By Zoe Papadakis | Wednesday, 01 April 2026 12:56 PM EDT
David Alan Grier is looking back on his decisions to pass on roles in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “Seinfeld,” two projects that went on to become major hits.
During a recent appearance on “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle,” the 69-year-old actor reflected on projects he chose not to pursue, joking that he “fumbled many bags.” One of those was the lead role in the 1994 comedy “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” which he said he turned down because it was “a bad script.” He stated Jim Carrey saw something in the role that he didn’t.
“What I didn’t see is what Jim [Carrey] saw, which was, ‘Can I do anything?’ They said, ‘Yeah,'” Grier explained. “So he had total freedom. He took that script and he reinvented it. And that’s why it was so successful.”
Carrey’s performance went on to shape the film into a cult favorite and a defining comedy of the 1990s. Grier and Carrey had previously worked together on “In Living Color” from 1990 to 1994.
Grier also revisited his audition for George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” recalling that he initially doubted the show’s potential. Speaking on “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle,” he described reading lines with Jerry Seinfeld during the audition.
“I auditioned for George Costanza. And I read with Jerry [Seinfeld] and it was like, [imitating Seinfeld] ‘George, tell me about your day.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, this man, he can’t act. It’s not funny. This will never be a hit,'” he said. “Well. Wrong again! The bag was fumbled!”
The role ultimately went to Jason Alexander, whose portrayal became central to the sitcom’s success across its 10-season run from 1989 to 1998 and earned him multiple award nominations. In a 2019 appearance on “The Howard Stern Show,” Grier reiterated his early skepticism about “Seinfeld.” He said, “I was like, ‘This show is going to suck. This will never go.'”
After the show’s success, he expressed regret: “I was like, ‘S—, I should’ve been better and why the f— did I blow off that audition?'” Grier added, “It was like, ‘So what?’ Right over my head.”
The role of Costanza drew interest from a number of actors. On a February episode of the podcast “Really? No, Really?,” Alexander mentioned that those considered included Larry Miller, Chris Rock, Danny DeVito, Paul Shaffer, and Rosie O’Donnell.
Zoe Papadakis is a journalist based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazines, and websites.
