A near-death experience left Jim Carrey with no breath during a recording of The Truman Show.
Crew members reportedly believed the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective star was acting, but the actor claims he came close to death while filming the movie. While Carrey found himself carried away and under by the “gale-force waves” members of the crew allegedly thought the Golden Globe winner was showing his acting prowess. It was far from such an occasion though, as Carrey confirmed he was pulled under and wearing “wool clothing” which made it harder for him to break through the surface. Carrey would confirm his near-death experience in an interview with Vanity Fair, where he claimed the crew had no idea he was in danger at the time of recording the storm scene featured in The Truman Show.
He said: “I was wearing wool clothing—a big wool sweater, wool pants, and shoes—and they had jet engines blowing on me, and they had these giant wave machines that were creating gale-force waves. They just saw it as acting.”
It was an extremely close call for Carrey, who confirms he managed to make it back to the top with a “couple of gigantic strokes” and his “last hint of consciousness” getting him back to the surface. He added: “I went under, I had no breath left, and I was drowning. I was under the water at the bottom of the pool. I almost died. That was the real deal.”
Director Peter Weir has since confirmed Carrey’s brush with death, saying the Hollywood star very nearly died on set. Weir said: “The incident in the tank at Universal that Jim refers to happened the way he said. Needless to say, we made changes to our safety procedures.”
Ever the professional, Carrey not only forgave the crew for not noticing his near-death experience during the sailboat scene, but returned to the tank for further takes. The Truman Show was a smash hit at the time of release, and cemented Carrey as one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Carrey would pick up a Best Actor win at the Golden Globes that year for his work on the film, while co-star Ed Harris would win a Best Supporting Actor accolade at the same awards ceremony. Despite the ongoing popularity of the film, a sequel or prequel has not been made, but it was considered according to screenwriter Andrew Niccol.
His pitch for the show was reportedly a series that wouldn’t “take anything away from the original.” He said: “In my version of a series, I thought it would be fun, if after Truman walked through the sky, the audience clamored for more (which you sense at the end of the film). I imagine there would be a network with multiple channels all starring a subject born on the show.
“If I set it in New York City, there would be girl living on the Upper East Side, a boy from Harlem, a kid from Chinatown, etc. Since they are all on their own channel and move in their own circles, they are never meant to meet. But at the end of the first season, the boy from Harlem and the rich girl find themselves drawn to each other.”
