Most viewers don't know thatThe maskWaradapted from a very dark, morbid graphic novel series. In the process, the wearer of the mask became a psychotic killer who comically murdered victims for petty reasons. Of course, this isn't the final incarnation of the film, as it turned into a colorful comedy that played to its star's strengths.A lot of money was saved on special effects because Jim Carrey's body movements were so cartoonish that they rarely needed to be digitally enhanced.
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Many of his scenes were shot at will, and he based the bright yellow suit he wore on the suit his mother gave him for his first stand-up gig. By playing the mild-mannered Stanley Ipkiss-turned-crazy idiot, Jim Carrey was able to expand his acting range and show that he could play a semi-dramatic lead as well as a weirdo. It was also the first film in Cameron Diaz's career! With its bold graphics, quirky humor, and flashy special effects, it was a hit in the '90s and remains a cult classic. CBR is investigating where the cast is coming fromThe maskis now and how her life has changed over the years.
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15 JIM CARREY
The rubber-faced Canadian actor was practically made for playThe mask, especially given his outrageous body language and expressions, which complemented the CGI perfectly. 1994 was a stellar year for the comedian, with the release ofDumb and DumberAndAce Ventura: Third Detectivealong withThe maskto cement him as a coveted star.
While in the earlier films he played ridiculous tropes,The maskgave him the creative flexibility to play bothThe maskAndmeek banker Stanley Ipkiss. He could be hilarious in an understated way and even convey a range of dramatic emotions.Of late, a grueling court has kept his name up to date, but for all the wrong reasons, and his recent films have been less than well received, but hopefully he lands a project that showcases his particular talents.
14 AMY YASBECK
A comics actress in her own right, she played Peggy Brandt, the intrepid reporter who followedThe maskwhen his antics became notorious across town. Willing to do anything for a story, she used her friendship with Stanley Ipkiss to arrange a meeting with The Mask and after he transformed into him (unbeknownst to her) she turned him straight over to Dorian because Reporters make crap money.
In such hits as appearedPretty WomanAndRobin Hood: men in tights,The maskwas in a string of hits she starred in in the '90s. Before that, she had guest appearances on almost every major television showMagnum, P.I.TotrawlAndquantum leapIt was her turnwingfor several years thereafterThe mask, but after that it was back to cameos and guest appearances. She was also married to John Ritter.
13 Peter Riegert
as Lt. Mitch Kellaway brought a tongue-in-cheek wit and deadpan performance to a normally boring cop role for Peter Riegert. With lines as memorable as "These pajamas are impossible,Thereally happened,” he instantly became the perfect heterosexual foil for The Mask's outrageous antics. After appearing in such notable comedies asMASHAndTierheim, he was already a veteran comedy actor for over a decade before he signed on to act in the film.
In his more than 30-year career, Peter Riegert has appeared alongside numerous well-known film stars. On television, he has had recurring roles in dramatic series such asLaw and order: SVUAnddamage,as well as comedies likefathersAndUnzerbrechliche Kimmy Schmidt. He proves that a good character actor is always appreciated and can get steady work in any era.
12 RICHARD YOU ARE
Many of the great early moments inThe maskcame from Stanley Ipkiss' bank pal Charlie Schumaker, who played the smooth-talking Casanova to his confused Jedermann. Charlie invites him to the Coco Bongo Club and although he gets in, Stanley keeps getting kicked out. Richard Jeni has turned a usually hammy, unlikable guy into someone you might actually want to hang out with.
A comedy writer in the 80's,The maskwas only his second major film role. He would star in the television seriesPlatypus-Mannand most recently a cameo appearanceEveryone hates Chris. It was his stand-up that brought him the most awards, and he was a regularThe Tonight Showwith Jay Leno. He was found shot dead by his then-girlfriend in his West Hollywood apartment in 2007, and many famous comedians, including Tim Allen and Jay Leno, attended his private wake.
