Actors Who Were Traumatized By Their Movies

Jim Carrey is a comedy star, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t dipped his toes into more dramatic waters. The 1999 biographical dramedy «Man on the Moon» is evidence of that. Carrey stars as Andy Kaufman, an entertainer struggling to find his place in the industry. It’s based on the life of the real Kaufman, though some changes were made.

Pouring himself into the role, Carrey opted to stay as the character the entire time of production, even behaving in ways on set that he wasn’t proud of. «Somewhere in the background, there’s a little piece of Jim going, ‘Oh, no, you’re not going to do that,’» the actor shared with the Los Angeles Times. «But I was just along for the ride.» Many of these interactions were filmed, but the footage wasn’t released at the time.

Because he lived as the character for four months, the actor found it hard to return to himself. «I was looking back at myself and going, ‘What the hell do I believe?’» the actor stated. «That was a process.» Though difficult, Carrey learned more about himself during the experience. «The process over time has been, ‘Oh, even that is not real. Even that is not solid.’ It’s disconcerting at first because it’s a death,» Carrey continued. «Sooner or later, I’m going to ascend out of that belief and understand: None of this is who I am.»