According to George Shapiro, Kaufman's manager, Universal didn't want to cast Carrey. They wanted either Gary Oldman or Ed Norton. Carrey begged Shapiro to come over to watch his audition. While Shapiro waited in Carrey's personal theater for the tape to be delivered, a tape of old kaufman characters played. This went on for some time.
Carrey then came out and asked Shapiro. "Well, what do you think?"
It was then that shapiro realized that the tape that had been playing was the audition tape, and that he had been watching Carrey playing Kaufman the whole time.
Shapiro then told Universal if Carrey didn't get the part, he would walk.
When budgets get to a certain size the film is literally decided by A list talent. Jim wasn't at the time. It was a pretty big deal that he got the part.
I know for some hipsters they didn't like the idea that Ace Ventura was playing their beloved Andy Kaufman... but most hipsters' "love" for andy kaufman is just an excuse to namedrop and sound a tiny bit cultured
did hipsters even exist back then? I just thought they were just called angry white men who wanted to hatefuck Courtney Love and wanted everyone to know, which yes, were probably a big part of the reason this movie didn't do too well