The Truman Show initially had a much darker script for Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is one of the most successful comedic actors in history, with movies like The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar and Me, Myself and Irene going down as some of the best comedy movies ever.

However, he is also a celebrated dramatic actor as he is the recipient of two Golden Globe awards for Best Actor in a Drama.

Mahjong Scenes in Cinema: What They Reveal About Character and Culture

Thursday 8 January 2026, 08:23

From jump scares to jackpots: why horror movie aesthetics persist in modern online casino design

Tuesday 23 December 2025, 10:29

One of those awards came for his performance in The Truman Show, which tells the story of a man who lives an idyllic existence in a world populated by actors in a television show with him as the unknowing main character.

Within the movie, Truman lives in a paradisal existence in a town where everyone is friendly. But that wasn't always set to be the case, as the original script was actually set in New York and had a much darker tone.

READ MORE: Jim Carrey's best movies

“I did envisage something darker,” screenwriter Andrew Niccol told The Hollywood Reporter.

“In the original script, there was an innocent passenger attacked on the subway as a way to test Truman’s courage, and Truman had a platonic relationship with a prostitute.

“I always thought the premise was bullet-proof, and even though the original draft is set in an alternate version of New York City — if you can fake it there, you can fake it anywhere — I was happy to embrace Peter’s more idyllic, small-town take on a counterfeit world.”

The Truman Show alternate ending

At the conclusion of The Truman Show, Truman sails to the edge of his manufactured world, which is inside an enormous dome, and opens a door to start his new life in the real world before saying his catchphrase "In case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night."

Another planned ending would have had a darker tone, though.

“There was a lot of debate about how the mechanics of the set worked,” Niccol revealed.

“There was even a version where we followed Truman through the sky, and he encountered a studio tour and a souvenir store all devoted to him. In the end, Peter made the right decision to end it when he left the set.”