25 Things You Didn't Know About The Mask

16. Carrey Was Paid "Only" $450,000 For The Film

The Mask Jim Carrey
New Line Cinema

Jim Carrey ended up being paid a "paltry" sum of $450,000 for The Mask, which turned out to be an incredible deal for New Line, who got Carrey to sign on the dotted line just before the actor enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame.

Carrey also went on to star in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber in 1994.

With the latter being filmed in the summer of 1994 after Ace Ventura had become a huge hit, Carrey was then able to command a $7 million payday for the classic comedy, more than 15x his rate for The Mask.

If scheduling had worked out differently, Carrey could've demanded a similar paycheck for The Mask, and would've cost New Line an extra $5-7 million in the process. A worthwhile investment all the same, but clearly, they got one hell of a lucky bargain here.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.