the ceiling. Upon dropping down, Carrey accidentally missed the desk and fell to the floor.
11:10Rather than break character, however, Carrey completed the scene by grabbing the printout,
11:15proving his dedication to any project he's in.
11:1918. Big Gulps – Dumb and Dumber Sometimes all you need is to be in the right
11:25place at the right time for memorable comedy to sprout up. In the first Dumb and Dumber movie,
11:30Harry and Lloyd pull off the road to stop by a convenience store, and on the way out,
11:34Lloyd greets a couple of guys drinking Big Gulps in the parking lot.
11:38Not only did Jim Carrey improvise the brief one-sided exchange, but the gulpers weren't
11:50even paid extras. They just happened to be two bystanders in the area watching the film shoot.
11:54Probably sensing the potential for improvisational gold,
11:58director Peter Farrelly decided to put them in a shot before Carrey predictably proved him right.
12:0817. Trying to Have Fun – Kick-Ass 2 While Jim Carrey ultimately came to denounce
12:14Kick-Ass 2 over the level of extreme violence displayed, that doesn't mean he didn't put in
12:19a memorable performance. As Colonel Stars and Stripes, Carrey's character leads a newfound
12:25coalition of superheroes known as Justice Forever, and just before their first mission,
12:30he gives them some sound advice. It may seem like a small moment, but the line turned out
12:43to be a recurring clip in the marketing campaign, selling Carrey's inclusion in the film. As an
12:49added bonus, Carrey improvised another line later in the scene, taunting a criminal while using his
12:55dog to interrogate him. 16. Dinner With Me – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
13:06Much like Ace Ventura and Lloyd Christmas, we're gonna be seeing a lot of the Grinch on this list.
13:20Seeing as the Grinch spends a good deal of the movie speaking to himself,
13:24not to mention his trusty dog Max, it's only sensible that some of the best lines came from
13:29Carrey riffing on the spot. When the Grinch tries to come up with excuses for not returning to
13:34Whoville, he lists a lot of hilarious schedule items. But arguably the best one, the Dinner
13:41With Me line, Carrey came up with on his own. Each of these lines is like a mini-joke wrapped
13:51in a bigger one, exemplifying how few words Carrey needs to be funny.
13:5715. Asking Sons for a Kiss – Me, Myself and Irene
14:06The whole premise of Me, Myself and Irene is a man whose second personality makes him
14:10very unpredictable. Say what you will about the inherent humor in that, but Jim Carrey's
14:15managed to be unpredictable for his entire career, and we love him for it. One such example is when
14:21his character Charlie from this 2000 black comedy sets out on his day and says goodbye to his
14:27adoptive sons. While kisses goodbye might seem normal, Carrey reportedly ad-libbed this moment
14:39on the spot, making it even funnier. What's more, the three actors, including a young Anthony
14:45Anderson, go through with it without breaking character. Now that's four great improvisers for
14:51the price of one. 14. Milo Scenes – The Mask
14:56Between Eisenhower from Kick-Ass 2, Max from The Grinch and Milo from The Mask,
15:01Jim Carrey definitely knows how to work with dogs. In one scene from The Mask,
15:06Carrey's Stanley frantically tries to hide the money he stole with a frisbee. Only Milo has
15:12other ideas. Reportedly, Milo wasn't supposed to initiate a game of tug-of-war,
15:29so Carrey's frustrated reactions were conjured on the spot. But Milo, coincidentally also named
15:35Max in real life, clearly knew it would only add to the scene. Later, when Stanley's in jail for
15:41the aforementioned crime, he tries to get Milo to scurry up a wall and help him escape. When he
15:47initially can't, Carrey also reportedly ad-libbed some of his exasperated reactions. 13. Landing on
16:03the Moon – Dumb and Dumber Sometimes all you need to be an effective comedic
16:08performer is to take in your environment and respond in earnest. Clearly, Jim Carrey is already
16:15keenly aware of that if this scene is any indication. After Harry and Lloyd finally
16:19make it to Aspen and find Mary, Lloyd goes to a bar thinking he has a date with her.
16:24When she obviously doesn't show, he grills the bartender for her address and sets off
16:29to confront her. Only he spots a curious newspaper article on the way out.
16:44We don't know if that headline was framed beforehand or by the production crew,
16:48but Carrey apparently saw it and came up with the perfect comedic beat to end the scene on.
