Featured Image Credit: Mike Coppola/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / New Line Cinema
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Jim Carrey
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Jim Carrey
Dumb and Dumber star Jeff Daniels was fearful he had blown his shot in Hollywood by starring in a scene that many fans now find both hilarious and iconic.
Making a career in Hollywood can prove quite difficult for many. But Jeff Daniels was seemingly able to make it work in the 80s and was on track to have a brilliant career.
However, the star was worried he might have ruined all of his previous work by starring in a now-iconic comedy film alongside Jim Carrey.
Advert
Dumb and Dumber is now an absolute classic for fans all over the world, and Daniels is well aware that one of the favorite parts from the 1994 film is his infamous toilet scene.
For those not in the know, Daniels' character Harry is unknowingly given laxatives by Lloyd (Carrey), leaving him in a pretty dire situation on the toilet - all without any toilet paper.
The star has spoken out about the initial reservations he had about it all, and how people tried to talk him out of the film in the first place.
"I had agents, who weren't wrong, telling me, 'You're a serious actor. This is not the direction you need to be going. We're going to stop this and get you off this movie',” Daniel recalled when speaking to USA Today.
"But I wanted to shake it up with a comedy. And I wanted to work with Jim Carrey."
Daniels also spoke about his own apprehension in being able to bring the character of Harry to life on screen alongside the comedic antics of Carrey.
"It was like, I've got scenes. I knew I was going to score," says Daniels. "If (the Farrelly brothers) cut those, the movie was going to be 'Jim and the other guy'.
"It's one thing to read the toilet scene, but then the day comes and we're actually going to do the toilet scene.
"I told Jim, 'This is either the beginning of my career or the end of it.' Jim, who is fearless, told me, 'It's going to be great. You've just got to go all the way with it'. "
Daniels went on: "That was a couple hours of porcelain gymnastics. And that close-up when they pop in tight on my red face. I had been doing it so long, I had almost passed out."
And to his credit, Daniels certainly gave it all for the scene and it seemed to pay off, with the film still being just as popular 30 years on from its release.
Daniels even said despite the demographic being for 12-year-olds and teens, all manner of people came up to him and telling him how much they loved his performance, especially the toilet scene.
Certainly an interesting scene to be remembered by, but Daniels is happy for all the adoration he has received as a result.