2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas celebrates its 25th anniversary this year — and with that, the cast has been reminiscing about shooting the project, particularly highlighting an on-set incident where star Jim Carrey shut down a scene in which his young costar Taylor Momsen was moments away from being hurt.
“I remember when we were shooting the scene coming down the mountain on the sled. It was this real sled that was up on a giant spring that was being controlled and moving from side to side, very aggressively,” Momsen revealed to Vulture in its oral history of the making of the film.
She continued: “Jim is leaning over and being extravagant Jim. There was a moment where I almost fell out of the sled, and he freaked out. He called cut and started checking in on me. I was having a great time. I was laughing; I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I just almost fell very high off the ground.”
But clearly, Momsen felt protected on the set of the film. “I always felt really safe with Jim,” the actress, who went on to star in the original Gossip Girl TV series and front a band called The Pretty Reckless, explained. “I liked being around him. At such a young age, to watch an artist who is that serious at what they’re doing even while playing this very over-the-top character, it was clear to me how much he was putting into it and how much of an artist he was.”
For Carrey’s part, he told the outlet he could tell very quickly that seven-year-old Momsen was “an incredibly precocious child” who was “smart beyond her years.” He added: “Her comedy timing was impeccable. A total pro. I don’t think she ever went up on a line or missed a cue or anything like that.”
Momsen also revealed that she never knew what Carrey looked like in real life while they filmed the movie, only meeting the real him for the “first time” when they attended the film’s premiere. But just last month, the pair reunited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where they saw each other for the first time since working together.
“I turned around in the hallway, and she was standing there,” Carrey revealed to the outlet about their touching reunion. “I don’t know if she had heels or not, but she’s towering. I’m going, ‘What?’ She has a really powerful manner. I was so glad she’s done so well for herself. She’s been through some challenges in her life and come out the other side. It was very exciting to see her again. And she brought me a Crunchie, which is my favorite chocolate bar. That was awesome.”
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is currently available to stream on Prime Video and Peacock — and you better, this one’s a staple.
Photo by Universal/Getty Images.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
