Dan Marino cost himself a small fortune when he made the decision to appear in the classic Jim Carrey comedy, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.”
The 62-year-old legendary former Dolphins quarterback appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, and McAfee asked Marino about a rumor that he opted to take a flat appearance fee for acting in the film as opposed to an unspecified gross percentage of the film.
“That’s very accurate,” Marino confirmed.
Marino joked that “I actually made Jim Carrey a star because if it wasn’t for me nobody would know who the hell he was” before revealing that he didn’t plan to do the movie after reading the script, but was convinced to do it after having an in-person meeting with the charismatic actor.
Playing himself in the movie, Marino was kidnapped by Ray Finkle, a fictional former Dolphins kicker who blamed Marino for holding the laces in on a missed kick that cost the team the Super Bowl, and had a sex change and rose up the ranks of the local police force for years while concocting the revenge plot.
“They offered me a percentage of the gross, and knowing me, I didn’t take it,” Marino said.
“I took the short-end cash, but that’s OK.”
McAfee marveled, “That movie made a lot of money.”
Released in 1994, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” grossed over $107 million worldwide, which is more than $220 million at today’s value of money.
While it’s unclear exactly what Marino was offered for the flat fee and what percentage he forewent, it is highly likely that the difference involved multiple millions of dollars.
“I would’ve done pretty good,” Marino laughed.