How the Grinch Stole Christmas cast: See Jim Carrey and his costars, then and now

Jim Carrey (The Grinch)

Jim Carrey played the eponymous Grinch, a fiendish Whoville outlaw who declared war on the festive season.

Carrey told Entertainment Weekly in 2000 that getting into costume was quite an ordeal. “I was having a lot of trouble with the Grinch suit, so they brought a guy in who actually teaches people how to handle torture, and he gave me a couple of tips. You just forget [the pain].”

After making his reputation in sketch comedy, Carrey broke big in 1994 with three hits — Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask — that made him a bona fide star. The rubber-faced comedian went on to play the Riddler in Batman Forever (1995) and starred in The Cable Guy (1996) and Liar Liar (1997) before making his first dramatic detours. His performances in The Truman Show (1998) and the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999) earned him back-to-back Golden Globes.

The Canadian actor continued to flex his dramatic muscles in The Majestic (2001) and the romantic sci-fi head-trip Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). But he never left comedy behind, headlining Bruce Almighty (2003), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), and Yes Man (2008). In recent years, Carrey returned to television with a role as a grieving father in Kidding (2018–2020) and played Dr. Robotnik in the ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Carrey was married to Melissa Womer from 1987 to 1995. They have a daughter, Jane. The actor later wed his Dumb and Dumber costar Lauren Holly in 1996. She filed for divorce less than a year later.

Taylor Momsen (Cindy Lou Who)

Taylor Momsen played Cindy Lou Who, a curious child who wanted to extend Christmas greetings to the Grinch. 

Momsen was 7 years old when she brought Cindy Lou to life, but it took a toll on her middle-school years. "The Grinch changed my life in a multitude of ways — one of them being I was made fun of relentlessly,” she admitted on Gossip Girl costar Penn Badgley's podcast. “Every time I would start a new school or go somewhere else, I don't even think the kids knew my name. I was just Grinch Girl… I got used to it, but it was alienating."

After a few more children’s movies and a supporting part in Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park (2007), the “Grinch Girl” joined Gossip Girl (2007–2012) as Jenny Humphrey.

While the show was a hit, Momsen increasingly turned her attention to music. She formed the band the Pretty Reckless in 2009. By the fourth season of Gossip Girl, the series had to work around her touring schedule. In 2011, she devoted herself full-time to music. The band has four studio albums and seven chart-topping singles under its belt.

Jeffrey Tambor (Mayor Augustus May Who)

Jeffrey Tambor was the corrupt Mayor of Whoville and the Grinch’s lifelong tormenter, who set his hatred of Christmas in motion.

The long-time character actor is well known as talk-show sidekick Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998). Not content with one iconic sitcom role, he added another as crooked family patriarch George Bluth (and occasionally his twin brother Oscar) on Arrested Development (2003–2019).

His most decorated performance came in the lead role of Amazon’s Transparent (2014–2017), as a transgender woman. He took home two Emmys for his work. However, he was later fired from Transparent following allegations of sexual misconduct and didn't appear in the show’s final season.

As for film, Tambor has appeared in the likes of There’s Something About Mary (1998), Hellboy (2004), The Hangover (2009), and The Death of Stalin (2017).

Tambor married Kasia Ostlun in 2001. The pair share four children: Gabriel, Eve, and twins Hugo and Eli. He also has daughters from previous relationships.

Christine Baranski (Martha May Whovier)

Christine Baranski played Martha May Whovier, the Who with the most perfect Christmas decorations in Whoville.

A veteran stage actress, Baranski broke into television with an Emmy-winning performance as Cybill Shepherd's sarcastic best friend in the sitcom Cybill (1995–1998). She played ruthless litigator Diane Lockhart in The Good Wife (2009–2016) and headlined the spinoff, The Good Fight (2017–2022). She also had a prominent recurring role as Leonard's mother on The Big Bang Theory (2009–2019). Baranski currently stars in HBO’s period drama The Gilded Age (2022–present). 

In addition to two Tony wins, she’s amassed 16 Emmy nominations throughout her small-screen career. The Broadway vet has also become a regular in big-screen musicals, appearing in Chicago (2002), Mamma Mia! (2008), and Into the Woods (2014). 

Baranski was married to Matthew Cowles from 1983 until his death in 2014. They have two daughters, Isabel and Lily.

Bill Irwin (Lou Lou Who)

Bill Irwin played Lou Lou Who, a postal worker and the protective father of Cindy Lou. 

Originally a professional clown and stage actor, Irwin won a Tony for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2005. But parents and children may know him as Mr. Noodle from Sesame Street's "Elmo's World" segments.

