Death at 20, 'utterly dark hole of depression & substance abuse' – the curse of The Grinch movie for the Christmas cast

12/20/2024 07:30 AM

THE Grinch has become a beloved character that is synonymous with the festive season.

And while the 2000 adaption is a certified classic, the cast has been marred with a variety of issues over the years.

The Grinch character dates back to 1957 and appeared in various cartoon adaptions since then.

However, Jim Carrey is the only actor to bring the iconic Dr. Seuss character to life in How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

And while the film became an instant hit, several of the stars have faced struggles since its release.

Jim Carrey

Playing the titular character, Carrey was one of the late Dr. Suess’ wife’s top picks for the role.

With years of comedic experience, he easily embodied the dramatic recluse who eventually discovers the true meaning of Christmas.

However, Carrey’s personal life was quite the opposite of the film’s funny and heart-warming tale.

In 2015, the actor’s on-again-off-again girlfriend Cathriona White, 30, took her own life, leading to a myriad of accusations against Carrey.

The Irish make-up artist had left a series of notes claiming the actor, who was 25 years her senior, had introduced her to a life of sex and drugs when they first met in 2012.

“You did good things for me but being with you broke me down as a person, Jim,” White wrote in a message left on her iPad.

“I was promised Jekyll and instead I got Hyde.

 “Because I love you I would have stuck out Hyde all year and done everything he wanted to be with Jekyll for five of those, but you threw me away when you absorbed anything worthwhile that was left of me.”

She also accused Carrey, who became the first movie actor to receive a $20 million paycheck for his role as the Grinch, of “giving her” herpes.

The actor attended her funeral in County Tipperary but soon after a rift formed between him and the White family.

Her mother and estranged husband even attempted to sue Carrey for causing White mental distress that led to her suicide.

While the case was eventually dismissed, the Canadian star has since retreated from the limelight.

He also countersued the family, saying he had already paid White an undisclosed sum to settle her STD claims.

In a statement after Cathriona’s death, the actor described her as a “truly kind and delicate Irish flower, too sensitive for this soil.”

Speaking in relation to the White family’s law suit, his publicist said: “All I can say is the case was dismissed and I have no further comment.”

Carrey most recently appeared in the Sonic the Hedgehog films, saying he “needed the money” but has otherwise remained out of the public eye.

Taylor Momsen

The actress was just seven-years-old when she took on the role of Cindy Lou Who, the little girl who befriends the Grinch.

Now 31, she described struggling through an “utterly dark hole of depression and substance abuse” as she transitioned from acting to becoming the front woman of punk rock band The Pretty Reckless.

While Momsen went on to star in other iconic roles such as the President’s daughter in Spy Kids and series regular Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl, she eventually made a permanent move to music.

Swapping out her squeaky clean child star image for bleached hair, thick eyeliner, and ripped tights, she spoke to Metro.co.uk about her experience lose two close friends in the music industry.

“It crushed me in a way that I can’t explain and I was not prepared for as a person,” she recalled, speaking about Soundgarden vocalist and guitarist Chris Cornell who died by suicide aged 52 in 2017.

“I wasn’t in a good place mentally to be public, I cancelled touring, I went home.

“I needed to attempt to process what had happened and kind of get my s**t together.”

The following year, record producer Kato Khandwala died in a motorcycle accident, leaving Momsen at a loss once again.

“It was the nail in the coffin for me,” Taylor said, explaining that they were “so immensely close.”

“He was so much more than a producer, he was a fifth member of the band and my best friend in the world.”

Joshua Ryan Evans

While Evans’ role as the young Grinch became a favourite among fans, his career was cut short by sudden passing just two year’s after the film’s release.

Evans had a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, which made him appear younger than his years.

This condition allowed him to wow audiences by playing the role of the eight-year-old Grinch while already in his teens.

Joshua died during a medical procedure at a hospital in San Diego in July 2002 at the age of 20, according to reports by CBS.

The young actor was reportedly undergoing an operation to correct a congenital heart condition.

Jeffrey Tambor

The 80-year-old actor has a long and extensive list of credits, including Mayor Augustus of Whoville.

However, since starring in the festive flick, Tambor has faced allegations of sexual misconduct that resulted in his firing from Amazon’s Transparent in 2018.

The Emmy-award winning actor has denied the accusations, even claiming that they were part of “a coup” to have him removed from the hit series.

He went on to say that the creators of the show had been looking for a way to write him out “because I was a cisgender male playing (trans character) Maura Pfefferman.”

While the #MeToo statement released by Tambor’s assistant never directly named the actor, he disputed the claims made.

He referred to the woman as “a former disgruntled assistant,” adding that he was “appalled and distressed” by her “baseless” allegations.

Christine Baranski

Before her roles in Mamma Mia! and The Big Bang Theory, Baranski was known for playing Martha May Whovier, the Grinch’s childhood crush.

Now 72, the actress had an immensely successful career, however, she admitted to struggling in her personal life since the loss of her husband Matthew Cowles 10 years ago.

Cowles, who died from heart failure aged 69, shared daughters Isabel, 40, and Lily, 37, with the actress.

In 2017, Baranski spoke about her journey through grief in an interview with Parade.

“There’s no shortcut to grief. A few months after Matthew passed away I had to be back in front of a camera, but it helped to be with my community of people,” she said.

“They all knew and loved me, so going back to work was good. Still, for the first month or so, you’re rather numb.

“The death of a loved one is not only deeply sad but also very disorienting.”

She went on to describe how adjusting to her new normal was a significant part of her struggle.

“When you’ve had a 30-year marriage and sat across from this person every morning having coffee, it’s so strange,” Baranski said.

“Someone is there and then suddenly they’re not there to talk to ever again.”