Funnyman Jim Carrey has proven time and time again that he has the acting chops to transcend any genre, but in the early 2000s, the actor got cold feet when it came to what would have been his first thriller: Phone Booth. At the time, he was still best known for starring in over-the-top comedy films, such as The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Dumb and Dumber. In the late 1990s, however, he earned more acclaim and awards attention for his performances in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon, which paved the way for more dramatic projects. Always one for pushing his abilities, Carrey chose to do the thriller Phone Booth as his one of his next projects.
Phone Booth follows a quick and intense plot line of a man confined to the titular location, trapped on a phone call with a sniper who is attempting to extort money with threats of violence and murder. Screenwriter Larry Cohen actually pitched the idea to Alfred Hitchcock in the 1960s — the master of suspense liked the idea, but they could never quite figure out the right ending. Fast forward to the 1990s, and everyone wanted to be a part of the project. Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Mel Gibson, Robin Williams, Anthony Hopkins, and Nicolas Cage were all attached to star at one point, and even Steven Spielberg was interested in directing because it reminded him of a traditional Hitchcock thriller.
Once Joel Schumacher signed on to direct Phone Booth, Jim Carrey became interested in the lead role of New York City publicist Stu Shepard. Schumacher had previously worked with Carrey in Batman & Robin, where the actor plays The Riddler. He was apparently fitted for the character’s suit in Phone Booth and even announced it as his next project while on talk shows promoting Me, Myself, and Irene. However, he got concerned right before signing the contract and called Schumacher to tell him he wasn’t comfortable with the part. Carrey instead chose to do the far softer and sweeter Frank Darabont drama The Majestic, a throwback to Frank Capra movies. A fan of James Stewart and not wanting to alienate fans, Carrey decided that role was far better suited for him.
A number of years later, Carrey would re-team with Schumacher for the ill-fated conspiracy thriller The Number 23, released in 2007. The dark and gritty movie was a major departure for Carrey, paving the way for more action and suspense films like Kick-Ass 2 and Dark Crimes. All three would be critical failures and box office disappointments, though, suggesting that while he had an appetite to attempt suspenseful projects, Carrey’s involvement in thrillers just isn’t well-received, particularly by fans of his lighter work.
Phone Booth eventually premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in the fall of 2002 and then released theatrically in April 2003, with fellow Batman movie villain Colin Farrell in the lead part. It was a hit, grossing $98 million on a $13 million budget and turned Farrell into a bankable leading man. Carrey has never commented on the lost Phone Booth role since dropping out. Perhaps he recognized that he was not ready to play such an intense part or was not suited for the role, but it would have made for an interesting watch had he taken it – at a time when he was at the height of his career.
