As the epitome of good-natured prankery, comedy legend Jim Carrey knows how to shock people. At any given moment, the man can pull a face or a pratfall that’ll break the room, with results that sometimes wind up on camera. One such example of that skill at work contributed one of the most memorable scenes in Dumb and Dumber, as Carrey mooned a co-star out of nowhere to help with his performance.
What makes this story even funnier is that scene partner happened to be Cam Neely, former right wing for the Boston Bruins. Though in this case, you’d know him better as Seabass, one of the truckers who Harry and Lloyd ran afoul of in the 1994 classic. Explaining why he needed such encouragement to the folks at the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Neely broke down this particularly rough day on set:
So the bathroom scene at the gas station, where I kick the bathroom door open… You have the stall walls and the door and then where the back wall and the toilet would be is the camera setup and the director and the guy filming. And then Jim Carrey was sitting on a milk crate in the corner. So I kick the door open, and I’m supposed to have this surprised look on my face. [And the director’s like,] ‘Cut, Cam, can you get a little bit more of a shocked look on your face?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK.’ Second take, third take, fourth take – now, I’m freaking out. … I’m like, I got Jim Carrey sitting on a milk crate, he’s making 10 million or whatever the hell he did for that movie. And I’m like, wasting everybody’s time.
At that point in his career, Carrey was a pretty big deal. Already a rising star from his time on In Living Color, the Canadian actor would score one of the ultimate hat tricks in 1994. With Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber all landing in the same year, that particular run yielded some of the reasons why Jim Carrey is the most important actor. But even in the middle of it all, it was enough to intimidate Cam Neely a little bit.
Working through those sort of nerves is what put Neely on the path to this cheeky bit of humor. As he continued telling his story, the hockey legend recounted framing his problem on set, which yielded a moment of Jim’s trademark kindness. This moment was soon after followed by the madman energy we’ve all come to expect:
So I pull Jim aside. I’m like, ‘Listen, Jim.’ I said, ‘Please bear with me. I’m really struggling here.’ He goes, ‘Ah, Cam, don’t worry about it. I’ve had some scenes that have taken 50 takes. Just relax.’ Next take, I kick the door open, he’s mooning me. So they got the shot. [Laughs]
In the end, the most important part of this Dumb and Dumber story is that they got the shot. Cam Neely’s reaction is certainly one for the history books, which might also be part of how he got to reprise the role of Seabass in both Me, Myself, and Irene and Dumb and Dumber To. Knowing the story that inspired his performance only makes his star making moment all the funnier, as you can see in the clip provided below:
While Jim Carrey may have left acting altogether, his legacy of laughter is still very much in play. As people like Cam Neely tell stories of personal interactions with the storied funnyman, his antics will continue to live on from both sides of the screen. In this particular case, it’s comforting to see Carrey and his devil may care attitude surrounding comedy being upheld.
Putting himself on the line to get the laugh has always been the thing, and this is just another reminder of what we’ll all be missing in the years to come. Thankfully, we’ll have movies like Dumb and Dumber, as well as viral talk show clips of Carrey in action, to keep us all laughing. Anyone who wants to return to the antics of Harry and Lloyd can do so pretty easily at the moment, as their big movie is currently available to stream with a Max subscription.