Hasitha Fernando on the story behind Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as it turns 30…
The year 1994 brought with it the introduction to one of Hollywood’s most singularly gifted comedic talents – Jim Carrey. And the up-and-coming actor got his big break from a little comedy film called Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. As the comedy classic hits 30 we look back at some of the goings on that took place behind-the-scenes during the making of the movie. Alrighty then! let’s dive right in, shall we?
A comedy skit show paved the way for Jim Carrey’s breakout role
Today there is nary a person out there who doesn’t know the name Jim Carrey. But prior to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective the rubber-faced comic was only known for the comedic sketches he used to do on a television series called In Living Color. Created by Keenan Ivory Wayans, the show introduced audiences to a brand of Black comedy that was in stark contrast to what the likes of Bill Cosby was churning out.
Apart from Jim Carrey, In Living Color showcased the talents of the Wayans family – Damon, Kim, Shawn and Marlon – and other soon-to-be-famous talents like Jamie Foxx, David Alan Grier, Jennifer Lopez and Rosie Perez. James G. Robinson, then chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek Productions, noticed one of Carrey’s hilarious sketches featured in the show and decided to cast the young comedian in the titular role and the rest, as they say, is history.
A first-time director landed the gig
In the early 90s Morgan Creek Productions were seeking a way to produce a comedy film which would have mass appeal. It was in this context that gag writer Tom Shadyac pitched the outline of an idea to Robinson, which was based on one of his scripts, for a comedy movie. Shadyac had previously been a staff writer on Bob Hope’s show and worked on movies-of-the-week written and directed for 20th Century Fox before his big break, so the guy had a knack for writing comedy. Impressed by Shadyac’s compelling pitch Robinson hired him to direct the gig whilst also carrying out the scripting duties of the flick.
Rick Moranis and Whoopi Goldberg were considered for the lead role
Rick Moranis was something of a big deal back in the day. The talented actor had appeared in such comedy classics as Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and was therefore in high demand when Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was heading into production. But the busy actor declined the offer, so the producers considered Alan Rickman or Judd Nelson for the titular role at one point. They even contemplated doing a gender swap and casting Whoopi Goldberg as Ace Ventura, but this notion was scuttled eventually once Carrey landed the role.
The script was retooled by Jim Carrey himself
The script was initially crafted by Shadyac himself but once Carrey joined the project the actor collaborated with the filmmaker and gave him his creative input to rewrite much of the script. Shadyac even gave Carrey a free reign encouraging him to improvise, as much as he wanted, on set.
During a behind-the-scenes interview Carrey reflected on his approach for the effort, stating “I knew this movie was going to either be something that people really went for, or it was going to ruin me completely. From the beginning of my involvement, I said that the character had to be rock ‘n’ roll. He had to be the 007 of pet detectives. I wanted to be unstoppably ridiculous, and they let me go wild.”
Friends’ star Courteney Cox was afraid of the animals on set
While Carrey well and truly embraced his character in the movie, even going to the extent of basing his character’s movement on creatures of the avian variety, Courteney Cox who played the female lead in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective had a rather different experience. During an interview director Tom Shadyac revealed that Cox was even afraid of the monkey she shared scenes with in the film. Bear in mind, this was before the actress’ career blew up in a big way with the uber-popular sitcom Friends and the Scream horror franchise, so it is possible she didn’t quite know what she was getting into when she signed on for the project.
A major box-office success & middling critical reception
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was made on a relatively average production budget of $15 million. However, by the end of its theatrical run the movie ended up making a hefty $107.2 million, and this was primarily because it struck a chord with its target demographic of 10-to-20-year-olds. The flick’s unexpected box-office numbers prompted Variety to ever label it as a “sleeper hit”. But despite the box-office success the film didn’t receive a warm reception by critics who didn’t buy into Jim Carrey’s manic energy and over-the-top humor.
Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert summed up his thoughts on Carrey’s performance by saying, “Carrey plays Ace as if he’s being clocked on an Energy-O-Meter and paid by the calories expended. He’s a hyper goon who likes to screw his mouth into strange shapes while playing variations on the language.” Stephen Holden of The New York Times, however, seemed to get what the movie was going for adding, “The comic actor Jim Carrey gives one of the most hyperactive performances ever brought to the screen… Only a child could love Mr. Carrey’s character, but that may be the point. The movie has the metabolism, logic, and attention span of a peevish 6-year-old.”
Jim Carrey was on a hot streak in 1994
If there was one actor who was on a proverbial roll in the year 1994 it would be none other than Jim Carrey. Before Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the guy was mostly known for his comedy skits on In Living Color. But the movie’s success firmly established him as a big-screen presence and introduced the world to a new Hollywood talent. In July 1994 the superhero comedy The Mask was released, and the film ended up grossing a whopping $351 million worldwide.
At this time period, Morgan Creek Production paid the actor $5 million to reprise his role as Ace Ventura and New Line Cinema offered $7 million to make a sequel to The Mask and paid him a cool $7 million to appear in Dumb and Dumber, which would be released in December that same year. The culmination of these back-to-back successes would ultimately be the astounding $20 million paycheck that he’d go on to receive for starring in Colombia Picture’s black comedy The Cable Guy in 1996.
The birth & death of a franchise
The unanticipated success of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective instantly led to the creation of a franchise that centered around the zany animal loving character. The first of those sequels was Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls which was released just over a year later. The making of the film was a proverbial shit show with original director Tom DeCerchio parting ways with the project early on and production falling way behind schedule, but Carrey got lucky and ended up pocketing a hefty paycheck of $10 million for his one-of-a-kind performance.
Next, an animated TV show based on the IP was produced by Morgan Creek Studios in association with Funbag Animation Studios and Nelvana Limited. The series ran for a total of three seasons before it was cancelled due to failing with audiences. The final nail in the coffin of the almost dead franchise was 2009’s critically panned, made-for-television sequel Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective, which focused on (you’ve guessed it) the son of Ace Ventura and his misadventures.
Talks of a possible Ace Ventura 3 have been in discussions over the years but it all inevitably boils down to whether or not Jim Carrey would like the idea enough to commit to another Ace Ventura film.
What are your thoughts on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
