While a guest in 2010 on the "WTF with Mark Maron" podcast, Robin Williams said that it was being isolated and cold on the Alaska set of this movie that contributed to his return to drinking after twenty years of sobriety.
At one filming location in Winnipeg there was a playground behind the set. Robin Williams spent some time amusing the kids, telling jokes and autographing everything from movies to children's shoes.
James Woods turned down the role of Raymond Barnell after assurances could not be made that adequate medical facilities were available in Skagway, Alaska, where portions of the film would be shot. Woods had recently suffered heart problems and was concerned that should further problems arise, he would not have suitable medical care. Woody Harrelson was later cast in the role.
To prepare for the role as a woman with Tourette's syndrome, Holly Hunter travelled to the small town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia to meet with Dr. B. Duncan McKinlay, a psychologist with Tourette's Syndrome presenting for two days in the area. Ms. Hunter sat through both days of Dr. McKinlay's presentation, disguising herself in a hat and dark glasses so that the many local parents and educators she was sitting amongst would not realize they were in fact sharing the room with an Academy Award winning actress.
While filming in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the set dressers had an unusual problem. They had spent an entire day covering a location in fake snow for a scene, when Mother Nature decided to dump thirty centimeters (twelve inches) of the real stuff in a rare May snowstorm.