Why Jim Carrey rejected ‘Doctor Who’
Whilst Jim Carrey is most famous for his comedy work, starring in a string of classics such as Dumb and Dumber, The Mask and Me, Myself and Irene, he’s also a more than capable actor outside of the realm of humour and has delivered many captivating dramatic turns across his career.
He’s adept at coaxing an emotional response from the audience as his turns in Man on the Moon and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind reflect, and it’s a testament to his dexterity as an actor that he’s never been afraid of any subject matter, resulting in one of the most varied and colourful filmography’s in modern cinema.
From The Riddler in Batman Forever to Truman Burbank in The Truman Show, Carrey has starred in a wide variety of iconic roles, making it that little bit sadder back in April when he announced his plans to retire from acting, citing a disdain for Hollywood and the film industry in general. He told Hollywood Access: “Well, I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being fairly serious”.
“If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road but I’m taking a break,” he added.
“I really like my quiet life and I really like putting paint on canvas and I really love my spiritual life and I feel like, and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists – I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough,” Carrey concluded.
It’s a shame, but a break is clearly warranted. However, there is one regret that Jim Carrey fans everywhere have about his career, the fact that he turned down the role as the eighth Doctor Who in 1996’s Doctor Who: The Movie. The Canadian actor was one of the initial picks to play the Doctor, however, he turned it down because he knew how coveted the series is and because he knew so little about it he didn’t want to disappoint the fans.
Carrey would have been brilliant as the time-travelling extra-terrestrial, as the role requires an equal amount of comedic and dramatic nouse, as we’ve seen with all the most lauded actors to have played the Doctor such as Tom Baker and David Tennant. The way that Carrey blends both sides of the art form is one of his defining features, making the thought of what he would have brought to the role a truly fascinating one.
