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Hollywood Feuds – Part One: Jim Carrey Vs. Tommy Lee Jones

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Introduction

As long as there has been Hollywood there have been Hollywood feuds. Instances when those behind or in front of the camera, or both, simply could not agree to disagree. A town of tinsel and egos, it is no surprise that not every personality gels. It is a place of work and industry; and have you liked every single colleague you have ever worked with?

Often the drama behind the scenes can enhance what appears onscreen, and sometimes even overshadow it. But, there’s no such thing as ‘Bad PR.’ We as an audience love a good Hollywood Feud. It equates to our natural habit of ‘gossiping’ about our work colleagues, whispering about our schoolmates behind their backs, as we as a species and as an audience thrives on schadenfreude: the pleasure derived from another person’s misfortune.

We relish seeing stars we admire/detest not getting on. They are living the dream, and have everything they want given to them on a silver platter. So, how can they possibly have anything to argue about? But they do, and that brings them back down to earth in our eyes. They are human beings with emotions that include jealousy, frustration, laziness, and anger. These feuds bring them down to our level, as mere mortals.

Over a series of retrospectives, Cinema Scholars will be taking a jump into the ring and revealing the root causes of some of the sublime to ridiculous Hollywood Feuds. Who was involved? How did it start? Did it affect the end product? Did it ever end? Let us begin with a behind-the-scenes feud that was to commence 30 years ago, as production was about to begin on the comic book movie Batman Forever.

Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey in a scene from “Batman Forever” (1995). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

A Surprise Casting 

In 1994, production began on the third in the series of films that finally brought The Dark Knight to the big screen, following director Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and his follow-up sequel, Batman Returns (1992). Batman had been a huge hit and its impact still has major repercussions on the genre to this day. The second film is still highly regarded but at the time was seen as over-stylized and too scary for a McMovie.

Warner Bros wanted to bring back the camp and color of the 1960s TV show, thus asking Tim Burton to take a backseat as producer and brought in Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo’s Fire, The Lost Boys, Falling Down) to fill the director’s chair. A new Caped Crusader was also required. Due to creative differences over the direction that the characterization of Bruce Wayne was going, Michael Keaton declined to fill the cowl for the third time (and $15 million to do so). Val Kilmer was hired for the role. Keaton later revealed to the Backstage podcast:

“I remember one of the things that I walked away going, ‘Oh boy, I can’t do this.’ He (Schumacher) asked me, ‘I don’t understand why everything has to be so dark and everything so sad,’ and I went, ‘Wait a minute, do you know how this guy got to be Batman? Have you read… I mean, it’s pretty simple.”

Jim Carrey in a promotional photo for “Batman Forever” (1995). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Villains

Attention then turned to the key casting of the two main villains: Two-Face and The Riddler. This being the pre-internet days, fans relied on lore and what they heard on the news. Thus many were assuming Billy Dee Williams would return as Harvey Dent, Gotham District Attorney (who transforms into the psychotic Two-Face), after playing the role in Batman. Burton had indeed planned to use Williams in the future, but Williams was only contracted for 1989’s Batman. Then, it had been rumored that comedy legend, Robin Williams had been offered the part of The Riddler. Neither turned out to be the case. As Schumacher explains:

“I always wanted Tommy Lee Jones. I didn’t consider Billy Dee Williams for the role, because I think that he is a hero. I always see him like Clark Gable. I had just finished working with Tommy Lee Jones on The Client, and I thought he would be a great Harvey Dent\Two-Face.”

Meanwhile, in June 1994, Robin Williams turned down the role of The Riddler, while at the time Carrey had become hot property after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). Plus, Schumacher had known Carrey since the mid-1980s and felt that he was perfect for the part. Both Carrey and Jones’ respective Apex Mountains are celebrated elsewhere on this site, and we at Cinema Scholars do not take sides.

1994 was a huge year for this pair of much-loved performers. Jones received the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Fugitive (1993) and Carrey changed the comedy landscape with three #1 Box Office smashes (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber) that year. One would think they would both be on a high and ready to cut loose and have fun as legendary DC villains together. Not so.

