Smokin' Facts About The Mask

1. The Mask Is Based On A Comic Book

Yup, the Mask character is the creation of Dark Horse Comics. The comic books were more sinister than the film though.

2. The Movie Was Supposed To Be Much Darker

Much in line with the darker side of the comic books, initially the mask wearer was meant to be a dangerous anti-hero with violent tendencies—it was pegged as the replacement for Nightmare on Elm Street. It was difficult for the production to balance the horror elements with the comedy and when Carrey climbed onboard, it just turned into a comedy.

3. He Talked With Teeth

The large prosthetic teeth Jim Carrey sports as the Mask were originally meant to be used only in silent scenes, but the actor taught himself how to speak with them to make the character even quirkier.

4. The Mask Was Inspired By A Real Person

Jim Carrey allegedly based his character on his father. We’re not sure if that’s flattering or not?

5. Jim Carrey Was A Real-Life Cartoon

Director Chuck Russell has revealed that the production saved a lot of money on special effects with Jim Carrey in the leading role – the actor’s movements were so exaggerated and cartoonish, they didn’t need to be touched up digitally.

6. The Mask Was A Big Debut For One Actress

The Mask was Cameron Diaz’s first movie role and she earned less than $500,000 for it.

7. Carrey Improvised

The scene where Carrey (as the Mask) is being chased by gangsters and pulls a condom out of one of his pockets, and says, “Sorry, wrong pocket,” was actually improvised by the actor.

8. It Was Shot In The Ghostbusters' Garage

The interior shot of the garage where Stanley Ipkiss takes his car for repairs is the same location as the firehouse for Ghostbusters.

9. Carrey Referenced His Own Career

Jim Carrey does a Dirty Harry impression in the film, which is poignant since the actor appeared in the last of the “Dirty Harry” movies, The Dead Pool.

10. Carrey Said No

Before the Son of the Mask came out in 2005, there were talks of a sequel, but all that was scrapped when Jim Carrey refused to return as the titular character, despite being offered $10 million.

11. He Had A Real Zoot Suit

The bright yellow suit that Jim Carrey wears as The Mask is reminiscent of a suit the actor’s mother made him for his first stand-up gig.

12. The Dog Couldn't Fetch

The dog used in the film was not well trained, so the scene where Ipkiss is frustrated with Milo while trying to stuff the cash into his closet was ad-libbed by Carrey, showing the actor’s very real impatience with the animal.

13. Carrey Made A Real Nightclub

The nightclub Coco Bongo that the Mask enters in the film is also the name of Carrey’s nightclub in Cancun, Mexico.

14. Carrey Related To The Character

A large aspect of what drew Jim Carrey to the role is that his character, Stanley Ipkiss, is a fan of cartoons, just like Jim.

15. They Made Cartoons Real

Representative of that adoration for cartoons, the Mask behaves like many iconic animated characters like: Pepe le Pew (romancing Tina), the Tasmanian Devil (whirling like a tornado) and Bugs Bunny (dramatically “dying” in a gangster’s arms).

16. He Wasn't Quoting Homer

When the Mask swallows a bomb and exclaims, “That’s a spicy meatball!” – it’s a reference to a heartburn relief commercial for Alka-Seltzer.

17. Diaz Wasn't The First Choice

Before casting Cameron Diaz as Tina Carlyle, the producers considered casting Anna Nicole Smith.

18. Carrey Got A Pay Bump

This may seem impossible now, but Jim Carrey was paid $450,000 for his role. He signed the contract before it turned out that his other film, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), was a huge hit. For his role in Dumb & Dumber later that same year, Carrey signed a contract for $7 million.

19. Diaz Didn't Sing

Cameron Diaz’s singing voice was dubbed by Susan Boyd – who also landed her vocals to films like The Little Mermaid and Mulan.

20. Carrey Can Really Dance

Did you see those dancing feet? In the big Coco Bongo dance scene in The Mask, it was actually Jim Carrey dancing. Although Carrey landed his voice for the song and Cameron did not.

21. Critics Hated It

After the release of Ace Ventura, Jim Carrey clearly proved himself to be a cashable star, but the critics hated the film. The Mask turned it around and earned Carrey praise for his performance.

22. Diaz Had To Work Hard

Cameron Diaz had to audition 12 times before she got the part – just seven days before shooting.

23. A Promise Fell Through

Nintendo Power Magazine promised a fan a part in the sequel. Long before the dreadful Son of the Mask, they were planning to bring back Jim Carrey for a sequel. Nintendo Power ran a contest that promised the winner a non-speaking role in the movie. The movie never happened, and the winner's dreams were crushed forever.

24. Carrey Wasn't The First Choice Either

Before Jim Carrey nabbed the role, actors who were considered for the role include: Martin Short, Steve Martin, Matthew Broderick and Rick Moranis.

25. The Mask Was Horrifying

20-year-old Cameron Diaz said she was horrified on the set when Jim Carrey took off the mask. “The process of taking it off is terrifying. It’s just like, glue and chunks of sponge would stay on his face…”

She recounted the story at age 41 with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. As a prank, Ellen had a man dressed as The Mask sneak up on her, which left Cameron in a fit of giggles.

26. He Misquoted Sally Field

The scene at the Coco Bongo, where the Mask makes a fake acceptance speech and says, “You love me, you really love me!” is a reference to Sally Field’s iconic Oscar acceptance speech for Best Actress in 1985 – often misquoted, since the actress used the word “like” not “love”.