Count Olaf, the evil uncle in “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” is mean. Responsible for three kids (after their parents are killed), he smacks them. He slave-drives them. He takes their inheritance. And yet... he’s lovable. In a gross, disgusting, disfigured, histrionic sort of way. Who else but Jim Carrey could play this guy? The rubbery actor manages to infuse even the most evil characters with charm. Carrey answers queries about the film, fame and the joys of playing a really mean “f**ker.”
QUESTION: You play Count Olaf, who is a pretty bad actor … JIM CARREY: I don’t know why they called me. I’m insulted, frankly.
Q: Was it a challenge to be bad at something you normally strive to be good at?
JC: It’s really fun, because when he makes choices you don’t have to do any research whatsoever. The thing about it is, he’s always Olaf underneath it all. And I love the idea that he thinks the children are stupid enough to never recognize him in a million years.
Q: We all have a strange relative similar to Count Olaf. Did you base him on a particular family member?
JC: Well, some of us are that strange relative. The weird thing is, Olaf wound up looking a lot like my dad.
Q: You employ all sorts of interesting techniques for scaring children in this film. Was there anything they wouldn’t let you do?
JC: There’s a moment where Count Olaf slaps one of the kids, and there was a question of whether or not to have that in the movie. I said, “You know what, Bambi dies, dudes.” Most movies that really connect with people have some kind of tragedy involved, and some kind of pain involved. I want to be entertaining, but the bottom line is that Olaf is a f**ker.
Q: Did your family turn to you for entertainment? JC: For years, I was the entertainment. It was almost a slavery situation. I’d get a knock in the middle of the night and my parents would say, “Get your tap shoes on, there’s company!”
Q: What do you do to stay grounded? JC: I have a royal inauguration for myself every morning before I leave the house [Laughter]. Look, I know we try to mythologize everything in Hollywood, so everything is blown out of proportion. As far as I’m concerned, what I do is I make movies that make people feel good for, like, two hours. That’s my thing in life, and I’m okay with that.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 17, 2004. Read the original PDF.