Dan Marino gets candid on possibly losing millions from $107,000,000 blockbuster Ace Ventura decision

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dan Marino has a net worth of $50 million. Most of that money came from the $51 million he earned from playing contracts during his 17-season National Football League career.

But while he has achieved a lot of accolades during his playing days, there’s one regret from the ’90s that he shared during his February 7 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

The conversation started when McAfee confirmed that Marino opted to take a fixed talent fee for his appearance on the 1994 movie “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” starring comedian Jim Carrey.

The long-time Miami Dolphins quarterback replied:

“That’s very accurate.”

After McAfee briefly stated the movie’s success, Marino jokingly added:

“Well I actually made Jim Carrey a star ‘cause if it wasn’t for me, no one would know who the hell he was. I take full credit for his career.”

Dan Marino starred as himself and was kidnapped by the movie’s antagonist, the fictional character Ray Finkle, played by Sean Young. In the film, Finkle blamed Marino for missing what could have been the game-winning kick in the 1984 Super Bowl.

His hatred for the quarterback led Finkle to kidnap Marino and their team’s mascot, Snowflake. Ventura, played by Carrey, solved the case by revealing his police lieutenant as Finkle.

The movie’s production budget was $15 million, and its box office earnings were $107.2 million. Marino would have earned much more if he had taken a percentage of the gross instead of the flat fee, which remains undisclosed.

Marino shared:

“So they offered me a percentage of the gross and, knowing me, I didn’t take it. I took the short end cash but that’s okay.”

While the movie has developed a cult following among fans of comedy movies, Dan Marino revealed that he almost didn’t do the film.

He added in his conversation with McAfee and his co-hosts:

“I didn’t think I was gonna do it because I read the script and then I got to meet Jim Carrey and I’m like, ‘Okay, this could be a lot of fun. Either it’s gonna do really well or gonna be nowhere.’”

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Dan Marino continues to be a well-sought-after product endorser

While he has earned his due from Ace Ventura, Marino remains a favorite endorser among brands wanting to tap the football fan demographic. Thanks to his partnerships with Michelob Ultra and M&M’s, he will still pull in money from two commercials airing during Super Bowl 58.

He will be joined by Terrell Owens, Bruce Smith, and Scarlett Johansson in the M&M’s commercial. Meanwhile, the cast for the Michelob ad includes Lionel Messi and Jason Sudeikis.

Dan Marino also shot a commercial for Frito-Lay with Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, and Emmitt Smith. The advertisement explored how they would have fared if they returned from retirement.