Martin Freeman slams Jim Carrey's 'Man on the Moon' method performance as 'narcissistic,’ ‘literally deranged’
The 'Hobbit' star took umbrage with Carrey's 'Christ-like self-grandeur' as he portrayed the late Andy Kauffman
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Martin Freeman is letting the world know exactly how he feels about Jim Carrey’s performance in "Man on the Moon."
The "Cargo" performer, 49, made his opinion known during an appearance on the "Off Menu" podcast, explaining that Carrey’s method acting and embodiment of the late Andy Kauffman in the 1999 flick was a bit over the top, to say the least.
"For me, and I’m genuinely sure Jim Carrey is a lovely and smart person, but it was the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, f--king narcissistic b--locks I have ever seen," Freeman said. "The idea anything in our culture would celebrate that or support it is deranged, literally deranged."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Added Freeman: "I am a very lapsed catholic but if you believe in transubstantiation, then you’re going somewhere along the line of ‘I became the character,’ No, you didn’t, you’re not supposed to become the f--king character because you’re supposed to be open to stuff that happens in real life because someone at some stage is going to say ‘Cut’ and there’s no point going, ‘What does ‘cut’ mean because I’m Napoleon?’ Shut up."
Jim Carrey appears in a scene of 'Man on the Moon' in which he portrayed late comedian Andy Kauffmann. (BBC Films)
A 2017 Netflix documentary titled, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond" covered how far Carrey, 59, would go to remain in character of the late comedian and Freeman said he took umbrage with some of Carrey's behavior on set, explaining that the "Liar Liar" star did things that would have gotten most others fired for their conduct.
"You need to keep grounded in reality and that’s not to say you don’t lose yourself in between action and cut but the rest of it is absolutely pretentious nonsense," Freeman pressed. "It’s highly amateurish; it’s essentially an amateurish notion because for me it’s not a professional attitude. Get the job done man, f--king do your work."
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Freeman maintained that Carrey "should have got fired" but a long leash for the performer kept him employed.
"Can you imagine if he had been anybody else? He would have been sectioned, let alone fired. He would have been got rid of," Freeman added. "It’s the ridiculous leeway given to some people."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jim Carrey appears in a scene of 'Man on the Moon' in which he portrayed late comedian Andy Kauffmann. (BBC Films)
A common practice in the world of Hollywood and showbiz is that producers and directors simply put up with outlandish behavior from the top-billed talent that lesser-known performers would likely be shown the door for crossing.
Freeman said he’s experienced some of the leeway that comes with being a box office draw but that it never went to his head.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Of course, I’m one of them, we all get cushy gigs, we are very fortunate to get a pass in certain situations where other people wouldn’t," he said. "I understand that, but Christ, there is such a thing as pushing it. I think that’s what that Jim Carrey thing looks like to me, at the very, very end, he says something that sort of is pertaining to his Christ-like self-grandeur and makes me think at the very last second, ‘Is all this a windup?’"
However Freeman’s assessment of Carrey’s portrayal of Kauffman wasn’t all pile-on – and openly admitted that "clearly, he’s a very funny person and he knows absolutely where ‘funny’ is all the time."
Martin Freeman slammed Jim Carrey's performance in 'Man on the Moon' as 'narcissistic' and ''selfish' after learning of Carry's outlandish behavior on set. (Getty)
Carrey had refused to answer to his own name when called upon during his time on set which caused director Milos Forman to grow impatient with the ex-"Saturday Night Live" performer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ultimately, Freeman believes Carrey "lost himself in this delusion of thinking he’s a guru or a faker" and explained that "a few people do once you get to the top of the mountain."
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"What are you going to do then? What else gives your life meaning?" Freeman pondered.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Because essentially you could argue, what we do, yes it doesn’t cure diseases, but it has nobility to it and it’s reasonably important, but if it’s not, you’ve got to go with it," he added before naming the former "In Living Color" star by his first name.
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"Jim, you should have paid more attention at school if you wanted to do something more important," he said, adding of the full-tilt Kauffman performance, "I hope he was joking."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A rep for Carrey did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.