16:5412. Losing Lisp – The Cable Guy Chip Douglas from The Cable Guy is definitely
17:00one of Carrey's most underrated roles. And the fact that he has a lisp is really just the cherry
17:06on top of the sundae in completing a memorable character. During the climactic fight scene
17:18against Matthew Broderick Stephen, Chip gets punched at one point and realizes his lisp is
17:23gone. Only this wasn't in the script, as Carrey genuinely forgot to incorporate it.
17:39Instead of calling cut, he rolled with it, making for one of the best jokes in the movie.
17:48Honestly, it's hard to believe that this wasn't a fully planned moment,
17:55but such is the majesty of Jim Carrey's superb comedic wit.
18:0011. Tablecloth Trick – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
18:04This one occurs almost immediately after the dinner with me line. While we could have
18:09incorporated this one into that entry, the moment is too good not to go fully in-depth with it.
18:18When the Grinch starts to come around to the idea of making an appearance in Whoville,
18:30he starts to wonder what he's going to wear, prompting him to experiment with a tablecloth.
18:40While the script had everything on the table go flying immediately,
18:43Carrey accidentally performed the tablecloth trick perfectly.
18:47Making the joke even better, Carrey went back and had the Grinch knock over everything himself.
18:52This is absolute comedic gold, and something you could try a hundred times and not get it
18:59as right as Carrey does on the fly. 10. Dr. Robotnik's Dance – Sonic the Hedgehog
19:06Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik was an odd casting choice to say the least, but it resulted in a
19:11fun performance that allowed the actor to revisit his over-the-top roots. The comedian was given
19:16free reign to ad-lib on set, and by the end of shooting, Carrey wasn't sure how much of the
19:20actual script made it into the movie. Carrey's most uproarious improvisation comes in the form
19:29of a dance sequence. While analyzing one of Sonic's quills, Robotnik cuts loose with
19:34choreography that only Carrey could come up with on the spot. It was reportedly Carrey's
19:45idea to include the song Where Evil Grows, remembering it from his childhood. Carrey's
19:55assistant Nicole also fed him a line when Agent Stone shows up with lattes.
20:049. On Nine – Me, Myself, and Irene
20:14Though the actors playing Charlie's sons were mostly able to cover up their surprise in the
20:19kissing scene, that wasn't always the case when it came to Carrey and his antics. On multiple
20:24occasions he caught his co-stars off guard. In another instance, Irene and Charlie's other
20:28personality Hank decide to ditch their vehicle. Ready to shove the car off a cliff, Hank tells
20:33Irene to push on the count of nine. Why not the count of ten? It doesn't really matter since Hank
20:42counts down in barely a second. Carrey came up with this line, and you can tell from the bewildered
20:47look on Renee Zellweger's face that she was not prepared for it. 8. The Cellist's Arm – Ace
20:53Ventura, Pet Detective
21:07Carrey was heavily involved in the production of Ace Ventura, contributing rewrites to the
21:11script and injecting numerous moments off the top of his head. Infiltrating a party,
21:16Ace does everything in his power not to blend in. As if his eccentric wardrobe and personality
21:22weren't enough to draw attention to himself already, Ace goes out of his way to pull on
21:25a cellist's arm. This causes the musician to hit a wrong note, but Ace just keeps walking
21:30without skipping a beat. Carrey threw in this random moment without preparing anyone, least
21:44of all the cellist. Even when given the most straightforward direction, Carrey can't resist
21:49sprinkling in something extra. 7. Hello Clarice – The Cable Guy
22:11If we had to single out the two most horrifying characters to come out of the 90s,
22:15they would undoubtedly be Hannibal Lecter and Jim Carrey's Cable Guy. Okay, maybe we're
22:20exaggerating when it comes to the latter, but Chip Douglas does borrow a page from Hannibal
22:24the Cannibal in this scene. At a Medieval Times restaurant – seriously, why aren't there more
22:38of those? – Chip asks Matthew Broderick Stephen for his chicken skin. Draping his face in the
22:43skin, Chip imitates Hannibal's gruesome disguise from The Silence of the Lambs. You can tell that
22:56Carrey improvised this moment based on Broderick's reaction. As Carrey covers his face with poultry,
23:01Broderick is unable to maintain a straight face, visibly breaking on screen. 6. Chitty Chitty
23:08Bang Bang – Ace Ventura – When Nature Calls Once again, Carrey had the creative freedom to
23:14go wild as Ace Ventura. Fulton Greenwald is completely unprepared when Ace decides to take
23:19a shortcut. Likewise, actor Ian McNeice wasn't expecting Carrey to suddenly burst out singing
23:24Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Having forgotten his lines, Carrey ad-libbed with the theme from the
23:29Dick Van Dyke musical adventure. Way to make an already stressful situation even more unhinged.
