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Jeff Daniels says his agents initially did not want him to take the role in Dumb and Dumber<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n In a new interview, the actor notes that the 1994 film came at a time when he was known for serious roles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n What’s more, it also starred Jim Carrey \u2014 who Daniels’ agents worried might overshadow him<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Jeff Daniels<\/a> is looking back on one of the most iconic roles of his career \u2014 and says that not everyone believed it was a good idea at the time.<\/p>\n At the time, Carrey, 64, was rapidly rising as a comedic force following the success of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective<\/em>, and Daniels’ agents worried that pairing him with such a popular comedic personality could backfire. Their primary concern was that Daniels, who had been building a reputation as a dramatic actor, might be overshadowed.<\/p>\n In a recent interview with Hour Detroit<\/a>, the 71-year-old actor shared that his representatives had serious concerns about him starring in the 1994 comedy.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to do comedy, and my agents tried to talk me out of it,\u201d the actor told Hour Detroit.<\/em><\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s <\/strong>free daily newsletter<\/a><\/strong> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n