Jeff Daniels continued to impress with an array of performances throughout the 1990s. Over the years, he kept on performing on stage and earned a reputation for having a powerful onstage presence and passionate acting skills.
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Jeff Daniels in a still from Speed (1994)
Apart from a wide range of movies, Daniels starred in a 1994 classic comedy which garnered $250 Million at Box Office but, the actor was paid much less than his co-star Jim Carrey. However, Daniels agreed to do the movie even at that pay as he was willing to collaborate with Carrey.
Jeff Daniels Received Very Less in Comparison to Jim Carrey
Jeff Daniels has already to some extent made a name for himself in the Hollywood industry. He acted in Terms of Endearment and Speed along with Keanu Reeves. While, his co-star Jim Carrey, received a $7 million payday for the Dumb and Dumber movie, the wage gap between Carrey and Daniels was huge.
Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels
For the Dumb and Dumber film, Daniels was only paid around $50,000. Alongside co-star Jim Carrey, who plays Lloyd Christmas, Daniels portrays Harry Dunne in the movie. They created one of the most iconic in the history of comedy films.
Dumb and Dumber became a major box office success with a $250 Million collection at the Box Office and a cult classic in the world of comedy. Jeff Daniels’ unforgettable portrayal of Harry Dunne in this film showcased his comedic talents.
The studio was Hesitant to Cast Jeff Daniels for the Film
Though the filmmaking team of The Dumb and Dumber wanted Jeff Daniels in the movie, the New Lines studio was reluctant to include him in the cast as he was more of a non-comedic actor till then.
“Jeff Daniels was not the obvious choice because he hadn’t done any, you know, out and out comedies before that,” Bobby Farrelly told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was always comedic in his roles.”
“The studio didn’t want him,” Bobby Farrelly added.
“They said, ‘Please, anyone but him. Get a comedic actor.’ So they offered him, if I recall, 50 grand, which was, you know, Jim’s getting seven mil, they offered him 50 figuring he’ll say, ‘No, I’m not taking that,’ but he took it.”
Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber movie
Daniels claimed that both New Line Cinema and his managers were initially against him landing the role during an interview on The Rich Eisen Show.
Daniels said,
“You know, I was doing a lot of dramas and heading towards an Oscars trail, whatever that is, and I just said, ‘I’m not doing what I was five years ago; I’m not interested.’ I am going to audition for that Dumb and Dumber thing.”
Nevertheless, though the studio thought differently about adding Jeff Daniels at first, later it became an iconic duo with Jim Carrey.
Prantik Prabal Roy is a writer at Fandomwire. With an experience of over 4 years in content writing industry and a Master's degree in English literature, he continues to write about your favorite Hollywood celebs and keeps a close watch on their every move to provide intriguing perspectives for the readers. He likes reading, watching movies and traveling. When not working, you will find him obsessing over Leonardo DiCaprio and reading some books on space and sports.
