It’s really not easy to be green.

Jim Carrey’s performance as the enemy of the holidays in the 2000 live-action film “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” came with a heavy dose of physical discomfort and mental anguish for the star, according to a full oral history of the hit film published Friday in Vulture.

His suffering was due to the elaborate costume, prosthetics and makeup required to bring Dr. Seuss’ furry character to life.

“The suit was made of yak hair that was disturbingly itchy and drove me crazy all day,” Carrey told Vulture. “I had fingers that were 10 inches long, so I couldn’t scratch or touch my face or do anything. I had teeth that I had to find a way to talk with, and I had full contact lenses that covered my entire eyeball, and I could only see a little tunnel in front of me.”

Jim Carrey may have gone through agony, but the outcome cannot be disputed.
Jim Carrey may have gone through agony, but the outcome cannot be disputed.

Universal Images/Getty

Producer Brian Grazer noted that Carrey was offered the option to digitally edit his eyes, but the comedian insisted on painful contacts, which Grazer described as “like Frisbees in his eyes.”

She also couldn’t breathe through her nose with her prosthetic and the makeup process took hours. After a long session in the makeup chair, Carrey threatened to quit, prompting an unorthodox solution.

“Brian found a guy who trained the military to withstand imprisonment and torture,” director Ron Howard recalled.

That man was Richard Marcinko, who was the first commanding officer of US Navy SEAL Team 6.

Carrey described Marcinko as “a gentleman who trained CIA officers and special operations personnel on how to withstand torture” and recalled that his advice to the actor included punching himself in the leg, eating “everything in sight” and chain-smoking.

For reference, here is Jim Carrey in 2000 without Grinch makeup.
For reference, here is Jim Carrey in 2000 without Grinch makeup.

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He previously detailed that latter coping mechanism in a 2014 appearance on the British talk show “The Graham Norton Show,” where he recounted that the torture expert advised him to “smoke as much as possible.” Since he smoked in disguise, this required “this giant cigarette holder so the yak hair wouldn’t catch fire,” he said, adding, “It was horrible.”