Jim Carrey (64) says goodbye to Chuck Russell, the director of "The Mask". The filmmaker has died at the age of 74. "I consider it a privilege to have worked with Chuck Russell, who created an exuberant, childlike atmosphere full of wonder and camaraderie on the set during the filming of 'The Mask'", Carrey said in a statement he gave to "People" magazine. "The entire cast and crew were touched and inspired by his playfulness."
Carrey was Russell's lead actor in the 1994 comedy. The film was also the screen debut of Cameron Diaz (53), who played singer Tina Carlyle in it. "Each of us was enriched for many years by this uplifting and timeless moment", Carrey continued in his statement. "I consider 'The Mask' one of the jewels of my artistic work. Thank you, Chuck."
Chuck Russell created big hits
The US director died on Wednesday, July 22, "unexpectedly" at his home in the San Diego area. His family confirmed the death to the portal "TMZ". What exactly happened remains unclear.
Just one month before his death, Russell had given "People" an interview for the 30th anniversary of "Eraser", a 1996 action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The fact that his films still find an audience three decades later filled the director with pride.
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Russell made his directorial debut in 1987 with "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors", for which he also wrote the screenplay. One year later came the horror film "The Blob".
"The Mask" became a big success
Major success came in 1994 with "The Mask". The film made Jim Carrey a superstar and catapulted his co-star Cameron Diaz into Hollywood's front ranks. Two years later, Russell directed "Eraser" with Schwarzenegger, then in 2002 "The Scorpion King" with Dwayne Johnson, for whom it was his first leading role in a theatrical film.
After that, things went quiet for the director for a long time. He didn't make a film for 14 years before returning in 2016 with the action film "I Am Wrath" starring John Travolta. Russell worked with Travolta again in 2022 for "Paradise City", which also featured Bruce Willis in one of his last film roles. His final project was the 2024 horror film "Witchboard", in which a cursed game awakens a dark power.
