Jeff Daniels Feared Dumb and Dumber Toilet Scene Would ‘End’ His Acting Career

Flushed away – literally.

Posted:

May 20, 2024 2:35 pm

Jeff Daniels has recalled his feelings over the infamous toilet scene in Dumb and Dumber, saying he didn’t know whether it would ruin his acting career.

Nearly 30 years after the release of the screwball comedy, Daniels has admitted to USA Today he initially had concerns over the scene that saw his character Harry tussle with a non-flushing toilet after he had suffered a bad bout of tummy troubles. He feared the scene could “end” his career but decided to take the plunge.

This is either the beginning of my career or the end of it.

“It’s one thing to read the toilet scene, but then the day comes, and we’re actually going to do the toilet scene,” Daniels said of his apprehension. “I told Jim [Carrey], ‘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.'”

He admitted it took “a couple hours of porcelain gymnastics” to get the scene right, explaining that the “close-up when they pop in tight” on his flushed red face was genuine because he “almost passed out” from filming the now-memorable scene in the lavatory while also heeding Carrey’s advice to give it his all.

It was a risk, especially since he had agents warning him that the comedic route could be a wrong move, but one that ultimately paid off because the movie became a box office hit, grossing $247 million worldwide, with praise from fans and peers, including Clint Eastwood, who said he could relate to the scene.

“Clint says to me, ‘I just saw Dumb and Dumber and you know, the toilet scene? That happened to me,'” Daniels recalled of his conversation with Eastwood at a celebrity golf tournament. “And then he tells a story about dating this woman that he really wanted to impress, but the shellfish hit him the wrong way from lunch.”

The 25 Best Comedies of All TimeDaniels said it made him realise that he had done his job and admitted the toilet scene “will probably outlive us,” saying, “It will be funny 40 years from now.”

Dumb and Dumber spawned a sequel in 2014, humorously titled Dumb and Dumber To, but people were not as potty about it. IGN’s review of the movie said it was “innately enjoyable to see Harry and Lloyd again, but the movie itself never quite stands out” or offers up “enough to make it a truly satisfying film on its own.”

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.

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