"He was never scary to me": Taylor Momsen catches up with 'Grinch' co-star Jim Carrey after 25 years

Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen reunited at the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles, 25 years after starring together in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Carrey, now 63, and Momsen, 32, posed together at the Peacock Theater on Saturday, November 8, 2025. 

Momsen was seven at the time she played Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch. She recalled her experience working on the film a couple of days earlier, while appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper on November 5, 2025. With Carrey always being in his iconic green make-up on set, Momsen did not initially know what he actually looked like and only found out at the premiere. 

However, she was always comfortable working with him, as Momsen shared, “I get asked a lot if he scared me, because I think a lot of kids were scared of the Grinch. He was never scary to me. To me, he was always Jim, and he was always in makeup.” 

“He was very protective of me,” she continued. “He was very kind, super funny, super animated, absolutely awesome. But the funny thing is, I never knew what Jim Carrey looked like because I never saw him because he was there way early doing the prosthetics. I didn't know who Jim was until the premiere, and someone had to point him out to me and go, ‘That’s Jim,’  And I went, ‘Oh, Jim.’”

Taylor Momsen and Jim Carrey share their feelings about The Grinch 

With the holiday season fast approaching, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is soon to be the perfect movie to stream. Even after a quarter of a century, the movie has its appeal among viewers of all ages. 

Back in 2020, Momsen shared her opinion on the timeless nature of the film, stating in an interview, “I think that people love The Grinch just simply because the core of the story is so sweet and it's so heartwarming and it has such a good message.”

“That no matter what age touches your heart, I think that that’s an amazing thing to be a part of,” she added. “The fact that it comes back around every year — I think it's something to look forward to. And I think it just kinda brings happiness and joy to anyone who watches it.”

In a December 2024 interview with Extra, Carrey also expressed his happiness with being associated with the film, saying he felt “so gratified”. He further noted: 

"I'm really happy about it when it pops up every year."

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ beloved children’s story, which follows the titular Grinch, a mean green creature who lives on the mountain and hates Christmas with all his tiny heart. When the Christmas cheer from the nearby Whoville gets on his nerves, he comes down from the mountain with his dog, Max, and decides to ruin Christmas for everyone. However, when he comes across young Cindy Lou, the Grinch starts to doubt his ways. 

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