This Actress Regretted Refusing a Role in The Mask Alongside Jim Carrey
How one single role could save a career, or even a life.
Summary:
- Anna Nicole Smith had a desire to become an actress and pursued fame.
- She had the opportunity to play Tina Carlyle in the movie The Mask but turned it down due to a low salary.
- This decision had a significant impact on her career, while Cameron Diaz got the role and became a Hollywood star.
A rising star named Anna Nicole Smith, who passed away in 2007, faced a decision that would become a pivotal moment in her career.
Her story, now captured in the Netflix documentary Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me, reveals one particular opportunity she missed out on.
How Anna Nicole Smith Got Her Career Off the Ground
Anna Nicole Smith, born Vickie Lynn Hogan, grew up with a burning desire to be an actress. Her early days were filled with imitations of famous personalities like Carol Burnett.
Smith's path to fame led her to the glossy pages of Playboy magazine, eventually becoming a recognizable face on Guess jeans billboards. However, her aspirations always pointed towards Hollywood.
The Mask (1994) Was the Role That Nicole Smith Needed, But It Slipped Away
In 1994, a golden opportunity knocked on Smith's door. She was considered for the part of Tina Carlyle in the blockbuster film The Mask, starring alongside the comedic genius Jim Carrey.
This role, however, came with a catch — a salary of $50,000, which Smith deemed too low for Hollywood standards.
This decision, as recounted by her friend and film producer Ashley Wells Lewis, was one Smith would forever regret. But in the end, they gave the part to Cameron Diaz, and she hit the big time thanks to the movie's huge success.
How This Choice Impacted Anna Nicole Smith’s Career
Smith's choice to turn down The Mask had a profound impact on her career trajectory. While Diaz soared to new heights in Hollywood, Smith found herself navigating a different path.
She dabbled in various film projects like Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult and The Hudsucker Proxy, but her career didn't take the turn she had hoped for. Lewis, who lived with Smith for a time, observed how this decision haunted Smith and believes it could have set her on a more fulfilling path.
Anna Nicole Smith’s Later Moved to Reality TV
In the years following, Smith shifted her focus to reality television, starring in The Anna Nicole Show in 2002. This late-career pivot, according to Lewis, contributed significantly to her eventual downfall.
Smith's life came to a tragic end in 2007 because of an accidental drug overdose.