Jim Carrey playing both Ivo Robotnik and Gerald Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was very hard to pull off. After appearing in the first two Sonic movies, Carrey revealed he was retiring from acting. Since the writers of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 wanted to include him in the film, they knew they had to pitch him a story he couldn’t turn down. Since Shadow’s origin is explored in Sonic 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 behind Sonic 3 thought Carrey was the perfect person for the role. Therefore, Carrey ended up playing not just one, but two characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Including two conniving Robotniks made Sonic the Hedgehog 3 the 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 in Sonic 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 of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, actor James Marsden revealed there 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 of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The fact that Sonic 3 director 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.

In the director’s commentary for Sonic 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 sH๏τs 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 since reviews for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 have been amazing. Sonic 3 currently has a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is significantly higher than the two previous films in the series (via Rotten Tomatoes). Almost all reviews for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 have 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.

In Sonic 3, Carrey still gets to play the main villain of the movie. At the end of Sonic 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 in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 are a major reason why the movie has been received so well.