Taylor Momsen has made a significant name for herself since 2009 as the vocalist for The Pretty Reckless, but for many people of a certain age, she’ll forever be Cindy Lou Who. She began acting as a child, eventually starring in How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000 alongside Jim Carrey when she was seven. Momsen has since retired from acting, redirecting her passion to music. But the alt-rock star has been looking back on her breakout role as Cindy Lou this year, which marks the 25th anniversary of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
First, The Pretty Reckless released a holiday EP earlier this month, with a reimagining of Cindy Lou’s song “Where Are You Christmas?” Momsen sang this in the movie, while Faith Hill provided vocals for the end credits version. Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas features four original holiday songs plus two Grinch soundtrack staples, and fans are reveling in the nostalgia.
For Momsen, this is a time for her to embrace the childhood role that shaped so many Millennial Christmases. Including her own, no doubt. Meanwhile, she recently reconnected with Jim Carrey at this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. They were both there to induct Soundgarden. But this apparently marked her first interaction with Carrey since The Grinch.
“It was an emotional night, it was an incredibly emotional night,” she said on the Zach Sang Show when asked about the Rock Hall ceremony. She went on to gush about her love for Soundgarden, the weight of the moment, and the complicated emotions she felt. The honor came posthumously for vocalist Chris Cornell, who died in 2017. Momsen then mentioned her former co-star, who was to formally induct the band.
“And then the fact that Jim Carrey is the one that inducted them,” she said. “Matt Cameron [of Soundgarden] told me that a couple weeks [before] and I think my head almost flew off my body. Like I couldn’t believe what he was telling me because what are the odds of that?”
Taylor Momsen On Reconnecting With Jim Carrey 25 Years After ‘The Grinch’
Taylor Momsen continued, “I haven’t seen Jim in 25 years. It’s right as we’re putting out this Christmas record. His favorite band is Soundgarden. My favorite band is Soundgarden.” As she listed those perfect conditions, it sounded like the universe had come together to make it all happen.
When asked what it was like to see Carrey again after so long, Momsen admitted it was “so great” with a wistful sort of expression. “I knew he was coming,” she added. “So you think about all the things like, what are you going to say, and how’s it going to be. And I overanalyze everything before it’s happened and when it’s over and when I’m in it.”
She continued, “But it was, unexpectedly, it felt like coming home, or something. Even though I was so young when we did Grinch, it felt like family. When I hugged him, I was like, ‘I know you.’ Like, I spent two years of my life with you, I know this man really well.
“And it felt familiar and warm and comfortable and just beautiful,” Momsen added. “It was the strangest thing, it felt like seeing a family member you haven’t seen in a long time. But, in one way, no time had passed. It was very strange and amazing.”
Photo by Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images
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