In the history of movies there have been some truly questionable decisions when it comes to casting, but when thinking about Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, it’s easy to think that had anyone but Jim Carrey taken the role that the movie would have been extremely different. As Michael Kennedy of Screenrant has already said there were a few people ahead of Carrey for this role, but it’s fair to state that had anyone else been given the part they would have likely adapted to their own style of acting, much as Carrey did. This is expected for the most part since no matter who gets selected for a role it’s wiser to let them play it their way to insure that it’s more natural, has a good flow, and the actor is able to put their best foot forward. Obviously Jim modeled the character after a few of the characters he’d already created on In Living Color, but Ace Ventura took on a life of his own in a very quick and goofy manner that a lot of people happened to enjoy. The fact that he wasn’t the first pick is kind of irrelevant, but think of what it might have been like had some of the others who were being considered first had been selected is a little difficult. Had Whoopi Goldberg been cast for instance it might have almost felt like another Jumpin’ Jack Flash movie at a point in her career when she didn’t appear ready to take on such a role.
Apparently Rick Moranis turned the role down, and Alan Rickman and Judd Nelson were even considered for the role, which is kind of odd since neither man was ever really known for his comedic bits in the 90s, though both were masters of drama and knew how to charm the audience in their own way. Even trying to see either man in such a role doesn’t fit since despite the fact that Rick Moranis was funny enough, it still feels as though the part just wasn’t right for him. In a way Rick must have felt that as well considering that he said no. There are many instances in which an actor has turned down a role only to regret it later on when the movie went on to become insanely famous. This wasn’t one of those times it would appear, despite the fact that Ace Ventura was fairly popular when the first movie hit. Even the sequel was met with a great deal of anticipation, but it didn’t really go anywhere for one reason or another, though personally I would say that it just fell flat as he tried to use a lot of the same type of humor without changing things just enough to keep the attention of the people. A big part of it has to be the shock value that Carrey has put into his humor at times, which can wear thin in short order. Admit it, when we were younger it was funny to watch him bend over and talk with his butt, but as we got older it became less of a hilarious gimmick and more of an eye-rolling moment, indicating that we’d seen it before. Matthew Thomas of Screenrant has a few facts about the movie that you might find interesting.
It’s very thankful that at some point Carrey went on to become a more dramatic actor, though he did keep up with the comedy for a while. Over the years Jim has developed into a very talented actor, all but erasing the idea that he’s a one-note individual can do little more than make people laugh. Movies such as The Majestic, The Truman Show, even Bruce Almighty and Man on the Moon, have shown that he has the capacity to be a very serious actor and can do more than just make goofy impressions and go over the top with one or two characters. During his time on Ace Ventura however this was his moment to shine and to show that he could in fact go beyond the small screen and carry a movie, and he did an excellent job to be certain. Roger Cormier of Mental Floss has a few more interesting facts about the movie. Seeing this role taken on by anyone else might have been kind of odd and it feels as though the movie might not have been as memorable considering that there are individuals that do have Jim’s level of energy, but are still lacking when it comes to the kind of exuberance he shows so often. Something about Whoopi’s act, given that she’s not the type to bounce around the scene like Jim, indicates that had she been given this role, or accepted it if asked, that she would have taken a very different approach, and the movie might have gone unnoticed by a lot of people. That was one of the big draws of Ace Ventura after all, as it was Jim Carrey’s emergence onto the big screen in a way that would elevate or sink him in a big way. It’s pretty obvious how things went.
