parallel universes

Tracy Morgan Was Cut From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for Being Too Famous

Tracy Morgan. Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage/Getty Images

A fun bit of “what could have been” casting to satiate your weekday afternoon: In a new interview with Vanity Fair to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jim Carrey revealed that none other than comedy wizard Tracy Morgan was cut from the dramedy after shooting his scenes. The reason? Coming from his wildly successful SNL tenure, Morgan’s fame was deemed too distracting to match his modest role of Joel’s neighbor, who was only seen through flashback sequences. “The reality is he was Tracy Morgan,” Carrey said, emphasizing that he’s a comedy “genius.” Don’t approach Morgan and ask him to regale you with Sunshine stories, though. A rep for the actor insisted he “doesn’t remember if he acted in the film,” which is a very appropriate response, when you think about how it all ended.

Tracy Morgan Cut From Eternal Sunshine for Being Too Famous