The secrets of Jim Carrey’s Christmas set ‘The Grinch’

Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, had been fiercely protective of his work. But after his death in 1991, his widow, Audrey Geisel, began to gently open the door to Hollywood.

In 1998, she invited pitches for a live-action Grinch – with rock-solid rules. Any actor considered for the role had to be “of comparable stature to Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman.”

Writers and directors, she added, had to be proven million-dollar talents.

When Geisel visited Carrey on the set of Man on the moon in 1999, he was still deep in character as Andy Kaufman — so deep that he referred to “Jim” in the third person.

Director Ron Howard later recalled how Carrey suddenly turned away, then slowly turned around to reveal the Grinch’s unmistakable face, using only his own expressions.

Geisel called it “the most impossible smile a human can generate.”

Shortly afterwards she granted the rights.