Jim Carrey playing both Ivo Robotnik and Gerald Robotnik inSonic the Hedgehog 3was very hard to pull off. After appearing in the first twoSonicmovies, Carrey revealed he was retiring from acting. Since the writers ofSonic the Hedgehog 3wanted to include him in the film, they knew they had to pitch him a story he couldn’t turn down. SinceShadow’s origin is explored inSonic the Hedgehog 3, it was the perfect time to also introduce Gerald Robotnik, the long-lost grandfather of Ivo.
However, instead of casting a new actor to play Gerald, the creative team behindSonic 3thought Carrey was the perfect person for the role. Therefore, Carrey ended up playing not just one, but twocharacters inSonic the Hedgehog 3. Including two conniving Robotniks madeSonic the Hedgehog 3the best movie in the series so far. In the film, Carrey excels at playing both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik. However,there are actually more than just two Robotniks inSonic the Hedgehog 3.
Multiple Actors Portrayed Ivo & Gerald Robotnik In Sonic 3
Shooting Sonic 3 Scenes Between Ivo & Gerald Robotnik Was Difficult
In a behind-the-scenes video for the digital release ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, actor James Marsden revealedthere were six or seven stand-ins for Ivo and Gerald Robotnik who looked just like Jim Carrey. Therefore, there were actually way more than two Robotniks walking around the set ofSonic the Hedgehog 3. The fact thatSonic 3director Jeff Fowler and his crew needed this many stand-ins proves how hard it was to have Carrey play two different characters in the movie.
Since Carrey had to spend about three hours in the makeup chair to portray Gerald, he could not play both characters on the same day.
In thedirector’s commentary forSonic the Hedgehog 3, Fowler discussed what it was like to shoot scenes between Ivo and Gerald. Since Carrey had to spend about three hours in the makeup chair to portray Gerald, he could not play both characters on the same day. Therefore,they had to film scenes which featured both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik across multiple days so that they could get the proper shots of Carrey as the two separate characters.
Sonic 3 Gave Jim Carrey His Best Role In The Franchise
Both Ivo & Gerald Robotnik Are Standout Characters In Sonic 3
Even though Carrey playing two characters made the process of shooting the movie much more tedious and difficult, it was worth it sincereviews forSonic the Hedgehog 3have been amazing.Sonic 3currently has a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is significantly higher than the two previous films in the series (viaRotten Tomatoes). Almost all reviews forSonic the Hedgehog 3have pointed out how amazing Carrey is in the movie. In the film,it is clear that Carrey was fully committed to playing both roles to the best of his ability.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
64%
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
69%
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
86%
InSonic 3, Carrey still gets to play the main villain of the movie. At theend ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, Gerald attempts to use the eclipse cannon to destroy the world. However, in addition to playing the villain of the film, he also gets to further develop Ivo Robotnik, a character who he has been playing for many years. During the film’s climax,Ivo finds some redemption by turning on his grandfather and helping to save humanity. Therefore, Carrey’s two roles inSonic the Hedgehog 3are a major reason why the movie has been received so well.
