A staple of the Christmas holidays for twenty-five years, the live-action “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” starring the inimitable Jim Carrey, never misses an opportunity to regularly enliven the living rooms of millions of viewers, while also boasting anecdotes and curiosities that—even after so long—continue to keep interest in the media franchise alive.

Based on the famous story by Dr. Seuss and directed by Ron Howard, the film, which debuted way back in 2000, recounts the misdeeds of the curious hermit with shaggy green fur, who, from the top of the village of Whoville, is determined to ruin Christmas for all those who, gripped by the mania of compulsive shopping, are busy with presents and preparations.

Despite receiving some criticism at the time for its dark and not entirely accessible humor, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" became the second-highest-grossing Christmas film of all time in its debut year, just behind "Home Alone," grossing over $345 million worldwide. Having also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and been nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, the film ran alongside the comedy starring Macauley Culkin until 2018, before being overtaken by the box office results of the Illumination animated film of the same name.

What undoubtedly set the 2000 film apart was the performance of actress Taylor Momsen as the very young co-lead, now best known as a rock singer and star of the television series "Gossip Girl." Revisiting the film in an interview, she mentioned the strong bond she had forged with Carrey and the memory of how her co-star never failed to take care of her during filming: "I remember when we were shooting the scene where we go down the mountain on the sled. It was a real sled, mounted on a giant spring that was controlled and moved from side to side very forcefully. There was a moment when I almost fell off the sled, and he panicked. He yelled 'stop' and immediately started checking on me. I was having a blast. I was laughing and wasn't even thinking about the fact that I had just almost fallen from a considerable height. I always felt very safe with Jim."

Just recently, while attending the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Carrey surprisingly reunited with his co-star, having lost touch since filming. The actor enthusiastically stated, “We haven't seen each other since How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Momsen responded, “Yes, it's been 25 years. It's crazy.” Expressing her admiration for Carrey, which she's cultivated since childhood, the actress added, “As a young girl, seeing an artist at work and so committed to his craft left a deep and lasting impression on me, which I carry with me as an adult. I'm thrilled to finally be able to tell him that in person, when I grow up.”

Another piece of news that certainly doesn't go unnoticed is the discovery that Jim Carrey, initially inclined to abandon the role of the Grinch, was convinced to continue the collaboration only after the intervention of a CIA expert.

As reported by Vulture, the star apparently took the opportunity of the film's 25th anniversary celebrations to hint at a story that had remained unknown until recently. Starting with her aesthetic transformation, she recalled: "The costume was made of yak hair, which made me itch so much I was going crazy all day. I had 10-inch fingers, so I couldn't scratch myself, touch my face, or anything... I had teeth that I had to work around to talk, and I had contact lenses that covered my entire eyeball, and all I could see was a tiny tunnel in front of me."

After nearly having a panic attack and nearly quitting the role, Howard convinced Carrey to continue filming by hiring a CIA instructor to teach him torture-resistance techniques: “Richard Marcinko was a gentleman who had trained CIA and special operations agents to help them understand how to endure torture. He gave me a list of things I could do when I started to lose control. Like punching myself in the leg, as hard as possible. Getting a friend I trusted and hitting him in the arm. Eating everything I could see. Changing things in the room. If there's a TV when you're starting to lose control, turn it off and turn on the radio. Smoking as much as possible.”

Despite these hardships, Carrey still has positive memories of his experience playing the character: “Even though it was a struggle, it’s such an honor to have been that character. It’s the most beautiful story in the world, about how much we need people to open their hearts. It will always be touching. Many of us are walking through this life right now with wrinkled hearts.”

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