11 JIM DOUGHAN
Doyle was Lt. Kellaway's goofy partner assigned to the "The Mask" case, and often provided plenty of comic relief throughout the film (often at his own expense). Not the sharpest tool in the shed, he has an almost childlike wonder at the mask's antics, and while the good cop, bad cop routine has been played out many times, Jim Doughan does it with gusto.
A character actor who appeared in famous series during the 80's and 90's such asmoonlighting, night court,Who is the boss?AndThe golden girls,The maskwas hardly his first comedic foray. He also performedbuffy the vampire slayer,and in bothStuart Little1 and 2. His last two films wereEvan AlmightyAndHotels for dogs.
10 JOHNNY WILLIAMS
Burt was one half of the duo of mechanics who give Stanley Ipkiss his "loaner vehicle" when he has to meet Charlie at the Coco Bongo Club. It's his idea to cheat Stanley out of a lot of moneyAndGive him a complete junkyard of a car to drive. It collapses on the bridge, which Stanley eventually jumps off to retrieve the mask, which he sees floating in the water below.
With a career that began with the television showThe Harlem Globetrotters1970 and recorded guest appearancesStories from the Tomband play a heavy-inGoodfellas, he was already an established character actor by this timeThe maskcame out. He has had a steady stream of guest appearances on popular television shows such asRay DonovanAndThe Mindy Project, his latest project is the filmFrank and Ava.
9 TIM BAGLEY
The other half of the mechanic duo who rolls over Stanley Ipkiss is Irv, who may not be the brightest bulb in the taillight, but knows a quick buck opportunity when he sees it. He goes along with Burt's intentions to think Stanley a sucker, and when The Mask returns to the body shop to exact revenge for what they have done, he is painfully reminded that while a sucker is born every minute, Stanley Ipkiss, however, was not one of them.
Tim Bagley has had a lengthy career as a character actor in Hollywood, beginning with The Mask, his third film, in the early '90s. He appeared in every major show at the timeThe nannyToSeinfeld, as well asCurb your enthusiasmAndmonk. Catch him last in the critically acclaimedGrace and Frankie.
8 REG E. CATHEY
As the aptly named Freeze, Reg E. Cathey played one of Dorian's thugs who was calm and collected. While Dorian dressed himself with plenty of brawn, it was mostly in the shape of her signature black blazer, wearing Beefcake with a ponytail to complement his gun. Freeze was involved in the technological parts of the bank robberies orchestrated by Dorian until he was shot while on duty. Before dying in Dorian's arms, he gets one last cigarette stuck between his lips, but dies before he can even take a last drag.
His face is a familiar one from movies and television of the 90's, with roles inStar Trek: The Next Generation,air heads, Andtank girl. He landed in a recurring role in the 2000sounceAndThe cable.Most recently, he appeared in the current seriesPushed outand the upcoming movieherd of four.
7 ORESTES MATACENA
As the intimidating Niko who loved trying out his new 9iron with Minions, Orestes Matacena added just the right amount of thoughtful intensity to the normally thankless crime boss role. Maybe it's because he was born in Havana, Cuba, and as he patiently smoked a cigar while an idiot blared excuses about why they couldn't get a job done, you knew the next words out of his mouth would spell doom would.
His acting career began in the 70's, but he has also written, directed and produced many films includingInPlain view,Fatal Encounter, Andspoiled. Shortly thereafterThe maskhe wrote and directedbitter sugarabout growing up during the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. As a teenager, he took part in the resistance struggle to overthrow Fidel Castro himself. His last acting work was in the filmarbitrarily.
6 PETER GREEN
Tall, cadaverous-looking, with a deep voice and piercing eyes, Peter Greene made a formidable opponentThe mask. He played Dorian, Niko's right thug who eventually overtook his criminal empire looking to get his hands on the mask for himself. He also happened to be Tina Carlyle's boyfriend, which she knew was bad news but feared violent retribution if she tried to leave him.
