Category: Entertainment | Title: Cast of How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 Full List and Roles | Tag: Grinch Cast | Meta Description: The complete cast of the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with actor names, roles, and key facts...
Main Cast and Lead Roles
The 2000 live-action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas features Jim Carrey in the title role as the Grinch, with makeup and prosthetics designed by Rick Baker and Greg Cannom. The cast includes Jeffrey Tambor as Mayor Augustus Maywho, Christine Baranski as Martha May Whovier, and Bill Irwin as Lou Lou Who. The film was produced by Imagine Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures, with a runtime of 104 minutes and a PG rating from the MPAA. For more on Jim Carrey's career and projects, see Forbes.
Taylor Momsen plays young Cindy Lou Who, the child who questions the Grinch's motives, while Molly Shannon appears as Betty Lou Who, Cindy's mother. The ensemble Whoville cast includes Jeremy Maguire as baby Jonathon, and Paige and Rachel Erwin as the twin Who girls. The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book. Universal Pictures handled global theatrical distribution, and the production used large-scale practical sets built in San Diego, California.
Supporting Performances and Character Details
Clint Howard portrays Uncle Ned, and Bill Cobbs plays Grandpa Who, while the Mayor's council includes actors such as Micah and Noah Bean as young Who children. The makeup process for Jim Carrey took roughly eight hours per session, with a total of 55 prosthetic pieces used to transform him into the Grinch. Rick Baker's team won the Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup for this work, and the final look combined bald caps, green body paint, and prosthetics to create the iconic silhouette.
Inside the Grinch's cave set, the production team built a large puppet version of Max the dog, operated by multiple puppeteers, while the Whoville town was constructed on a soundstage at Universal Studios. The film's visual effects were supervised by Ken Ralston, and the company Industrial Light & Magic contributed to the snow and lighting sequences. The Grinch's dog Max was performed by a trained canine actor named Kelley, with additional shots handled by animal action supervisors.
Production Companies and Release Facts
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was produced by Imagine Entertainment in association with Universal Pictures, with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard serving as executive producers. The film was shot primarily at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California, and at the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, with principal photography wrapping in early 2000. The final budget was reported at $123 million, and the film opened in U.S. theaters on November 17, 2000, earning $55.1 million in its first weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.
The home video release was handled by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, with the DVD and VHS debut in 2001 and later digital distribution on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. The film holds a 53% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.5 rating on IMDb, with audiences rating it higher at 66% on the Tomatometer. For current streaming availability and licensing details, see the Universal Pictures official site.