Buzz
At the height of their creative prowess, Bobby and Peter Farrelly helmed There’s Something About Mary. This 1998 comedy grossed nearly $370 million at the box office, pushing the boundaries of political correctness and challenging audiences with its portrayal of a man’s emotional and physical struggles. Below are some fascinating details about the film that launched Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz into stardom.
1. JON STEWART NEARLY PLAYED TED.
Ben Stiller secured the role of Ted Stroehmann, beating out Owen Wilson and the future anchor of The Daily Show.
2. CHRIS FARLEY TRIED OUT FOR THE ROLE OF WARREN.
As W. Earl Brown revealed, the actor who ultimately portrayed Mary’s intellectually disabled brother shared that the Farrellys first considered comedians for the role. Brown’s casting was poetic justice; he had previously lost a Second City improv group audition to Farley years before.
3. TUCKER WAS PORTRAYED BY A RENOWNED BRITISH COMEDIAN.
Lee Evans took on the role of Tucker, Mary’s British architect friend who is actually Norm, a down-on-his-luck American pizza delivery guy. Evans, honored with a Special Contribution to Comedy award at the 2011 British Comedy Awards, is often hailed as the “most accomplished comedian in Great Britain.”
4. BRETT FAVRE WAS THE FARRELLY BROTHERS’ THIRD OPTION.
Drew Bledsoe, the New England Patriots quarterback, was initially offered the role of Mary’s ex-boyfriend, but he turned it down (later calling it one of the greatest regrets of his life). Next, the Farrellys approached 49ers quarterback Steve Young, who refused, worried that Mormon kids might sneak into an R-rated film to see him.
5. CAMERON DIAZ REVISITED HER HIGH SCHOOL FOR RESEARCH.
She went back to Long Beach Polytechnic High School to reconnect with her teenage self for the prom flashback scenes at the movie’s start. Diaz had been a year behind Snoop Dogg at Long Beach Poly.
6. DIAZ WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE "HAIR GEL SCENE."
Diaz feared the audience might be too repulsed by the physical humor to laugh, potentially damaging her career. To address this, an alternate version of the date scenes was filmed without the hair mishap. After test audiences roared with laughter at the original scene, Diaz felt reassured.
7. BEN STILLER ALSO STRUGGLED WITH THE SCENE.
Stiller was puzzled about how his character wouldn’t notice something hanging from his ear. He even proposed adding a backstory where Ted had lost sensation in his ear. The directors simply told him to stop overthinking it.
8. WARREN WAS INSPIRED BY A REAL INDIVIDUAL.
Warren Tashjian, the older brother of one of the Farrellys' childhood friends, served as the inspiration for the character. Tashjian also made a cameo in the film as Freddy.
9. MANY FAMILY MEMBERS PLAYED A PART IN THE FILM.
Nancy, Bobby Farrelly’s wife, portrayed the woman inquiring about class action lawsuits. Docky and his wife were played by the Farrellys’ own parents, and Cameron Diaz’s father took on the role of the long-haired inmate.
10. CHRIS ELLIOTT ENHANCED HIS WOOGIE CHARACTER.
The unsightly facial warts and the obsession with shoes were both creative additions by the comedic actor himself.
11. DIAZ AND MATT DILLON WERE IN A RELATIONSHIP DURING PRODUCTION.
Diaz and Dillon (who played Pat Healy) had been together for three years, having met in Minnesota while filming Feeling Minnesota and Beautiful Girls, respectively. However, their relationship ended soon after the movie wrapped.
12. PUFFY WAS ACTUALLY A FEMALE DOG.
She was a Border terrier named Slammer, who shared a trailer with Chris Elliott during filming.
13. SULLY’S FATE WAS REMOVED FROM THE THEATRICAL RELEASE.
As per the screenplay and deleted scenes, after Healy coerces Sully (Jeffrey Tambor), a recovering addict, into drinking a beer, he relapses completely and ends up being devoured by his pet python.
14. PLANTATION, FLORIDA REQUESTED TO BE OMITTED FROM THE CREDITS.
The town’s City Hall was transformed into Rhode Island’s Cumberland High School, and Plantation received $2,500 for its cooperation. However, the City Council President, a conservative Catholic, refused to watch the film after reading reviews and felt the council had been “misled” by the filmmakers.
15. THE STUDIO PROPOSED A SEQUEL, BUT THE FARRELLYS DECLINED.
Peter Farrelly revealed that 20th Century Fox pushed for a follow-up, suggesting titles like There’s Something About Mary 2 or There’s Something More About Mary. The brothers, however, believed a sequel wouldn’t be logical.
