Jim Carrey Fought for This Controversial ‘Ace Ventura’ Co-Star to Be in the Movie
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is the movie that made Jim Carrey a movie star. He was beloved as a cast member of the sketch comedy show In Living Color but Ace Ventura began a quick succession of hit movies. The film was also a comeback of sorts for another actor, and Carrey was responsible.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.]
Sean Young spoke with The Daily Beast on March 22 about her trials and tribulations in Hollywood. Jim Carrey and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective were bright spots.
Jim Carrey insisted Sean Young co-star in ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’
In Ace Ventura, Young plays Lois Einhorn, a police captain who hates Ace. By 1993, when they were filming, Young had a negative reputation in Hollywood including a feud with James Woods, and an attempt to play Catwoman in Batman Returns that was not well received. Carrey saw through the rumors, though.
“Morgan Creek wanted someone else and Jim Carrey wanted me,” Young told the Daily Beast. “He fought for me. And I got the part. He’s the only leading man who ever did that for me. Jim came in and said, ‘No, no, no. Whatever you’re hearing is bullsh*t. She’s great.’”
Clearing up those Sean Young rumors 27 years after ‘Ace Ventura’
Ace Ventura came out in 1994, although there weren’t many more Jim Carreys in Hollywood to vouch for her. Hopefully, in 2021, people are ready to hear Young’s side of the story.
“Tim Burton didn’t have a sense of humor when I wanted to go for the part of Catwoman,” Young said. “This should have been funny, saying, ‘Who’s in the limo?’ and then going onto the Warner Bros. lot dressed as Catwoman. But they didn’t see it that way.”
Young dressed up in her own Catwoman costume and walked onto the Warner Bros. lot. Not only did Burton cast Michelle Pfeiffer, but the press of the ’90s portrayed Young’s ambitious display as a red flag. Young was close to appearing in the 1989 Batman but was injured during training for the role.
“I broke my arm,” Young said. “They did spring the horse-riding thing on me, and I fell and had an accident. Could they have kept me on the show and shot around my arm? They probably could have. I think [producer] Jon Peters had this hard-on for Kim Basinger, and he saw an opportunity to exit me, and he did. And no one ended up being very happy with that choice. But it is what it is. I had an accident and then got walked to the door.”
Sean Young is still working
Young has never stopped working, has credits through her most recent 2020 release Rain Beau’s End and more upcoming. Young said she did have to refocus her attentions in Hollywood after her experiences with big studio films and filmmakers.
I lost some enthusiasm, which I gained back in a different venue—smaller independent pictures. After I overcame my ego being bruised, because I did want to keep being a significant actress—and that eventually just died—I thought, well, it doesn’t really matter that I get to do great movies or lesser movies, what matters is that the audience will be able to see me all the way through. People will be watching Blade Runner forever, and then they’ll ask themselves, ‘Who’s that actress? Oh, what else did she do?’ and they’ll be able to find stuff I’ve done in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s—and maybe even my 70s. You never know.
Sean Young, The Daily Beast, 3/22/21
Source: The Daily Beast