23:42We're not sure what's more impressive – Carrey's manic improvisation skills,
23:46or the fact that McNeice didn't break out laughing. Director Steve Oedekerke chose to
23:50keep the scene since Carrey and McNeice managed to stay in character throughout.
23:53As Carrey hits the song's final note, however, McNeice can be spotted cracking a smile as he
23:58covers his ears. 5. Directing Max – How The Grinch Stole Christmas
24:11Despite all the aforementioned Grinch goodness, arguably his most elaborate ad-lib took aim at
24:17the film's director, Ron Howard. Before heading off to Whoville, the Grinch attempts to get his
24:22dog Max into character as Rudolph. He does this by channeling Howard, even donning one of the
24:33director's signature baseball caps. What ensues is 100% Carrey poking fun at Howard's directing
24:40methods. Howard wasn't offended by Carrey's imitation of him. On the contrary, Howard found
24:44it so hysterical he couldn't leave it out of the picture. Of course, Howard had to cut some of
24:59Carrey's more adult-oriented ad-libs throughout the film to keep things PG. Are we the only ones
25:04who want to see an R-rated director's cut? 4. Meeting Count Olaf
25:14Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
25:18This dark comedy has too many improvised moments to keep track of,
25:21but Carrey's introduction as Count Olaf is definitely a highlight.
25:34Although he acts as if the world is his stage, Olaf is ironically a horrible actor.
25:40So, when Olaf asks Klaus Baudelaire to repeat the line he just said,
25:45it seems to be on-brand for the character. In reality, Carrey forgot his next line and
25:51decided to spin his mistake into comedic gold. A confused Klaus thus says his line again,
26:06prompting a more shocked reaction from Olaf. Between the performances and the editing,
26:11this unscripted moment plays out seamlessly. Carrey is a method actor, and even when drawing
26:17a blank, he can stay true to his role. 3. That One's For Free – The Truman Show
26:30Believe it or not, it was Carrey's performance as Ace Ventura that convinced director Peter Weir
26:34to cast him as Truman Burbank, one of his most dramatic roles. Weir also came to appreciate
26:39Carrey's improv talents, which can be seen in the finished film. When Truman talks to himself
26:45and the audience in the mirror, Carrey added an extra bit of whimsy to the moment. As his character
26:53pretends to be an outer space explorer, Carrey took a piece of soap and drew a helmet on the
26:57mirror. Apparently, there was another take where Carrey sketched a dress, although the astronaut
27:02attire best illustrates Truman's desire to escape from Seahaven Island. Kind of ironic that Carrey
27:25would later play a man on the moon. 2. Sorry, Wrong Pocket – The Mask
27:36When Stanley Ipkiss first transforms into the cartoony mask, he has some fun at the
27:41expense of a local street gang by setting up a balloon animal booth. After making one gangster
27:53a giraffe, the mask reaches into his pocket and accidentally pulls out a soggy used balloon.
28:02Oh wait, we just realized that was not a balloon. There goes our childhood innocence.
28:07The moment is only made more hilarious when you consider that Carrey apparently came up
28:11with this bit. Talk about being a master of improv and prop comedy.
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28:311. The Most Annoying Sound in the World – Dumb and Dumber
28:35Hey, I guess they're right. Senior citizens,
28:39although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.
28:45I'll be right back. Don't you go dying on me!
28:47It shouldn't come as a surprise that Carrey was entirely responsible for some of the funniest
28:51lines in this cult comedy classic. Though the aforementioned entries are genius in their own
28:56right, Carrey's most notable contribution comes during an already obnoxious car ride.
29:02Stuck between Harry and Lloyd, hired goon Mental is on the verge of cracking.
29:06So, naturally, Lloyd tries to ease tensions by making the most annoying sound in the world.
29:20This was all Carrey's doing, and it's easy to spot the look of uncertainty on Jeff Daniels'
29:25face leading up to it. Daniels also joins in making the sound, but not before cracking up.
29:30Let us know in the comments what surprised you most about this list.
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