“I’ve been a ‘No Man’,” says Jim Carrey, who stars as Carl in Warner Bros.’ new comedy “Yes Man” which recently opened at No. 1 in the U.S. “I know a lot of people who are in that situation where they just avoid life. I live in the United States of Avoidance.”
In the film, Carl’s life takes an unexpected and radical turn when he grudgingly attends a self-help seminar led by a “Yes” guru who urges his devotees to say yes more and transform their lives. The initially skeptical Carl agrees to try spontaneity by saying yes… to everything. It throws him off course at first, but then it really gets him to take stock of himself and to invest in life again.
“To me, this is a movie about choosing to join life, and that’s what drew me to it,” Carrey adds. “Sometimes saying no is saying yes to something else, to something greater that will come your way. And sometimes saying no to an invitation is saying yes to a couch and some potato chips. Just do what’s right for you,” advises Carrey. “But it’s usually not the things we say yes to that we regret; it’s when we say no that we look back and think, ‘Ah, I could have lived a little bit more.’”
“Yes Man” is based on the memoir of Scottish-born author, humorist and television personality Danny Wallace who had trouble keeping his feet on the ground when he was approached by the filmmakers about transforming his book into a film. “There would be no ‘Yes Man’ without him,” says Carrey. “The man came up with a concept that’s right up my alley. I’m always looking for something that can be really hilarious but also has some aspect that you can chew on afterward. After seeing ‘Yes Man,’ the audience can go home and wonder, ‘How much do I say no? Should I say yes a little bit more?’”
As part of taking on the “Yes Man” role, Carrey had to perfect a variety of new skills he would need for Carl to take the leap of faith into the world of “yes.” Though he had dabbled in guitar before, now Carrey spent hours rehearsing the song he would eventually play during his scenes with a character who is attempting a different sort of leap. Carrey also studied Korean with dialect coach John Song in order to portray Carl’s mastery of the language. “When I got it down, people were really impressed, but it took me a good ten weeks,” says Carrey. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
In fall 2009, Carrey stars in “A Christmas Carol,” based on Charles Dickens’ classic tale, adapted by director Robert Zemeckis. Through the process of performance capture/digital 3D animation Carrey plays Ebenezer Scrooge, as well as the three ghosts that haunt him.
Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 21, “Yes Man” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment