'Dumb and Dumber': Jeff Daniels feared flushing away his career with infamous toilet scene

Jeff Daniels is at the top of his game starring as an overly confident Southern real-estate mogul in Netflix's "A Man in Full." But more than three decades ago, the young dramatic actor, who had starred in 1983's Oscar darling "Terms of Endearment" and 1985's "The Purple Rose of Cairo," took the chance of his career.

Daniels agreed to star as "8 IQ" Harry alongside Jim Carrey's dimwitted Lloyd in 1994's unabashedly moronic comedy "Dumb and Dumber," despite his agents' warning.

"I had agents, who weren't wrong, telling me, 'You're a serious actor. This is not the direction you need to be going. We're going to stop this and get you off this movie,' " Daniels recalls. "But I wanted to shake it up with a comedy. And I wanted to work with Jim Carrey."

Daniels, 69, reflected on "Dumb and Dumber," which turns 30 this year, and why that infamous toilet scene was deadly serious business.

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How Jim Carrey motivated Jeff Daniels to plunge into 'Dumb and Dumber'

Daniels understood that a big risk was disappearing in the comedy, written and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, behind the force of the outlandish Carrey. Therefore scenes featuring Harry's high jinks, the more humiliating the better, were important to stand out. There were moments in the script like Harry getting his tongue stuck to a frozen pole and Harry enduring severe intestinal issues in the bathroom of his budding love interest Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly).

Those stupid showcases were key for the actor, who was cast even though the movie studio wanted a comedian for the role.

"It was like, I've got scenes. I knew I was going to score," says Daniels. "If (the Farrelly brothers) cut those, the movie was going to be 'Jim and the other guy.' "

They didn't get cut. Yet when it came to shooting the scene in which Harry suffers his prolonged intestinal purge on Mary's toilet after drinking laxative-spiked tea served by his jealous best friend Lloyd, Daniels clenched. He suddenly feared for his serious actor career.

"It's one thing to read the toilet scene, but then the day comes and we're actually going to do the toilet scene," says Daniels. "I told Jim, 'This is either the beginning of my career or the end of it.' Jim, who is fearless, told me, 'It's going to be great. You've just got to go all the way with it.' "

The pep talk pushed Daniels over the line and the actor gave it his all in the bathroom.

"That was a couple hours of porcelain gymnastics," says Daniels. "And that close-up when they pop in tight on my red face. I had been doing it so long, I had almost passed out."

Clint Eastwood was a fan of the 'Dumb and Dumber' toilet scene, and a sympathetic victim

If you're a movie fan who loves "Dumb and Dumber," and there are many, you love the toilet scene. Like Clint Eastwood, who introduced himself to Daniels at a celebrity golf tournament to congratulate him and commiserate.

"Clint says to me, 'I just saw "Dumb and Dumber" and you know, the toilet scene? That happened to me,' " Daniels recalls. "And then he tells a story about dating this woman that he really wanted to impress, but the shellfish hit him the wrong way from lunch."

Daniels' career fears were quickly, well, flushed away.

"I did my job, beyond my job," says Daniels. "In terms of comedic scenes, that toilet scene will probably outlive us. It will be funny 40 years from now."

In most other scenes, Daniels deferred to the comedy superstar Carrey, allowing the "Dumb and Dumber" pairing to succeed.

"Let Jim, as Lloyd, be the leader. You want him to do that, don't try to compete with him," says Daniels. "Let him go through the door first and you follow like a puppy on a leash."

"Dumb and Dumber" was a $127 million box-office hit that developed an even bigger cult following, which led to the 2014 sequel "Dumb and Dumber To." The continued success of the original is way beyond Daniels' wildest estimations.

"We thought 12-year-old boys would go see it," says Daniels. "We weren't prepared for the demo to go from 8 to 80. People are still walking up to me like it's their 'Citizen Kane.' "