On December 16, 1994, Dumb and Dumber was released in theaters and quickly became a success, grossing $247.3 million globally to date on a $17 million budget.
The movie follows Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) as they travel from Rhode Island to Aspen in Harry’s Mutt Cutts van, which is also known as the dog-shaped vehicle he used for his employment as a pet groomer before he was dismissed.
When driving Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly) to the airport, limo driver Lloyd falls in love with her right away. In an effort to win her heart, Lloyd steals her briefcase when she leaves it behind and persuades Harry to travel cross-country with him to return it to her. However, they were unaware that the briefcase contained ransom money for her husband’s captors, and two crooks are now pursuing Harry and Lloyd.
The Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter, who also directed Me, Myself & Irene, Shallow Hal, and There’s Something About Mary, wrote and directed the film Dumb and Dumber.
Dumb and Dumber To, which debuted in 2014, featured Carrey and Daniels reprising their roles.
Regarding the 1994 original, the cast of the adored comedy was completed by Mike Starr, Karen Duffy, Charles Rocket, Victoria Rowell, Teri Garr, Brady Bluhm, Cam Neely, and Harland Williams.
The Hollywood Reporter examines what these actors have done since the New Line movie Dumb and Dumber opened theaters in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the film.
Brady Bluhm (Billy)
Billy, a little blind youngster who lives in Lloyd and Harry’s apartment complex and uses a wheelchair, was portrayed by Brady Bluhm. Before they departed for Aspen, Lloyd sold Billy the parakeet that Harry had beheaded and taped its head back on. Billy mentions to a news anchor later in the film that he simply thought the bird was exceptionally silent. Christopher Robin has been voiced by Bluhm in Winnie the Pooh videos, computer games, and a TV short over the years. In The Crazysitter, Alone in the Woods, and The Last Man(s) on Earth, he performed as an actor. Additionally, he appeared in Clueless, Murphy Brown, Star Trek: Voyager, and he returned to play Billy in Dumb and Dumber To.
Cam Neely (Sea Bass)
Sea Bass and Harry first cross paths at a roadside cafe when Harry, attempting to avert ill luck, throws a salt shaker over his right shoulder and strikes Sea Bass in the head. When he approaches, he spits onto Harry’s burger. Harry and Lloyd deceive the waitress into believing Sea Bass wants to pay for their check in retaliation, and then they depart. They later cross paths with Sea Bass once more at a gas station. Harry accidentally knocks Sea Bass out while charging into the bathroom to put out the fire on his leg from pouring gas on himself as he prepares to beat up Lloyd. Cam Neely is a former hockey player who has dabbled in acting. He appears in the movies Stuck on You, What’s the Worst That Could Happen?, and Me, Myself & Irene (where he co-stars with Jim Carrey as Trooper Sea Bass). In a post-credits sequence from the movie Dumb and Dumber To, he also makes an appearance. There, he follows Harry and Lloyd after they unintentionally throw their milkshakes at his truck window.
Charles Rocket (Nicholas Andre)
The plan to kidnap Bobby and demand a ransom may have been the brainchild of Charles Rocket’s Nicholas Andre, but Joe and J.P. provided the necessary muscle. Being an old acquaintance of the Swansons, he was aware of their financial resources and that Mary would do whatever it took to win back her husband. He holds Lloyd and Harry prisoner and nearly kills them when he learns that they wasted the majority of the money and replaced it with IOUs. Following roles in movies like Steal Big Steal Little, Tom and Huck, Murder at 1600, New Suit, and Shade, Rocket had four more titles under his belt by 1994. In addition to recurring parts on The Home Court, Normal, Ohio, and Touched by an Angel, he appeared as a guest star on the television shows The Pretender, Grace Under Fire, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files, and The King of Queens. The New Batman Adventures, Men in Black: The Series, and Superman: The Animated Series all included characters that were voiced by Rocket. 2005 saw his passing.
Harland Williams (State Trooper)
The Pennsylvania state trooper who pulls Harry and Lloyd over for speeding was portrayed by Harland Williams. The trooper mistakenly drank Lloyd’s urine from a beer bottle because he believed the two men were driving while intoxicated. Williams’ career has soared since the film. The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, My Life in Ruins, Employee of the Month, RocketMan (1997), Half Baked, Superstar, Sorority Boys, and Fudgy Wudgy Fudge Face are among the films he has starred in. In Ned’s Newt, Gary & Mike, Meet the Robinsons, Robot and Monster, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Sausage Party, Skylanders Academy, Puppy Dog Pals, and The Addams Family, he provided the voices for several characters. In television shows like Simon, The Geena Davis Show, and Package Deal, Williams portrayed recurrent roles.