He’s become a familiar face across film and television, appearing as Anne Hathaway’s father in Rachel Getting Married (2008), Matthew McConaughey’s wisecracking tactical robot in Interstellar (2014), and Mariska Hargitay’s therapist in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2013–2022). He was also a regular in FX’s surreal comic-book series Legion (2017–2019) as a mutant scientist who shares a body with a fellow mutant played by Amber Midthunder.

Irwin's marriage to Kimi Okada lasted from 1977 to 1982. He later married Martha Roth in 1990. The couple adopted a son, Santos.

Molly Shannon (Betty Lou Who)

Molly Shannon was Betty Lou Who, Cindy Lou's concerned mother.

Shannon made her name on Saturday Night Live (1995–2001) and was shooting The Grinch simultaneously with her work on the show. It wasn’t easy, as she told EW in 2022: “I would get back on the plane Sunday night from New York City to be back in L.A. for a 4 a.m. wake-up because it took hours to put on that prosthetic makeup. It was really hard, but the fact that I pulled that off — shooting both those giant jobs at once — is a miracle."

The actress parlayed her best-known SNL character, anxious high schooler Mary Katherine Gallagher, into a feature film, Superstar (1999). She’s been a regular on the comedy circuit ever since, with TV roles in Will & Grace (1999–2020), Sex and the City (2002), and The White Lotus (2021) as well as big-screen appearances in Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and Talladega Nights (2006), among others. The actress has even subverted expectations with her performances in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006) and as Emily Dickinson in Wild Nights With Emily (2018).

Her television career has continued in recent years, starring in The Other Two (2019–2023) and appearing in season 4 of Only Murders in the Building (2024) as a clueless Hollywood executive.

Shannon and her husband Fritz Chestnut wed in 2004. They share two children, Stella and Nolan.

Anthony Hopkins (Narrator)

The film's narration is performed by none other than Sir Anthony Hopkins.

A legendary actor of stage and film, Hopkins has been commanding the screen since the late 1960s, from The Lion in Winter (1968) to the war epic A Bridge Too Far (1977) and David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980).

His career hit another level with The Silence of the Lambs (1991), as he turned suave sociopath Hannibal Lecter into an all-time pop culture icon. He won his first Oscar for the role and later earned nominations for The Remains of the Day (1993), Nixon (1995), and Amistad (1997) — not to mention his turn as Van Helsing in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and an aging Zorro in The Mask of Zorro (1998).

While popping up as Marvel’s Odin in the Thor franchise and as the theme park creator in HBO’s heady sci-fi drama Westworld (2016–2018), the Welsh actor has continued to add to his award shelf. He nabbed an Oscar nom for playing Pope Benedict in The Two Popes (2019) before winning his second gold statuette for the Alzheimer’s drama The Father (2020).

Hopkins has been married three times: to Petronella Barker (1966–1972), Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002), and Stella Arroyave since 2003. He has a daughter, Abigail, from his first marriage, but the pair are estranged.

Clint Howard (Bris Who)

Clint Howard was Bris, the eager and attentive assistant of Whoville's esteemed Mayor.

Howard began acting when he was 2 years old on The Andy Griffith Show (1962–1964) and has racked up hundreds of screen credits. He’s perhaps best known for roles in movies directed by his brother, Ron Howard, such as The Grinch. Their collaborations include Cocoon (1985), Parenthood (1989), Apollo 13 (1995), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). And yes, we’re counting Clint guest starring in two episodes of Arrested Development, a series narrated by Ron.

The popular character actor also has a long history with the Star Trek franchise, dating back to an episode of the original when he was 7 years old. He’s also appeared in Deep Space Nine (1995), Enterprise (2002), Discovery (2018), and Strange New Worlds (2023).

Howard was briefly married to Ann Marie Lynch in the late 1980s and later to Melanie Sorich from 1995 to 2018. In 2020, he wed Kat Cruz. The couple has a daughter, Rafa'ella.

Mindy Sterling (Clair Nella Who)

Mindy Sterling played Clair Nella Who, one of the Grinch's adoptive mothers who tried to raise him to fit in with Whoville’s other citizens. 

The character actress is best remembered as the villainous Frau Farbissina, one of Dr. Evil's most loyal lackeys, in the Austin Powers franchise. She has played several recurring roles on television, including a bitter English teacher in Nickelodeon’s iCarly (2007–2012) and a snarky neighbor in Desperate Housewives (2010–2011). She had a six-season run on The Goldbergs (2017–2023) as Linda Schwartz.

Sterling has also maintained a voice acting career, playing characters in Monsters University (2013) and the Despicable Me series, among many others. A few years back, she returned to her Who days with a minor role in the computer-animated version of The Grinch (2018).

Sterling has a son, Max, with her ex-husband Brian Gadson.