Home Alone Star Original Director Of Jim Carrey Classic?
Hollywood sure is full of surprises and interesting twists. For an example, look no further than the tidbit recently reported by Deadline: Daniel Stern, the actor widely recognized (and beloved) for his memorable roles like Marv from Home Alone and Phil in City Slickers, was initially tapped to direct Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Who would have thought?
Daniel Stern Directing
Indeed, Stern’s directorial pursuits are significantly less known than his acting work. But his behind-the-camera resume is impressive. For instance, he directed the 1993 film Rookie of the Year.
Many will remember that Rookie details the story of a Little League baseball player who unbelievably and magically finds himself pitching for the Chicago Cubs.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective?
Directing the film paved a professional pathway for Stern, leading to a surprising offer—would Stern like to direct the upcoming, raunchy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective?
Ultimately, however, Daniel Stern turned this perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to direct Jim Carrey down.
Directing Offers
In a recent interview, the actor and sometimes-director revealed his thought process during this intriguing period.
The actor received a surplus of offers to direct films following the release of Rookie of the Year. At the time, though, the Home Alone franchise and shooting City Slickers preoccupied Stern, who was particularly and pragmatically interested in securing as much financial success as possible for the sake of his family.
Further directing, at the time, thusly lost out to acting, a more lucrative pursuit.
Other Directing And Movie Work
However, his directorial activity did not halt completely, as Stern involved himself in projects like Varsity Blues. Still, acting commitments led the day.
Eventually, in the world of TV, Daniel Stern would find his way back to the director’s chair in a big way (albeit without directing Jim Carrey).
He directed several episodes of the series Manhattan, a show centering around the storied development of the atomic bomb, i.e. The Manhattan Project.
His directorial skills also found their way to television classics like The Wonder Years, where he directed several episodes, even lending his voice as Adult Kevin Arnold.
For All Mankind?
He also briefly considered directing the soaringly ambitious Apple+ sci-fi series For All Mankind.
Although the project’s technical challenges and sheer scale ultimately motivated Stern to pass on the Apple+ juggernaut—at least as a director. After all, Stern plays one of the main characters in For All Mankind Season 4, Eli Hobson, the new NASA administrator.
While not directed by Daniel Stern (and instead directed by Tom Shadyac), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective nonetheless starred Jim Carrey in his breakout role as a leading actor.
The film charts the story of an eccentric and flamboyant private detective specializing in the retrieval of—you guessed it—missing animals.
Ace Ventura’s Impact
The plot revolves around Ventura’s uproarious and outlandish quest to locate the Miami Dolphins’ missing mascot, Snowflake, before the Super Bowl.
The memorable catchphrases, Carrey’s one-of-a-kind comedic stylings, and slapstick humor earned a vast audience and assured the film would be an enduring cult.
Perhaps in an alternate universe, Stern directed Carrey after all—and, who knows, maybe in this same universe, Carrey directed Stern in Home Alone?
We can only dream.
Source: Deadline
