The scene where the Grinch is directing his dog, Max (Kelley), before stealing Christmas, is Jim Carrey making fun of producer and director Ron Howard, imitating his style of directing. Howard found the scene hilarious and decided to include it in this movie.
According to Rick Baker, the prosthetic make-up Jim Carrey wore took about two hours to apply and one hour to remove. Jim Carrey revealed in The Graham Norton Show that he felt so confined and uncomfortable in the latex skin that he sought counselling from a CIA agent who taught him torture-resistance techniques.
The jewels in Martha May's hair when she is explaining the Grinch's backstory is from the tree topper that the young Grinch made for Martha, implying that she still has feelings for him.
Jim Carrey spent ninety-two days in Grinch make-up, spending two hours in the morning getting in, and one hour in the evening to get out. According to Carrey, he became a "Zen Master" while sitting in the make-up chair.
Rance Howard: An old timekeeper who gets his liquor taken by the Grinch, who uses it to burn the town's giant Christmas tree.