Jeff Daniels (Harry Dunne)
Harry’s best friend Lloyd was portrayed by Jeff Daniels. Harry is persuaded to drive them to Aspen so that Mary Swanson can receive her briefcase back after being sacked from his dog-grooming job by Lloyd. Daniels debuted in Speed earlier that year and has since starred in a wide range of movies and TV shows, including the live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians, Fly Away Home, Pleasantville, Gods and Generals, The Squid and the Whale, Because of Winn Dixie, RV, Looper, Steve Jobs, The Martian, and The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Escanaba in da Moonlight, Super Sucker, and Guest Artist are other films that Daniels co-wrote and appeared in. He played news anchor Will McAvoy in HBO’s The Newsroom from 2012 to 2014, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Primetime Emmy. Daniels will play James Comey in the miniseries based on the former FBI director’s book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, which is now in preproduction.
Jim Carrey (Lloyd Christmas)
By the year’s conclusion, Jim Carrey was certainly a household name because to his roles in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, two major comedic smashes that year that both inspired sequels. Since playing Lloyd in Mutt Cutts’ van and traveling the nation, Carrey has played the major parts in Liar Liar, The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Me, Myself & Irene, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Yes Man, bringing to life a variety of other characters. He also portrayed Count Olaf in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Horton in Horton Hears a Who!, the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
Presently, Carrey plays the title character in Kidding, a Showtime comedy that follows Jeff Pickles—a beloved children’s television character—as he navigates the challenges of his own life. The upcoming live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, presently in post-production, will include Jim Carrey as Dr. Ico “Eggman” Robotnik.
Karen Duffy (J. P. Shay)
J.P. Shay is literally Mentalino’s partner in crime. She assists him in capturing Bobby and obtaining the briefcase. When Mentalino passes away, J.P. assumes control of the ransom mission. In 1994, Karen Duffy also played an FBI agent in Disney’s Blank Check and the television series Reality Bites. She appeared as Linda Otter in Fantastic Mr. Fox and appeared in the movies Meet Wally Sparks, The 24 Hour Woman, Celebrity, Marmalade, and Pepper Ann. In the year following the release of Dumb and Dumber, Duffy received a diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis, a rare and incurable condition that affects the central nervous system. In her two novels, Backbone: Living with Chronic Pain without Turning into One (2000) and Model Patient: My Life As an Incurable Wise-Ass (2000), she talked about her experience with the illness.
Lauren Holly (Mary Swanson)
Mary Swanson only wanted to pay the ransom for her husband and go on with her life, but Harry and Lloyd had other ideas. Mary departs for Aspen after leaving a briefcase stuffed with cash at the airport for her husband’s captors in the hopes that she will soon receive her spouse Bobby (Brad Lockerman) back. In movies including Sabrina, Down Periscope, Beautiful Girls, No Looking Back, What Women Want, Changing Hearts, Down and Derby, The Final Storm, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, and Tammy’s Always Dying, Lauren Holly has played a variety of characters since 1994. She has appeared in repeat episodes of the TV shows NCIS, Motive, and Designated Survivor.
Mike Starr (Joe Mentalino)
In the movie Dumb and Dumber, Mike Starr as Joe “Mental” Mentalino, one of Mary’s husband’s kidnappers. After picking up the bag stuffed with cash at the airport, Lloyd is followed home by Mentalino. He eventually passes away after Lloyd unintentionally feeds him the rat poison Joe was planning to use to murder Harry and Lloyd. Starr has a full schedule. He appeared in 11 different films and TV shows in 1994 alone. He has since played parts in Bad Santa 2, Blood and Wine, Hoodlum, Jersey Girl, The Ice Harvest, Summer of Sam, Clockers, and Blood and Wine. He has appeared frequently on Mr. Mercedes, Joan of Arcadia, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, The Mob Doctor, and Joan of Arcadia.
Teri Garr (Helen Swanson)
Teri Garr played Helen Swanson, Mary’s stepmother, who arranges for Harry and Mary to go skiing together. Teri Garr is well known for her leading roles in Tootsie, Young Frankenstein, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Although she had already been semi-retired since receiving her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1999, Garr’s acting career began 30 years before the release of Dumb and Dumber and lasted until she officially retired in 2011. She played Phoebe Buffay’s birth mother in the TV shows Good Advice, Women of the House, Batman Beyond, and Friends. Together with her erstwhile on-screen daughter Lisa Kudrow, Garr has appeared in Michael, A Simple Wish, Kill the Man, Dick, A Taste of Jupiter, and Kabluey since the release of Dumb and Dumber.
Victoria Rowell (Beth Jordan)
Beth and Harry meet at a petrol station while traveling to Colorado. They find out at the film’s conclusion that she is actually an undercover FBI agent even though she tells them she is traveling to Aspen to get away from her boyfriend. In Barb Wire, A Wake in Providence, A Perfect Fit, Home of the Brave, Of Boys and Men, and Marry Me for Christmas, Rowell played the lead role. Rowell was a recurring character on the television shows Diagnosis Murder and The Young and the Restless, the latter of which earned her nominations for three Daytime Emmy Awards and 11 NAACP Image Awards for outstanding actress in a daytime drama series. She also had recurrent parts on The Rich & the Ruthless, Jacqueline & Jilly, and others. Rowell supports multicultural problems, education, the arts, foster and adopted youngsters, and big and small screen work.
