“He was about to take over the world.” Jim Carrey regrets that he was “stupid enough” to reject the director, who was later nominated for an Oscar
Jim Carrey to this day regrets that he turned down a collaboration with the talented director because he didn't know him beforehand and wasn't sure what would have come out of their t project.
It's nothing new with actors that they have projects they regret turning down, or directors they dream of working with. Jim Carrey, on the other hand, is haunted by the thought that he turned down the opportunity to work with a director who, years later, began receiving Oscar nominations.
When it came time to choose a director for Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, the sequel to Ace Ventura, Jim Carrey decided to give Steve Oedekerk, who worked as a script consultant on the first film and wrote the sequel, a chance. For Carrey, he was the perfect option, as he knew him and knew that their collaboration would go smoothly and that the film's star would have the freedom he valued in front of the camera.
But before Oedekerk was chosen, Carrey had another option before him. Spike Jonze, then a young director known for his music videos, presented his vision for the project. He was interested in it, but Carrey, by virtue of being unfamiliar with him and his work, turned down his offer, leading him to miss out on working with a future recognized and respected talent (via Vulture).
I was stupid enough to turn him down to direct Ace 2, ’cause I had no idea who he was. And he came in and pitched all kinds of sh*t, and he was about to take over the world and I didn’t know it. I was like, “I don’t know, this guy’s new.” And I’ve been kicking myself ever since.
Spike Jonze instead focused on other projects and a few years later was nominated for an Oscar for Being John Malkovich. More nominations followed, too, and even a win in the best screenwriter category for 2013's Her.
And Jim Carrey ultimately regretted his decision, because he found out what a talented filmmaker Jonze was, whom he had failed to work with because he had not recognized his talent before. But when years ago he had to choose between two directors who had yet to make a feature film, Carrey decided to bet on someone he knew.
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