Jim Carrey’s record-setting $20 million The Cable Guy salary was a “double-edged” sword

Last Updated on June 21, 2024

As Chip Douglas once said, “Free cable is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” He might have a point there, and to many, The Cable Guy is the ultimate Jim Carrey movie. Widely reviled upon release – The Simpsons even made a joke about it nearly ruining Carrey’s career – it has since gone on to be one of the most beloved dark comedies of the ‘90s. Such a cult following it has that it was even part of a discussion at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

In a sitdown with star Matthew Broderick and producer Judd Apatow, the two remembered Carrey’s intensity and landing a $20 million payday, becoming the first actor to do so. On the hefty salary – which Carrey earned from his boffo 1994 (The Mask, Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber all landed in the top 20 for the year) – Broderick said, “Nice as it is to make all that, it put a lot of pressure on him in a way. It hadn’t been that long since he was relatively unknown and suddenly he’s the highest paid, you gotta be the greatest genius ever, every minute, so I was sympathetic to the pressure he must have put on himself. It’s a double-edged sword when you have that kind of success, I was sympathetic to that.”

Unfortunately for The Cable Guy, that pressure did not equate to box office bucks. While it did recoup its budget, it grossly underperformed based on Carrey’s recent hits. It, too, was met with mostly negative reviews, even going on to be nominated for Hastings’ Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy (that’s year’s winner: Bio-Dome).

Still, The Cable Guy has a legion of fans nearly 30 years on and is now considered a bit brilliant (it’s not just me, right?), with Chip Douglas standing out as one of Jim Carrey’s greatest characters. Honestly, I think it’s hands-down one of the funniest movies of the decade and deserves far more credit than it’s ever gotten.

Are you a fan of The Cable Guy? Where does it rank in your favorite Jim Carrey movies? Conclude your broadcast day by dropping your thoughts in the comments section below.