Jim Carrey confesses he needed CIA training to endure the torture of filming 'The Grinch'

Actor Jim Carrey was one of the most sought-after movie stars of the 1990s and early 2000s as the performer excelled mainly in the comedy genre, where he stood out for his unique sense of humour, his funny gestures and faces.

One of the films he starred in, although he was not recognised, was 'The Grinch'.

Carrey took on the role of this green being who hated Christmas and who has become a classic of the season.

Make-up horror

But in order to play him, the actor had to spend many hours in make-up, and this was too much for him.

"The make-up took eight and a half hours, it was like being buried alive," he recalled.

"The first day I went back to my trailer and told director Ron Howard I couldn't do the movie."

Jim Carrey was even claustrophobic about the costume, make-up and prosthetics.

Howard saw his suffering

The director saw how everything could fall apart for him, as the widow of the character's creator had sold him the rights only if the actor made it.

"We had to keep the make-up and we had to keep Jim, but we had to find a way to make it possible for him to endure something that looked like being tortured," the producer explained.

A CIA agent trained Jim Carrey

And the idea they came up with was the right one, they thought that if it was torture for the actor to put on the suit and become the Grinch, the best help would be from the CIA.

"Maybe a CIA specialist could teach Jim Carrey how to survive the Grinch's green make-up in the same way he would teach spies how to survive a hostile interrogation," Howard said.

"So they brought in a guy who trained CIA operatives to withstand torture. That's how I got through it," Carrey adds.

He and the CIA agent were locked in a room and he was taught how to control his thoughts, avoid pain and discomfort.

Unexpected inspiration

Although the actor also credits the music of the Bee Gees for getting him through this trance.

"The only thing that worked to calm me down through the make-up process was everything they had done," he explained.

"I don't know why, but the Bee Gees made me happy - there would be no Grinch without them!"

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