In Production

Batman Forever was a completely different take on the Dark Knight from the Burton era. It was essentially a clean slate, with only Michael Gough and Pat Hingle returning in their respective roles as Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon. From the opening sequence, we subconsciously knew this was not Keaton’s Bat-verse. The movie was neon bright, loud, and made to sell toys and Happy Meals (Kilmer’s Batman’s very first line is a product placement).

Everything from the sets to costumes to the make-up is garish and done with a comedic tone, which is transferred to the characters. And Carrey’s characterization and performance perfectly encapsulates the movie. Carrey is having a ton of fun in the role. He is mining it for comedy but also enjoys bringing in the threat, menace, and mischief. He is a ball of extroverted energy, and like his character’s alter ego, Edward Nygma, he wants to be recognized for the genius that he is!

This is where Schumacher believes the cracks appeared quickly. In particular, Jones, as a ‘film actor’ as opposed to a ‘movie star’, became irritated by Carrey because of his extremely loud and gregarious personality. Schumacher muses:

“Tommy Lee is, and I say this with great respect, a scene stealer. Well, you can’t steal the scene from Jim Carrey. It’s impossible. And I think it irked Tommy Lee.”

Tommy Lee Jones in a promotional photo for “Batman Forever” (1995). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Strained Relationship

We can deduce that Carrey has the same personality off-camera as on, in many cases. So while Jones, a more senior pro, and perhaps used to more of the limelight, having been somewhat of the breakout star of his two previous films, Under Siege (1992) and The Fugitive (1993), his ego may be taking a hit from the Riddler’s cane. Since Jones and Carrey share a lot of screen time, this led to a lot of behind-the-scenes aggression building. Schumacher again noted:

“(Jones) was fabulous on The Client. But he was not kind to Jim Carrey when we were making Batman Forever.”

Carrey may have been working in blissful ignorance, enjoying himself as much as his performance indicated, he did not even notice that his co-star was not enjoying the working relationship. However, Carrey was left in no doubt after a chance encounter with Jones at a restaurant. Moreover, in recent years, Carrey has enjoyed sharing the story:

“I went over and I said, ‘Hey Tommy, how you doin’?’ and the blood just drained from his face like he had been thinking about me for 24 hours a day. He started shaking and he got up, he must have been in a mid-kill-me fantasy or something like that. He went to hug me and he said, ‘I hate you. I really don’t like you.‘ And I said, ‘Gee, man, what’s the problem?’ And I pulled up a chair, which probably wasn’t smart”

Then came Jones’ utterly iconic response:

“I cannot sanction your buffoonery.”

The Aftermath

Batman Forever was a box office success. Grossing over $336 million worldwide, it was one of the Top 5 highest-grossing films of the year. So there was no direct impact on the film’s financial taking, in fact, the film’s success arguably led to the franchise’s own (short-term) downfall with Batman and Robin (1997). Additionally, a feud between Kilmer and Schumacher led to the decision of the former to leave the main role.
Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones in a scene from “Batman Forever” (1995). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Carrey in the years that followed laughs about the feud and says their onscreen chemistry was great. He has openly admitted he is still a huge fan of Jones and simply regrets the fact that:

“…every once in a while, somebody you really admire hates your guts…”

Carrey would then go on to become Hollywood’s first $20 million man in Ben Stiller’s The Cable Guy (1996) opposite Matthew Broderick. He then followed that up with a period of dramatic roles including The Truman Show (1998), Man on the Moon (1999), The Majestic (2001), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), attempting to become the modern version of his cinematic hero, James Stewart. He most recently returned to the family-friendly-franchise fare of the Sonic The Hedgehog films.

Jones, has never discussed the feud on record and has gone on to critically acclaimed roles in the likes of No Country for Old Men (2007), and an Oscar-nominated performance in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012). He was even there at the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Conclusion

No performers were harmed in the making of this feud. All we can say is two disparate personalities did not gel behind the camera. One colorful, enthusiastic, and energetic, and the other…Tommy Lee Jones.
What is your favorite Hollywood Feud – let us know on our social media channels and we’ll do a deep-dive for you!

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