Dan Marino explains how Jim Carrey persuaded him to do ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’
Dan Marino’s part in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” almost never happened.
The former Dolphins star indicated that he wasn’t thrilled about the role in a recent episode of Peyton’s Favorite Players. He even went as far as scheduling a dinner with the film’s star Jim Carrey to break the bad news. That is, until Marino actually met Carrey face-to-face.
“He came in this restaurant in L.A. dressed like Ace Ventura, like the pet detective with the tutu and everything, running around and messing with people — all the stuff he does in the movie,” Marino told Peyton Manning.
It would be impossible to turn him down even if Carrey acted half as foolish as he did in “Ace Ventura.” For those in need of a refresher, some of Ventura’s zaniest moments included coaxing a football player into punching him in the face, grabbing Don Shula’s arm from inside a postal box and even chloroforming someone — all to find a missing dolphin.
Carrey’s antics worked.
“I was laughing my butt off the whole time,” Marino said of his initial interaction with Carrey. “And then I thought about. I’m like ‘It can’t hurt, I’ll do it.’”
Fast forward 25 years later and it’s safe to say “Ace Venutra” wouldn’t have been the same without Marino. Despite his illustrious football career and legendary status in South Florida, the Hall of Famer says he’s recognized more for starring alongside Carrey.
“I didn’t think it was going to turn out to much but it did,” Marino said. “Kids will be like ‘Hey, you were in ‘Ace Ventura’’ way before they say ‘Hey, did you play for the Miami Dolphins?’”
While the recognition is nice, it probably all comes second to being able to claim one thing: you started Carrey’s career.
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 1:48 PM.
