Gross-out comedy and Clint Eastwood exist at diametrically opposed ends of the cinematic spectrum, but the iconic actor and filmmaker has lived through an experience ripped right out of Dumb and Dumber.
Even though the comedy hailed from first-timers the Farrelly brothers, the fact Carrey had already headlined Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask in the same year gave audiences a pretty good idea of what to expect from the road trip buddy caper with a farcical slapstick twist.
The star’s rubber-faced mania had turned him from an unknown into a superstar in a matter of months, but it was Jeff Daniels who proved to be the real surprise package of Dumb and Dumber. Best known for his acclaimed dramatic performances at the time, it was a huge risk for him to broaden his horizons with such unadulterated silliness.
In fact, in an effort to dissuade him from trying to sign on, Daniels was lowballed with a $50,000 offer, a drop in the ocean compared to Carrey’s $7million payday. And yet, he was committed to making it work, with the pair making for an excellent double-act that propelled Dumb and Dumber to massive success at the box office and gave it the status of one of the most popular comedies of the decade.
There are many memorable scenes and quotable exchanges scattered throughout the riotous escapade, but one of the film’s signature set pieces is undoubtedly Daniels’ Harry Dunne being caught with a bad case of the shits. With his drink having been spiked with laxatives by a spiteful Lloyd Christmas, his date with their shared object of affection doesn’t go according to plan when he’s cursed by the runs.
Where exactly does Eastwood fit into this? Well, as Daniels explained to USA Today, the four-time Academy Award-winning icon and star of countless classics, including the Dollars trilogy, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby, confessed to the Dumb and Dumber star that the exact same thing happened to him.
“That was a couple hours of porcelain gymnastics, and that close-up when they pop in tight on my red face? I had been doing it so long, I had almost passed out,” he said of his tour-de-force on the toilet. He then detailed his interaction with Eastwood, during which he shared his own memories of an experience he’d rather not relive.
“Clint says to me, ‘I just saw Dumb and Dumber and you know, the toilet scene? That happened to me,’” Daniels offered. “And then he tells a story about dating this woman that he really wanted to impress, but the shellfish hit him the wrong way from lunch.”
Eastwood holding onto the toilet bowl for dear life as his innards threaten to slip away conjures quite the mental image, although it would be fair to assume that he didn’t find it quite as funny in real life as he did watching Dumb and Dumber.