10 Actors Whose Brilliant Moment Of Improvisation Landed Them The Role

Before 1999, Jim Carrey wasn't exactly known as an immersive method actor. In fact you could probably argue that he was the absolute antithesis of the term and his portrayals of the elasticated Ace Ventura (1994), The Mask (also 1994) and Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber (1994 was a hell of a year for Carrey!) only fuelled the impulsive acting style he was becoming known for.

That's why his ultra-realised performance as Andy Kaufman in the comedy-drama biopic, Man on the Moon, caught so many off-guard.

Sure, Carrey cited Kaufman as an inspiration of his growing up, but the level of dedication, even on a spiritual level - if his documentary on the film, Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond, is to be believed - defies everything that Carrey had sold himself as in the lead-up to one of the most convincing performances ever to appear on screen.

The seeds of this career-defining performance were undoubtedly planted in his completely improvised self-tape, which he chose to put together in order to convince higher-ups that he was the man for the job.

From his flawless vocal interpretation of Kaufman to his frenetic drum playing (accompanied by howling) and explosive dancing, Carrey absolutely nailed the essence of the ground-breaking comedian.

For better or worse, director Milos Forman had no choice but to cast him in the part.