Jim Carrey is a skilled and versatile actor, who has starred in a number of critically acclaimed films, and reviews of his performances are consistently positive. In the 1990s, when he was at the height of his fame, he portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. Even though he gave a fantastic performance, the Canadian-American actor later admitted that he let himself get carried away with the character.

Carrey followed Andy Kaufman’s life in Miloš Forman’s Man on the Moon, beginning with his early years, moving through his time in comedy clubs, and ending with his rise to fame. The film emphasized Kaufman’s struggles to develop into a comedian, including his constant audience pranking.

Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon

However, Carrey’s method acting in Man on the Moon drew criticism from Martin Freeman. The actor’s performance in Miloš Forman’s 1999 film was described by Freeman as “selfish”. 

Martin Freeman Discussed Jim Carrey’s Man On The Moon Method Acting

Jim Carrey portrayed the legendary comedian, Andy Kaufman in the 1999 biographical comedy-drama, Man on the Moon. Even though the film did not receive favorable reviews from critics or viewers, the actor’s outstanding portrayal of Kaufman, for which he won a Golden Globe, is still remembered today. 

Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon

But Carrey’s method acting in the 1999 biopic Man on the Moon has drawn criticism from Martin Freeman, who referred to it as “narcissistic”. In the Netflix documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, which looked at Carrey’s portrayal of the comedian Andy Kaufman, it was revealed that the actor spent four months maintaining character.

In an appearance on the Off Menu Podcast, Freeman argued that Carrey “should have been fired” over his “self-aggrandizing, selfish, and narcissistic” approach to the role. The Sherlock actor criticized Carrey for going too far, calling it “highly amateurish” and claiming that

“Anything in our culture that would support or celebrate that is deranged, literally deranged.”

Martin Freeman

He said the following to hosts, James Acaster and Ed Gamble:
“I am a very lapsed catholic but if you believe in transubstantiation, then you’re going somewhere along the line of, ‘I became the character,’ no you didn’t, you’re not supposed to become the f***ing character because you’re supposed to be open to stuff than happens in real life because someone at some stage is going to say ‘cut’ and there’s no point going, ‘What does cut mean because I’m Napoleon?’ Shut up.”

Jim Carrey Lost Himself In His Role As Andy Kaufman

The behind-the-scenes footage from Man on the Moon was used in a 2017 Netflix documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. The documentary focused on Jim Carrey‘s preparation for the role of Andy Kaufman. In the same year, the Los Angeles Times interviewed those involved in the film, including Carrey, who admitted that despite the movie being a career-defining one, the actor lost himself in the role of the comic.

Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon

The Mask actor admitted there were times when he deviated from his role, adding:

“But pretty much from when I woke up to when I went to bed, the choices were all [Kaufman’s].”

When Carrey played Kaufman, he would also slam director, Miloš Forman with foul-mouthed insults, which made those around him uncomfortable because of his insistence on staying in character. However, the actor never stopped performing as the actor, now 61, recalled:

“I love Milos and I respect him greatly, but Tony doesn’t. Somewhere in the background, there’s a little piece of Jim going, ‘Oh, no, you’re not going to do that.’ But I was just along for the ride.”

Jim Carrey

Despite the film’s commercial failure and mixed critical reception, Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance, making it his second consecutive win after his award for The Truman Show.

The 2017 documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond detailed Carrey’s portrayal of Kaufman in Man on the Moon. It is streaming on Netflix.