John Stamos made audiences scream “Have Mercy!” through his role on one of the best binge-watchable sitcoms Full House. He also starred as a devoted medical worker on the beloved drama ER. With Stamos’ history of playing such likable, heartwarming characters, it’s hard to picture him playing anyone twisted. However, years ago, he actually auditioned to play what became an iconic (and sociopathic) Jim Carrey role. When you find out which one that was, your mind will be blown like mine.
The now-61-year-old actor is known for his good looks but, at one point, he was willing to cover up his visage in green fur. If you see where I’m getting at here, the former sitcom actor revealed to James Austin Johnson’s Grinch on Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast that he was very close to playing Dr. Seuss’ sinister character. The beloved star also explained the reason why he had to pass on the part:
Hey, you know, I have something. Here’s an interesting fact you don’t know about me. … I was originally going to play you in the movie that Jim Carrey got. Did you know that? I went to the makeup test, and I was allergic to the, you know, all the prosthetics.
I truly cannot believe that in another timeline, I could’ve seen the same star who brought the sizzling Jesse Katsopolis to life don that devilish grin underneath green hair and makeup! This is too wild for me to even comprehend. If you look at any shot of Jim Carrey as Whoville’s antagonist, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else pulling off the chaotic energy the Golden Globe winner accomplished. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to think about what could’ve been.
It’s understandable why John Stamos would back out of Ron Howard‘s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, given his makeup allergy. He wouldn’t be the only actor who endured the negative effects of looking completely unrecognizable for a role. For instance, one BTS fact about Tim Burton’s Batman was that Jack Nicholson was allergic to spirit gum (an adhesive for applying prosthetics). So the team had to devise another way to construct his creepy Joker smile. John Rhys-Davies said no to reprising Gimli in The Hobbit to avoid wearing the brutal makeup he was allergic to.
What one can glean from Jim Carrey’s best movies is that the Ace Ventura actor is a pro bringing his characters to life through his physical, emotional, and on-point comedic timing. However, wearing prosthetics on his nose, ears, teeth, and ears was no picnic for the Canadian actor. During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the Majestic actor said he felt like he was being “buried alive” every day and worked with a CIA operative to overcome the torture of the eight-hour makeup process.
In fact, the former In Living Color cast member said his one condition if he were to reprise The Grinch would be for motion capture to be used to go green compared to the “extremely excruciating process” of full-on makeup. I mean, Avatar, the recent Planet of the Apes series and more film proved actors don’t need to wear full makeup to look indistinguishable.
That aside, I’m still in shock that John Stamos was close to showing off his mischievous charm in full green as The Grinch. While the prosthetic makeup didn’t sit well with the TV actor compared to Jim Carrey, the potential for Stamos to embody the cynical, Christmas-ruining creature is something we can only try to imagine. I’m not sure I’ll ever stop thinking about how the General Hospital actor’s interpretation of the role would have compared to Carrey’s and whether it also would’ve garnered praise.
Anyone who’d like to check out Jim Carrey’s performance as the green curmudgeon can stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas now using a Peacock subscription.