Woody Harrelson Lost A Role In Jim Carrey’s Best Movie Because Of A Game Of Pool
Woody Harrelson was offered a part in Dumb and Dumber, but he ultimately lost out when he bet the role on a game of pool with the movie's director.
Woody Harrelson is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, known for embracing any genre of film. Currently, the Zombieland star is making the press rounds for his latest role as a washed-up professional basketball coach in the upcoming film Champions, and to say he’s been an open book in some of his interviews would be an understatement. In addition to telling CBS Sunday Morning that he regretfully turned down the chance to play Tom Cruise’s role in Jerry Maguire, the 61-year-old actor also lost out on a major role in Dumb and Dumber over a game of pool, according to Screen Rant.
The Oscar-winning performer made the embarrassing confession during a recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. He told the host that his roommate at the time, Peter Farrelly, offered him a leading part in the now-classic comedy film, and he challenged the director to a game of pool to determine if he would agree to accept the role. “If I win, I’m not gonna do it,” Woody Harrelson recalled telling the filmmaker.
Clearly, he won the game, as no matter how hard you search, the actor is nowhere to be found in Dumb and Dumber. Woody Harrelson told Seth Meyers that the intense game came down to a crazy shot with the eight-ball, which he shockingly sunk. As a result, the Cheers alum passed on the opportunity to appear in one of the iconic comedy movies of all time.
Although Woody Harrelson didn’t reveal which character he was asked to play in the 1994 film, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was a role that went to either Jim Carrey or Jeff Daniels. Peter Farrelly and his brother Bobby hadn’t had any success at the time thus the pool of actors they were picking from was undoubtedly rather small. Needless to say, Dumb and Dumber helped jumpstart long and successful careers for the filmmaking duo, and it made household names out of its two leads.
Fortunately, when one door closes, another one opens. While Woody Harrelson may have missed out on the chance to star in Dumb and Dumber, he did headline Kingpin two years later. Directed by both Peter and Chris Farrelly, the 1996 sports comedy centers on a star bowler whose career was prematurely cut off, as he hopes to ride a new prodigy to success and riches.
Now, nearly 27 years later, Woody Harrelson and the Farrelly brothers have reunited for another sports flick, Champions, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 10. Harrelson stars as a minor-league basketball coach ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Despite his initial doubts, he realizes this team can overcome seemingly odds and go further than he ever imagined.
Hopefully, Woody Harrelson’s recent controversial Saturday Night Live monologue, where he blasted Hollywood over COVID-19 protocols and made his anti-vax stance very clear, doesn’t deter audiences from seeing Champions when it opens in theaters next week. The film will have a hard enough time going head-to-head against Scream VI, which also opens on March 10. In addition to Harrelson, the Farrelly brothers’ latest film stars Kaitlin Olson, Matt Cook, Ernie Hudson, Cheech Martin, Madison Tevlin, Joshua Felder, and Ashton Gunning.
