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Category: Interviews
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Published: Tuesday, 16 December 2008 17:32
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Written by Lupe Haas
It’s no surprise Jim Carrey’s career has lasted through hits and misfires. The energetic and positive funny man had the press and his fellow Yes Man co-stars (Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Danny Masterson) laughing and entertained throughout the press conference promoting his latest comedy Yes Man at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
In Yes Man, Jim is Carl, a negative person always saying no to life until he is forced into thinking as a yes man and agrees to everything. Jim took this to heart in real life. Jim Carrey took method acting one step forward with a leap off a bridge for a bungee jump scene in which he insisted on performing himself.
CineMovie: What was going through your mind when you were on that bridge?
Jim: Death. Lots about death and lots of crossing over were actually going through my mind. Prior to that I thought to myself, “They do this all the time. They’ve got this down.” But when I stepped onto that bridge - that was intense enough. “What have I done? Why am I doing here!” Then when I got my feet up on the ledge, it literally felt like a freight train going through my veins and body until I jumped. It was insane. I actually had post traumatic stress for about a week after the jump. I dreamt of hitting the ground. Those people who do it all the time are addicted to that adrenaline rush like you would not believe.
John Michael Higgins: Can I ask a question? You have a scene answering the cell phone while you’re hanging, did they reset the shot or was it all in one take?
Jim: I’m always trying to complicate things. At the last second, I was like, “Well maybe I can get that in!” So I made a styrofoam cell phone so it wouldn’t hit me in the lip, put it in my pocket, and gave it a shot. And I did it. Once I knew I was alive, I was fine.
CineMovie: Would you do it again?
Jim: No, did that and crossed it off my list. They didn’t want me to do it at all so I said I’m only going to do it once in my life so might as well get it on camera.
In a separate press conference with Director Peyton Reed, Reed tells us he took every possible safety precaution that day for his star and moved the scene to the last day of shooting to satisfy the studio, producers, and insurance company who initially refused to grant Jim’s request to bungee jump himself. Multiple cameras caught the one-time Jim jump and even Reed was surprised to see Jim have the presence of mind to finish the scene with him talking into a cell phone.
Jim took on other life threatening risks for Yes Man but his life was not in danger this time.
Jim: I had to learn Korean phonetically every day for four weeks with a Korean coach who literally is afraid to go back to Korea if I got it wrong. He would tell me, “No! No! No! This is serious. I will be hurt.” So I hope I got it right. But he was on me and it took a while. It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life but I was dedicated. Very dedicated.
CineMovie: Speaking of tough, what scene was the hardest to shoot or get through in the movie?
Bradley Cooper: The scene that didn’t make it in the movie was the brawl at the bar.
Jim: [laughs] Our true punk nature came out.
Bradley: [to Jim] You went for it. There were a bunch of stunt guys and extras, and Jim just said, “Let’s go for it. Lets mess around a bit.”
Jim: Let’s go melee! Hockey fight! C’mon!
Bradley: And Jim’s energy was so high that it made you want to follow, so we went for it. It started out as acting but then it got heated. Soon there was twelve guys beating the sh*# out of each other and Jim’s flying all over the place. It was unbelievable.
Jim: At one point, I turned around and one girl was punching me in the head. I also caught an elbow in the eye.
Bradley: [to Jim] You cracked me in the nose.
Jim: I cracked my ribs in another bar scene.
Zooey: And you were amazingly good-natured about it. I came in the next day and Jim would joke, “cracked rib” then laugh and you’d be like ‘Ow! ‘
Jim: They had to move all the physical stuff to the end of the shoot because I had three fractured ribs.
Zooey: But that didn’t slow you down at all.
As Jim Carrey’s love interest, Zooey Deschanel avoided the rumbling and death defying acts but she did bring her own indie musical talents to the music and lyrics for her on screen music band with real act, the Von Iva’s from San Francisco.
Zooey: I usually write alone so it was fun to write with other people and the Von Iva’s are so funny, talented and smart. It was a fun process joining their band for a week.
Jim: She blew us away with that stuff. We weren’t expecting that. . .
Zooey: Stop!
Jim: We were on the set and we were like, “What? This is fantastic.” We loved it.
CineMovie: Given the theme of the movie, would you consider yourselves yes people?
Danny: I said no to Spiderman. So no!
John: I say “yes” to everything. Have you seen my resume?
[laughter from the room]
Jim: I would say I am a yes man.
Bradley: I have to admit that after seeing the film, I was suckered into the movie in the sense that it got me thinking “I have to change my life around.”
Zooey: It’s exhausting to just say “yes” to everything for real even if it’s just for a day.
Bradley: Have you tried it?
Zooey: [guilty] No!
CineMovie: What’s the dumbest thing you’ve regretted saying “yes” to in the past?
Jim: [in a low voice] The Majestic.
[room gasps]
Jim: Sorry!
Danny: Getting the Brazilian wax. That hurt. 
Jim: Looks good though.
Danny: It’s really tight in there.
Jim: And great from what I’ve seen.
Zooey: I accidentally entered a youth pageant when I was fourteen. It’s a beauty pageant but without the beauty. It was terrible.
Danny: How did it happen accidentally?
Zooey: I thought it was a talent show. My choir teacher lead me on.
Bradley: I studied abroad and misread the form thinking 500 pounds was a lot of money to spend for six months there. I was wrong and broke for the last three months. I ate rice and oil for the remaining time. I gained a lot of weight.
Jim: I was eleven years old and joined the Sea Cadets which is like a military version of the Boy Scouts. They shave your head and humiliate you but you know what, if I hadn’t done that I wouldn’t know that I’m a useless maggot. So I’m glad. Saying “yes” always leads to something good.
And it’s that positive thinking that will have moviegoers returning to see Jim Carrey get back to his comedic roots in Yes Man opening December 19.
Watch Jim Carrey’s inspirational speech in Spanish.
