The Grinch star Taylor Momsen recalls how Jim Carrey "freaked out" when she faced potential on-set injury

Former child star Taylor Momsen has revealed that Jim Carrey "freaked out" when she had a close shave with injury on the set of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Speaking to Vulture for a new oral history on the making of the film, Momson – who was just six years old when the Christmas classic was shot – recalled how Carrey had quickly stepped in to ensure her safety after she had almost fallen out of a sled.

"We were shooting the scene coming down the mountain on the sled," she explained. "It was this real sled that was up on a giant spring that was being controlled and moving from side to side, very aggressively.

“Jim is leaning over and being extravagant Jim. There was a moment where I almost fell out of the sled, and he freaked out. He called cut and started checking in on me.

"I was having a great time. I was laughing; I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I just almost fell very high off the ground."

In the piece, Momson also explained how she "had to go through stunt training" as she was doing all her own stunts for the film, adding that Carrey had always made her feel "really safe".

"I had to learn to fly on wires and how to fall correctly onto the pad," she continued. "I fell through a trap door. I had to slide down a massive slide that you had to climb up using a rope because there was no stairs to it.

"The only stunt I didn’t do myself was the actual shooting out of the trash can at the end."

Ron Howard's film is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year, and although a more recent animated version of Dr Seuss's children's book was released in 2018, the 2000 movie remains the definitive adaptation of the Whoville-set tale for many film fans.

Despite a mixed critical reception on release – it has a rating of just 50 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes – the film is now something of a festive staple, with Carrey's performance as the furry green Christmas-hater in particular having become iconic.

If you're due a revisit, or perhaps want to check out the film for the very first time, it is one of the many Christmas films currently streaming on Disney Plus.

Following her role as Cindy Lou Who, Momsen enjoyed a number of other roles as a young actor – including in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams and Gossip Girl – but now mainly focuses on her music career as frontwoman of the band The Pretty Reckless.

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