While watching the 2003 religious comedy, Bruce Almighty, on TV the other day, I realized the film marked a critical turning point in the careers of two actors: Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. It's not very apparent within the film itself, but after its release, Carrey's popularity and marketability began to wane, while Carell's increased. What's funny about the whole situation is that it wasn't planned or expected; just another day at the office for everyone involved.
For those who went to theaters in the 1990's, Jim Carrey was a comedic dynamo of the silver screen. To use a boxing analogy, he was a heavyweight champion of comedy films, with several box office successes such as Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Liar Liar. Now, I won't argue quality because I know comedy appeal is very much a matter of taste, but it's safe to say he and his films were very popular. As the 2000's progressed, his number of hits declined sharply and there were longer gaps between his films. The more serious The Number 23 flat out bombed, while his comedies, like Yes Man and Fun With Dick and Jane, took a more dry approach rather than the slapstick he was known for. Bruce Almighty can be seen as a bridge between these two groups. It was definitely a successful film, with slapstick elements and a ridiculous premise. However, much of the humor is actually carried by the situations and special effects rather than by Carrey himself, who gives a pretty straight performance. Carell, on the other hand, got his own slapstick scene to show his stuff.
Carell was nearly an unknown in the 90's and early 2000's. His popular breakout parts such as The Office and The 40-year-old Virgin would not come out until 2005. He had a small TV presence through The Dana Carvey Show and The Daily Show, but nothing on the big screen (his only other film was a supporting role in 1991). His performance on Bruce Almighty garnered him attention from producers and directors leading to his first leading role in The 40-year-old Virgin (some of the early marketing for this film included footage from Bruce Almighty). With his first film a huge success, The Office was renewed for a second season, and the rest is history.
To return to the boxing analogy, Bruce Almighty can be thought of like this. Jim Carrey was the major heavyweight champ who could beat any opponent. Carell was an unknown brought in just to make the him look good, but he gave such a good fight that he got people's attention. He would lose the bout, but still become popular in his own right, later taking the title for himself. In the last decade, Carell has logged several blockbuster hits while Carrey has not. The recently released Mr. Poppin's Penguins, which was meant to be a throwback to his glory days, failed to live up to expectations. Carell was even called to lead the Almighty sequel, Evan Almighty, though I'm sure Carrey's "no sequels" rule was a contributing factor. Despite it's failure, it didn't slow Carrell down. Carell has carved himself into a highly marketable film comedian while Carrey slips closer to the precipice of yesterday's news. His fans can only cling to their DVDs and VHS tapes of better days long past.
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