Appears in such characterful films asLaws of GravityAndClean, shavedIn the early 90s he appeared inThe maskin the same year he appeared in Quentin TarantinoPulp Fictionas a torturer named Zed. He then went on to be in the critically acclaimedThe usual suspectsin 1995. He has recently made guest appearances on televisionHawaii Five-O,Chicago PD. and several independent films.
5 Nancy Fisch
As Stanley Ipkiss' grumpy neighbor, Nancy Fish gleefully played Mrs. Peenman, giving Jim Carrey a chance to have some of his most hilarious maskless encounters. Like a chicken-pecking partner or an overbearing boss, when he was having a bad day, she made it ten times worse with her high-pitched voice and relentless attacks on his character. Though no one in the world would want her as a neighbor and landlord, everyone can relate to Stanley's plight.
Nancy Fish began her acting career with a spot-onGeneral Hospital, then in small roles in films likeHoward the duckAndsudden impact,before finally backing up recurring rolesRoseanneAndBrooklyn Bridge. Then it was back to spots onStories from the Tomband an appearance inKiss kiss bang bang. She was last seen in the hitLegion.
4 HA NGUYEN
Something that immediately catches your eyeThe maskis the costuming. From the bright canary yellow zoot suit worn by Jim Carrey to the fiery red dress that Cameron Diaz flutters around in, the costumes are as much a part of the character as the actor's performances. This is the work of Ha Nguyen, a Vietnamese costume designer and executive known for her work on theCrazy professorSerie,Super 8, AndProtect.
In her early days, she continued to workTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Robocop 3,AndMortal Kombat. Other recent credits includeSagittarius, Priest, and the Sylvester Stallone action flickbullet in the head. When invited to join in 1996, she was the only Vietnam-born female member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. She also served on the Foreign Languages Committee for 10 years.
3 MIKE WERB
Both a producer ofThe maskand in charge of the script, Mike Werb has had a steady career as a screenwriter in Hollywood, working for every major studio. His first film credit was forThe mask, which led to him writing several other '90s fan favorites, includingFace/Off, and in the 2000s he co-authored the firstTomb RaiderMovie with Angelina Jolie. He was also notably a co-authorcollateral damage, the last major film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger before he became California's Govinator.
Lately he has written animated films likeCurious GeorgeAndfirefighter dog, as well asunnatural history, a live-action adventure series for Cartoon Network. His latest project isSalvation,a television series about a looming asteroid on a collision course with Earth.
2 CHUCK-RUSSELL
A producer and director of such genre films asEraserAndThe Scorpio King, Chuck Russell just hadNightmare on Elm Street 3: TraumkriegerAndthe blobunder his belt before signing on as a directorThe mask. At first he wanted it to have a dark tone since it was originally based on a Dark Horse comic book series that featured horror stories fromThe maskMurder people with various cartoon antics. Ever since Jim Carrey landed the lead, though, he's been keen to capitalize on the star's unique brand of comedy.
AfterThe maskhe ledBless the child the Scorpio King, an episode ofedge area,and then several years before nothingi am anger. He currently has two films in production due for release in 2017;Beautiful voiceAndThere Bucklige, withThe seven sinsplanned for 2019.
1 CAMERON DIAZ
When she signed on to play the sizzling Tina Carlyle, it was her first role in a major motion picture. Cameron Diaz wasn't the household name she is now and it would have been a few years agoThere's something about Mary. "The Most Beautiful Flower of Coco Bongo Club" was almost played by Anna Nicole Smith, but they decided to take a chance on a young model with no movie credits.
After her promising film debut, she acted in several films, especially in the 90sbe John Malkovich,Charlie's Engel, and adding her voice to Princess Fiona in theShrekFranchise. In recent years, she has been involved in charitable causes, producing and writing films with friends Reese Witherspoon and Drew Barrymore, and enjoying married life with her youngest husband, Benji Madden.
Would you like to see an official sequel to The Mask one day? Let us know in the comments!