Jim Carrey’s ‘Grinch’ Costume Was ‘So Painful’ That It Required ‘Torture Training,’ Says Costar
What To Know
- Jim Carrey underwent “actual torture training” with a Navy SEAL to endure the pain of the Grinch costume’s heavy prosthetics and contacts during the filming of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
- Costar Taylor Momsen recalled that the costume and especially the yellow contact lenses were extremely painful for Carrey, sometimes causing him significant discomfort on set.
- Momsen shared these behind-the-scenes details during a November 2025 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, highlighting the physical challenges Carrey faced for his iconic role.
Christmas season has finally arrived, and for many fans, that means it’s time to watch Jim Carrey‘s 2000 live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. But while Carrey’s energetic performance has made the movie a family favorite for 25 years, according to costar Taylor Momsen, the prosthetics required to turn Carrey into the Grinch were torturous — so torturous that he studied with a Navy SEAL to learn how to endure the pain.
On the November 5, 2025 episode of podcast Call Her Daddy, Taylor Momsen, who starred in the film as Cindy Lou Who, recalled to host Alex Cooper that Carrey’s costume was an intense physical ordeal.
The prosthetics, she said, “killed him. From what I remember, it was brutal on him. I think he — Jim, feel free to tell me if I’m wrong, but if I remember correctly — I think he went through actual torture training with a real Navy SEAL guy to learn how to deal with it because he’s so covered. I mean, the suit and the contacts.”
Everett Collection
The yellow contacts that help complete Carrey’s transformation into the beloved Dr. Seuss character were particularly painful, according to Momsen: “I remember there was a time when, because we had all that fake snow coming down and snow got underneath his contact and it, you know, killed him. So painful.”
Momsen, who later came to fame as Jenny on the original series of Gossip Girl, is now the frontwoman of the rock band Pretty Reckless, and recently released the EP Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas.
Check out the full interview below: