Джим керри как пишется на английском

Jim Carrey
Carrey in 2008
Born	James Eugene Carrey January 17, 1962 (age 61) Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	Canada United States[1]
Occupations	Actor comedian author producer
Years active	1977–present
Works	Full list
Spouses	Melissa Womer ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1995)​ Lauren Holly ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1997)​
Partner	Jenny McCarthy (2005–2010)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up film television
Genres	Observational comedy physical comedy surreal humor character comedy satire slapstick
Subject(s)	Everyday life popular culture politics celebrities
Signature

James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962)^[2] is a Canadian and American actor, comedian and artist.^[3][4][5] Known for his energetic slapstick performances,^[6] Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a star in motion pictures with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber (all 1994). This was followed up with Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Batman Forever (both 1995) and Liar Liar (1997).

In the 2000s, he gained further notice for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and for the comedy Me, Myself & Irene (both in 2000), as well as Bruce Almighty (2003), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man, Horton Hears a Who! (both 2008), and A Christmas Carol (2009). In the 2010s, Carrey appeared in the films Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Kick-Ass 2 (both 2013), Dumb and Dumber To (2014), and portrayed Leap Day William in the sitcom 30 Rock (2012). In 2020, he portrayed Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog and its 2022 sequel and Joe Biden in six episodes of Saturday Night Live in the leadup to the 2020 United States presidential election.

Although largely typecast as a comedic actor, Carrey has had success in dramatic roles. His first dramatic success was for starring in the Emmy-nominated made-for-television film Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992). Carrey gained attention for his leading roles in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999), earning Golden Globe Awards for each film. He later starred in the psychological science fiction romantic drama film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); this performance is repeatedly lauded as the seminal in Carrey’s career and for which he was nominated for both the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and another Golden Globe Award. He was also praised for his dramatic role of Jeff Piccirillo in the Showtime tragicomedy series Kidding (2018, 2020), for which he was nominated for another Golden Globe. Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited Carrey as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.^[7][8][9]

In 2006, Carrey received a Grammy award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. In 2013, Carrey published his first book, a children’s story titled How Roland Rolls, which was awarded a 2013 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award.^[10] In 2020, Carrey published his first novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, which he co-authored with Dana Vachon.^[11][12]

Early life

Carrey was born in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada,^[2] to Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant.^[13][14] He was raised a Roman Catholic and has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita.^[15][16] His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent, and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry; the family’s original surname was Carré.^[17][18][19]

At age eight, he began making faces before a mirror and discovered a talent for doing impressions.^[20] At age ten, Carrey wrote a letter to Carol Burnett of the Carol Burnett Show pointing out that he was already a master of impressions and should be considered for a role on the show; he was overjoyed when he received a form letter reply.^[21] A fan of Monty Python, whose TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired in the 1970s, in 2014 Carrey appeared on Monty Python’s Best Bits (Mostly) and recalled the effect on him of Ernest Scribbler (played by Michael Palin) laughing himself to death in «The Funniest Joke in the World» sketch.^[22] Radio Times states, «You’ll see why immediately: Palin’s performance is uncannily Carreyesque.»^[22]

Carrey spent his early years in the borough of Scarborough, Ontario, part of Metropolitan Toronto, where he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic Elementary School in North York. His family later moved to Burlington, Ontario, where they would spend eight years; Jim attended Aldershot High School while there.^[23] Some time later, his family became homeless and lived together in a Volkswagen van while teenage Jim and his brother spent months living in a tent in Charles Daley Park on the Lake Ontario shore in Lincoln, Ontario.^[24][25] The family struggled financially, however, their situation started improving once his father found employment in the accounting department at the Titan Wheels tire factory in Scarborough.^[25] Furthermore, in return for living in the house across the street from the factory, the family—primarily teenage sons Jim and John—would work as janitors and security guards at the tire factory, doing eight-hour shifts from 6 pm into the next morning.^[25] Moving back to Scarborough, teenage Jim started attending Agincourt Collegiate Institute before dropping out of school on his sixteenth birthday. He began to perform comedy in downtown Toronto while continuing to work at the factory.

In a 2007 Hamilton Spectator interview, Carrey said, «If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Dofasco steel mill.» As a young man, he could see the steel mills across the Burlington Bay and often thought that was «where the great jobs were.»^[26]

Career

1977–1983: Early impressionist work in Toronto

Carrey’s first stand-up comedy experience took place in 1977 at the age of 15 with his father trying to help him put together a stage act, driving him to downtown Toronto to debut at the recently-opened Yuk Yuk’s comedy club operating one-night-a-week out of community centre The 519’s basement on Church Street.^[25][27] For the performance, Carrey had his attire—a polyester leisure suit—chosen by his mother who reasoned «that’s how they dress on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast«.^[28][25] Pubescent Carrey’s conventional impersonations bombed, proving ill-suited for a club with a raunchy comedic sensibility and giving him doubts about his potential as a professional entertainer.^[25] Decades later, recalling Carrey’s stand-up debut, Yuk Yuk’s owner Mark Breslin described it as «bad Rich Little».^[25] His family’s financial struggles made it difficult for them to support Carrey’s show business ambitions.

Eventually, the family’s financial situation improved and they moved into a new home in Jackson’s Point.^[27][29] With more domestic stability, Carrey returned to the stage in 1979 with a more polished act that led to his first paid gig: a 20-minute spot at the Hay Loft club on Highway 48 in Scarborough for a reported Can$20 compensation on a bill with the Mother of Pearl performer from The Pig and Whistle.^[30] He soon faced his fears and went back downtown to the site of his debacle from two years earlier—Yuk Yuk’s that had in the meantime moved into a permanent location on Bay Street in the fashionable Yorkville district. In a short period of time, the seventeen-year-old went from open-mic nights at the club to regular paid shows, building his reputation in the process.

Parallel to his increasing local Toronto-area popularity as an impressionist stand-up comic, Carrey tried to break into sketch comedy, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–81 season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Carrey ended up not being selected by the show’s new executive producer Jean Doumanian who picked thirty-one-year-old Charles Rocket instead.^[31] Decades later, after establishing himself as a Hollywood film star, Carrey would host the show in May 1996, January 2011, and October 2014.^[32][33] After not getting Saturday Night Live, Carrey took a voice acting job performing Clutch Cargo-inspired bits on The All-Night Show, an overnight program airing locally on the CFMT-TV channel branded as Multilingual Television (MTV).^[34]

Continuing to perform his stand-up act of contortionist impressions in the city of Toronto and surrounding towns, in February 1981, nineteen-year-old Carrey was booked as the opening act for the rock band Goddo at The Roxy Theatre in Barrie for two shows on consecutive nights; the rock crowd booed him offstage and he refused to return for the second night.^[35] Two weeks later, however, a review of one of Carrey’s spots at Yuk Yuk’s—alongside a sizeable photo of him doing a stage impression of Sammy Davis Jr.—appeared in the Toronto Star on the front page of its entertainment section with the writer Bruce Blackadar raving about «a genuine star coming to life».^[36][37] Save for a brief mention in the Barrie Examiner, it was the first time Carrey received significant mainstream corporate media coverage and the glowing praise in one of Canada’s highest-circulation dailies created demand for his impressionist stand-up act throughout the country.^[37][30] In April 1981, he appeared in an episode of the televised stand-up show An Evening at the Improv.^[38] That summer, he landed one of the main roles in Introducing… Janet, a made-for-TV movie that premiered in September 1981 on the CBC drawing more than a million viewers for its first airing in Canada.^[39] Playing a struggling impressionist comic Tony Maroni, it was Carrey’s first acting role. The CBC promotion the movie had received as well its subsequent high nationwide viewership further solidified the youngster’s comedic status in the country; by the time the movie finished its CBC run of repeats several years later, its title for the home video release on VHS was changed to Rubberface in order to take advantage of the comic’s by then established prominence for doing elaborate contortionist impressions.^[39] Making more comedy club appearances in the United States, Carrey was noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield who signed Carrey to open his tour performances. By December 1981, a well-known comic in Canada, Toronto Star reported about Carrey waiting for a United States work permit having received interest from Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, largely off his reputation from Canada.^[40][41]

In the early part of 1982, Carrey reportedly performed for The Tonight Show bookers Jim McCauley and Bud Robinson as part of the program’s audition process for stand-up comic spots.^[42] However, rather than being booked on the show, Carrey got advised to further hone his act, so he went back home to the Toronto area where he had already built a significant following.^[42] Touring venues throughout North America as the opening act for Rodney Dangerfield, Carrey made a stop at home in Toronto on 19 June 1982, performing two sold-out shows at Massey Hall.

1983–1994: Move to Hollywood

In early 1983, Carrey decided to move to Hollywood where he began regularly performing at The Comedy Store. Getting on The Tonight Show became his immediate career goal, and, by spring 1983, he appeared to have achieved it after getting booked for a stand-up set on the highly-rated late night show.^[43] However, a lukewarm club set at The Improv got him unbooked.^[43] Though struggling to replicate his success in Los Angeles, Carrey continued being a big hit in his hometown Toronto where he returned during late April 1983 to perform at the short-lived B.B. Magoon’s theatrical venue on Bloor Street on three consecutive nights. While in town, CTV’s flagship newsmagazine program W5 did a feature on Carrey that aired nationally in Canada. Back in L.A., within months, he landed the main role on The Duck Factory, a sitcom being developed for NBC, and, in late November 1983, still got to debut his impressionist act on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson via a promotional appearance for the sitcom about to start airing nationally in the United States on the same network.^[43] In the meantime, he was cast for a supporting role in the Warner Bros. comedy production Finders Keepers, shot in the Canadian province of Alberta during late summer 1983. For his Tonight Show appearance that aired on American Thanksgiving, 21-year-old Carrey went through his most popular impressions—Elvis Presley, Leonid Brezhnev, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Michael Landon, James Dean, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Charles Nelson Reilly, characters from My Three Sons, and Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy—in rapid succession.^[44] After completing his set, though getting the OK gesture from Carson, the impressionist comic was notably not waved over by the host to join him on the couch—a usual indication that while sufficiently pleased, the powerful host was probably not ecstatic about the performance.^[45] The end of 1983 saw Carrey go back home to Toronto once more for a publicized New Years’ Eve performance at the Royal York Hotel’s Imperial Room.

Originally scheduled to start airing in January 1984, The Duck Factory sitcom debut in April, airing Thursdays at 9:30pm between Cheers and Hill Street Blues.^[46][47] The same month, Carrey took a job hosting the 1984 U-Know Awards ceremony held in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel’s Ballroom.^[48] By the time he made his debut appearance on NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman in late July 1984, the network had already cancelled The Duck Factory; Carrey went back to touring with his impressionist act, including often opening for Rodney Dangerfield.

After being noticed doing stand-up by producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and contacted to audition for a teen horror sex comedy being developed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Carrey landed a starring role in Once Bitten shot in early 1985.^[49] Carrey would continue getting film roles; throughout late summer and early fall 1985, he shot a supporting part in Francis Ford Coppola’s Peggy Sue Got Married which went into a long post-production process.^[49] In parallel, he decided to try out for Saturday Night Live again, this time ahead of the show’s 1985-86 season being prepared by returning executive producer Lorne Michaels who was looking to hire an all-new cast. Five years removed from his previous SNL audition, twenty-three-year-old Carrey was rejected again, reportedly never even getting the chance to audition his material—’post-nuclear Elvis’ hybrid impression and impersonation of Henry Fonda from On Golden Pond—in front of executive producer Michaels due to the show’s producers and senior writers Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey deciding that Michaels would not like it.^[50] Unlike his previous SNL rejection, Carrey now had a bit of a film career to fall back on in addition to his impressionist stand-up act; Once Bitten was released in mid November 1985 and turned out to be a modest box-office hit despite drawing poor reviews.

Back on the comedy club circuit with impressions, in fall 1986, Carrey auditioned for SNL‘s upcoming season, his third attempt at getting on the ensemble sketch comedy show. Finally managing to perform for the show’s executive producer Lorne Michaels at a Burbank studio, with returning cast members Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz, and Nora Dunn also watching the audition, Carrey was rejected again.^[50] Among the group of hopefuls auditioning alongside Carrey on this occasion were Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman, both of whom were hired.^[50]

Sensing that doing only impressions was turning into a career dead-end, Carrey set out to develop a new live comedy act.^[51] Much to the dismay of comedy club owners booking him, he began abandoning trademark celebrity impressions, opting instead to try adding observational and character humour to his comedic repertoire, a process that often involved forcing himself to improvise and scramble in front of dissatisfied live audiences that came to see him do impressions.^[51]

From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the ensemble comedy television series In Living Color.^[52] While short-lived, the popularity of this series helped him to land his first few major film roles.

1994–1998: Rise to fame

Carrey played the lead role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective which was released in February 1994 and went on to gross $72 million in the United States and Canada.^[53] Following its success and before the release of his next film, The Mask, which was anticipated to be another hit, Morgan Creek Productions paid him $5 million to reprise his role as Ace Ventura and New Line Cinema offered him $7 million to make a sequel to The Mask and paid him $7 million to appear in Dumb and Dumber, a nearly tenfold increase on his salary for Ace Ventura.^[54][55] The Mask, released in July 1994, grossed $351 million worldwide,^[56][57] and Dumb and Dumber, released in December 1994, was another commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide.^[58] Carrey received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Mask and was voted second on Quigley’s Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll, behind Tom Hanks.^[59]

Carrey portrayed the Batman villain the Riddler in the Joel Schumacher-directed superhero film Batman Forever (1995). The film received mixed reviews, but was a box office success. He reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls which was also released in 1995. Like the original film, it was well received by the public, but poorly received by critics. It was a huge box-office success, earning $212 million worldwide in addition to breaking records, with a $40 million opening weekend.^[60]

Carrey became the first actor to be paid $20 million for his next film, The Cable Guy (1996).^[61] Directed by Ben Stiller, the film was a satirical black comedy, in which Carrey played a lonely, menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played by Matthew Broderick). The role was a departure from the «hapless, hyper, overconfident» characters he had been known for. However, it did not fare well with most critics, many reacting to Carrey’s change of tone from previous films.^[62] Carrey also starred in the music video of the film’s closing song, «Leave Me Alone» by Jerry Cantrell.^[63] Despite the reviews, The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.^[64]

He soon bounced back with the critically acclaimed comedy Liar Liar (1997), playing Fletcher Reede, an unethical lawyer rendered unable to lie by his young son’s birthday wish. Carrey was praised for his performance, earning a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said: «Well into his tumultuous career, Mr. Carrey finally turns up in a straightforward comic vehicle, and the results are much wilder and funnier than this mundane material should have allowed.»^[65]

1998–2007: Critical acclaim

The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the seriocomic role of Truman Burbank in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).^[66] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Academy Award.^[67] For The Truman Show, he was nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success, earning $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.^[68][69] A Film4 critic stated that the film «allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy,» adding that it was «a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire.»^[70]

That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling’s The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling’s character. In 1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to critical acclaim and received his second Golden Globe in a row. In addition, he received his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actor.^[71]

In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly brothers, who had previously directed him in Dumb and Dumber, for the black comedy film Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews^[72] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics alongside a Golden Globe nomination.^[73]

For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac’s international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a television newsman who unexpectedly receives God’s omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film received mixed reviews upon release^[74] but still became a financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action comedy of all time.^[75][76]

In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received critical acclaim upon release. Critics highly praised Carrey’s portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to the performance of his co-star Kate Winslet, who was nominated for an Oscar. According to CNN’s reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey’s performance was the actor’s «best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever.»^[77] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor.

Carrey’s next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the children’s novels of the same name. The film was positively received; Desson Thomson from The Washington Post said of Carrey’s approach to the character of Count Olaf,

Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He’s not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can’t let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he’s rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur.^[78][79]

That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.^[80] In 2005, Carrey starred in the remake of Fun with Dick and Jane with Tea Leoni, which grossed $200 million with a profit of $100 million.^[81]

2007–2018: Change in pace

Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of Batman Forever, for The Number 23 (2007), a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. The film was panned by critics. The following year Carrey provided his voice for Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voiced Horton the Elephant for the CGI-animated feature, which was a box office success, grossing over $290 million worldwide.^[82]

Carrey returned to live-action comedy, starring opposite Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper in Yes Man (also 2008). Carrey played a man who signs up for a self-help program that teaches him to say yes to everything. Despite reviews being mixed, Rene Rodriquez of The Miami Herald stated, «Yes Man is fine as far as Jim Carrey comedies go, but it’s even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh.»^[83] The film had a decent performance at the box office, earning $225 million worldwide.^[84]

Since 2009, Carrey’s work has included a leading role in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s I Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayed Steven Jay Russell, a con artist, imposter, and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played by Ewan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews, with Damon Wise of The Times giving the film four stars out of five, stating, «I Love You Phillip Morris is an extraordinary film that serves as a reminder of just how good Carrey can be when he’s not tied into a generic Hollywood crowd-pleaser. His comic timing remains as exquisite as ever.»^[85]

For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters in Disney’s 3D animated take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (2009), voicing Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also starred Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, and Cary Elwes. The film received decent reviews and was a financial success. Carrey landed the lead role in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), playing Tom Popper Jr., a realtor who becomes the caretaker of a family of penguins. The film received a mixed reception upon release.^[86]

He starred alongside former co-star Steve Carell in the Don Scardino-directed comedy film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). Carrey played Steve Gray, a dangerous street magician who overshadows the formerly successful magician Burt Wonderstone (played by Carell). The film was released in March 2013 to mixed reviews and underperformed significantly at the box office, grossing just over $27 million on a $30 million budget.^[87]

Around the same time, he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 (also 2013) as Colonel Stars and Stripes. He retracted support for the film two months prior to its release. He issued a statement via his Twitter account that, in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, «Now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence.»^[88]

Peter Farrelly said in April 2012 that Carrey and Jeff Daniels would return for a Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, with the Farrelly brothers writing and directing and a planned September 2012 production start.^[89] In June, however, Carrey’s representative said Carrey had left the project because the comedian felt New Line and Warner Bros. were unenthusiastic toward it.^[90] However, on 1 October 2012, Yahoo!’s The Yo Show carried the news item that the script was complete and that the original actors, Carrey and Daniels, would be reprising their roles. The plot involved one of the characters having sired a child and needing to find them to obtain a kidney.^[91][92] Dumb and Dumber To was released in November 2014.

In March 2013, Carrey announced that he had written a children’s book titled How Roland Rolls, about a scared wave named Roland. He described it as «kind of a metaphysical children’s story, which deals with a lot of heavy stuff in a really childish way.» Carrey self-published the book, which was released in September 2013.^[93][94]

On March 25, 2013, Carrey released a parody music video with Eels through Funny or Die, with Carrey replacing Mark Oliver Everett on vocals. The song and video, titled «Cold Dead Hand» and set as a musical act during the variety program Hee Haw, lampoons American gun culture, and specifically former NRA spokesperson Charlton Heston.^[95]

Carrey delivered the commencement address at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in May 2014 and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist.^[96]

Carrey was a producer on Rubble Kings, a 2015 documentary film that depicts events preceding and following the Hoe Avenue peace meeting.^[97]

On 29 August 2014, Carrey was honoured by Canada Post with a limited-edition postage stamp with his portrait on it.^[98]

In June 2017, Showtime began airing the dramedy I’m Dying Up Here, for which Carrey served as the executive producer. The show, which chronicles a group of stand-up comics in 1970s Los Angeles, incorporates aspects of Carrey’s own experience.^[99] In September of that year, that same network announced that he would be starring in a comedy series titled Kidding, which will reunite Carrey and director Michel Gondry.^[100] By the end of 2017, it was announced that Catherine Keener would star opposite Carrey in Kidding.^[101]

Carrey was also the subject of two documentaries in 2017. The first, a short subject entitled I Needed Color about his lifelong passion for art, was released online in the summer.^[102] Later that year another documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond—Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton, premiered at The Venice Film Festival and was later picked up by Netflix.^[103] The film chronicles the behind-the-scenes drama during the shooting of Man on the Moon, when he never broke character as Andy Kaufman.^[104] It incorporates footage that was shot for the film’s electronic press kit^[104] but ultimately pulled by Universal as they felt that it was too damaging.^[105]

2018–present: Comeback

In June 2018, Carrey was cast as Dr. Robotnik, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, in a film adaptation of the franchise. The film was released in February 2020 to positive reviews.^[106] Carrey’s portrayal of Robotnik was praised, with some considering it one of his best performances in years.^[107][108] Carrey returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released in April 2022,^[109] which grossed $72 million at the US box office in its opening weekend to give Carrey the best opening of his career to date.^[110]

In 2020, Carrey published Memoirs and Misinformation.^[111] In September, during the final stages of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, it was announced that Carrey would portray presidential nominee Joe Biden on the 46th season of Saturday Night Live, taking over the role from Jason Sudeikis, Woody Harrelson and John Mulaney.^[112][113] However, Carrey’s high-energy comedy style clashed with real-life Biden’s low-key persona, producing an imitation that lacked authenticity, and failed to impress viewers and critics.^{[114][115][116][117][118]} On December 19, 2020, Carrey announced that he would step down from playing Biden on Saturday Night Live, stating that he had a six-week deal.^[119][120] Cast member Alex Moffat succeeded Carrey in portraying Biden during the cold open of the episode hosted by Kristen Wiig at the same day.^[121]

Carrey appeared as the narrator of The Weeknd album Dawn FM, released on 7 January 2022.^[122]

In April 2022, Carrey announced that he was considering retirement from the film industry, explaining, «I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.» When asked if he would ever come back, his response was, «It depends. If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break».^[123]

Personal life

Carrey suffers from depression^[124] and has taken Prozac to combat the symptoms. He has stated that he no longer takes medications or stimulants of any kind, including coffee.^[124]

He received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of the United States and his native Canada.^[125]

In November 2022, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs banned 100 Canadians including Jim Carrey from entering Russia as a reciprocity for the Western sanctions that had been introduced due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.^[126]

Relationships

In 1983, Jim Carrey dated singer Linda Ronstadt for eight months.^[127] Carrey has been married twice. His first marriage was to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, whom he married on 28 March 1987. Their daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, was born 6 September 1987.^[128] Jane was a 2012 contestant on American Idol.^[129] Carrey and Womer divorced in 1995.^[130]

On 23 September 1996, Carrey married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly; the marriage lasted less than a year.^[131] From 1999 to 2000, Carrey was engaged to his Me, Myself and Irene co-star Renée Zellweger.^[132] January Jones was in a relationship with Carrey in 2002.^[133] Carrey met model and actress Jenny McCarthy in 2005 and made their relationship public in June 2006. In April 2010, the two ended their relationship.^[134] In October 2010, McCarthy said they remained good friends.^[135]

Carrey met Cathriona White in 2012,^[136] a makeup artist from County Tipperary, Ireland. They dated between 2012 and 2015. On 28 September 2015, White was found dead from a prescription drug overdose; the death was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.^[137] Carrey was a pallbearer at her funeral in Cappawhite, County Tipperary, Ireland.^[138]

Carrey attended the Golden Globes 2019 Party with his girlfriend Ginger Gonzaga in January 2019.^[139][140] The couple split after less than a year of dating.^[141]

Wrongful death lawsuits

Carrey’s girlfriend Cathriona White married Mark Burton in 2013, in Las Vegas. She had been dating Carrey on and off since 2012, and was still married but dating Carrey when she died in 2015.^[142] On 19 September 2016, Burton filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Carrey, claiming that he had used his «immense wealth and celebrity status» to illegally obtain and distribute prescription drugs involved in White’s death. Carrey released a statement the following day:

What a terrible shame. It would be easy for me to get in a back room with this man’s lawyer and make this go away, but there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honor against the evil in this world. I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved. Cat’s troubles were born long before I met her and sadly her tragic end was beyond anyone’s control. I really hope that some day soon people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace.^[143][144]

In October 2016, White’s mother, Brigid Sweetman, also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Carrey.^[145] In this suit, Sweetman’s attorney states that Carrey underwent a test for sexually transmitted infections, tested positive for hepatitis A, HSV (Herpes) I and II, and chlamydia, and hid the results from White and had unprotected sex with her.^[146] Sweetman later issued a statement: «These documents show that Jim Carrey has lied to the media, the public and the court. Carrey has now been shown for what he is—a dishonest Hollywood celebrity who thinks he can say anything and fool people just because he is famous.»^[146]

Both lawsuits were dismissed on January 25, 2018, and attorneys for both sides confirmed there would be no further legal proceedings.^[147][148]

Vaccine skepticism

In 2009, Carrey wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination for The Huffington Post.^[149] With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a «Green Our Vaccines» march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of «toxic substances» from children’s vaccines, out of a belief that children had received «too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic».^[150] The rally was criticized by David Gorski, an American surgical oncologist on Science-Based Medicine blog, for being anti-vaccine and not «pro-safe vaccine»,^[151] and by Steven Parker on the WebMD website for being «irresponsible».^[152]

On July 1, 2015, after the signing of a new vaccination law, Carrey called California Governor Jerry Brown a «corporate fascist» who was «poisoning» children by enacting the vaccination requirements.^[153] The law disallowed religious and philosophical reasons for exemption from vaccination. Carrey was criticized for being «ignorant when it comes to vaccines» by Arthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics, at New York University,^[154] and by Jeffrey Kluger, senior writer at Time, who described his anti-vaccination statements as «angry, dense and immune to reason».^[155]

Political and spiritual views

Carrey is an outspoken advocate of the «law of attraction». In an interview with Oprah Winfrey on 17 February 1997,^[156] he revealed that as a struggling actor he would use visualization techniques to get work. He also stated that he visualized a $10 million check given to him for «acting services rendered», placed the check in his pocket, and seven years later received a $10 million check for his role in Dumb and Dumber.^[157]

Carrey practices Transcendental Meditation.^[158][159]

Carrey has defended socialism and has urged the Democratic Party to embrace the movement, saying «We have to say yes to socialism, to the word and everything. We have to stop apologizing».^[160]

Carrey has shared his own political cartoon drawings since August 2017, including controversial renderings of then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and then-President Donald Trump.^[161] He sparked an international event on 31 March 2019, posting a drawing criticising fascism by depicting Benito Mussolini’s infamous death with Clara Petacci; this irked Mussolini’s granddaughter Alessandra who chided him on Twitter calling him «a bastard» and his artworks «dirty paper.»^{[162][163][164][165][166][167]} His drawing repertoire culminated in an exhibition titled IndigNation, which opened on 23 October 2018 at the Maccarone Gallery in Los Angeles and featured 108 pen-and-ink drawings from Carrey’s Twitter feed from 2016 to 2018.^[168]

Artwork and NFTs

In 2017, Carrey revealed that he had been painting for the past six years. In 2011, he exhibited the painting Nothing to See Here in an art show in Palm Springs at the Heather James Fine Art Gallery.^[169] In 2017, Carrey released a six-minute documentary entitled, I Needed Color, which showed him working in his studio.^[169] In April 2022, Carrey announced that he had minted his first art NFT via the NFT platform SuperRare. The NFT is based on a painting entitled Sunflower, and is accompanied by original voiceover.^[170]

Awards and nominations

Selected filmography

Discography

Singles

• «Cuban Pete» (1995) – AUS No. 88,^[171] UK No. 31^[172]
• «Somebody to Love» (1996) – AUS No. 62^[171]
• «Cold Dead Hand» (2013) (as Lonesome Earl and the Clutterbusters)

Other

• George Martin – «I Am the Walrus» (1998)
• The Weeknd – «Dawn FM», «Out of Time» and «Phantom Regret by Jim» (2022)

Written works

Books

• Carrey, Jim (2013). How Roland Rolls. Illustrated by Rob Nason. Some Kind of Garden Media. ISBN 978-0-9893680-0-1.
• Carrey, Jim; Vachon, Dana (2020). Memoirs and Misinformation. Knopf. ISBN 9780525655978.^[173]

Forewords

• Carrey, Jim (2004). Foreword. It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs. By Rodney Dangerfield. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-621107-7.

See also

References

Further reading

• Krulik, Nancy (2001). Jim Carrey: Fun and Funnier. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-2219-8.

External links

• Jim Carrey at IMDb
• Jim Carrey at the TCM Movie Database
• Jim Carrey discography at Discogs
• Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

Jim Carrey
Carrey in 2008
Born	James Eugene Carrey January 17, 1962 (age 61) Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	Canada United States[1]
Occupations	Actor comedian author producer
Years active	1977–present
Works	Full list
Spouses	Melissa Womer ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1995)​ Lauren Holly ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1997)​
Partner	Jenny McCarthy (2005–2010)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up film television
Genres	Observational comedy physical comedy surreal humor character comedy satire slapstick
Subject(s)	Everyday life popular culture politics celebrities
Signature

James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962)^[2] is a Canadian and American actor, comedian and artist.^[3][4][5] Known for his energetic slapstick performances,^[6] Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a star in motion pictures with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber (all 1994). This was followed up with Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Batman Forever (both 1995) and Liar Liar (1997).

In the 2000s, he gained further notice for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and for the comedy Me, Myself & Irene (both in 2000), as well as Bruce Almighty (2003), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man, Horton Hears a Who! (both 2008), and A Christmas Carol (2009). In the 2010s, Carrey appeared in the films Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Kick-Ass 2 (both 2013), Dumb and Dumber To (2014), and portrayed Leap Day William in the sitcom 30 Rock (2012). In 2020, he portrayed Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog and its 2022 sequel and Joe Biden in six episodes of Saturday Night Live in the leadup to the 2020 United States presidential election.

Although largely typecast as a comedic actor, Carrey has had success in dramatic roles. His first dramatic success was for starring in the Emmy-nominated made-for-television film Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992). Carrey gained attention for his leading roles in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999), earning Golden Globe Awards for each film. He later starred in the psychological science fiction romantic drama film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); this performance is repeatedly lauded as the seminal in Carrey’s career and for which he was nominated for both the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and another Golden Globe Award. He was also praised for his dramatic role of Jeff Piccirillo in the Showtime tragicomedy series Kidding (2018, 2020), for which he was nominated for another Golden Globe. Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited Carrey as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.^[7][8][9]

In 2006, Carrey received a Grammy award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. In 2013, Carrey published his first book, a children’s story titled How Roland Rolls, which was awarded a 2013 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award.^[10] In 2020, Carrey published his first novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, which he co-authored with Dana Vachon.^[11][12]

Early life

Carrey was born in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada,^[2] to Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant.^[13][14] He was raised a Roman Catholic and has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita.^[15][16] His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent, and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry; the family’s original surname was Carré.^[17][18][19]

At age eight, he began making faces before a mirror and discovered a talent for doing impressions.^[20] At age ten, Carrey wrote a letter to Carol Burnett of the Carol Burnett Show pointing out that he was already a master of impressions and should be considered for a role on the show; he was overjoyed when he received a form letter reply.^[21] A fan of Monty Python, whose TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired in the 1970s, in 2014 Carrey appeared on Monty Python’s Best Bits (Mostly) and recalled the effect on him of Ernest Scribbler (played by Michael Palin) laughing himself to death in «The Funniest Joke in the World» sketch.^[22] Radio Times states, «You’ll see why immediately: Palin’s performance is uncannily Carreyesque.»^[22]

Carrey spent his early years in the borough of Scarborough, Ontario, part of Metropolitan Toronto, where he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic Elementary School in North York. His family later moved to Burlington, Ontario, where they would spend eight years; Jim attended Aldershot High School while there.^[23] Some time later, his family became homeless and lived together in a Volkswagen van while teenage Jim and his brother spent months living in a tent in Charles Daley Park on the Lake Ontario shore in Lincoln, Ontario.^[24][25] The family struggled financially, however, their situation started improving once his father found employment in the accounting department at the Titan Wheels tire factory in Scarborough.^[25] Furthermore, in return for living in the house across the street from the factory, the family—primarily teenage sons Jim and John—would work as janitors and security guards at the tire factory, doing eight-hour shifts from 6 pm into the next morning.^[25] Moving back to Scarborough, teenage Jim started attending Agincourt Collegiate Institute before dropping out of school on his sixteenth birthday. He began to perform comedy in downtown Toronto while continuing to work at the factory.

In a 2007 Hamilton Spectator interview, Carrey said, «If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Dofasco steel mill.» As a young man, he could see the steel mills across the Burlington Bay and often thought that was «where the great jobs were.»^[26]

Career

1977–1983: Early impressionist work in Toronto

Carrey’s first stand-up comedy experience took place in 1977 at the age of 15 with his father trying to help him put together a stage act, driving him to downtown Toronto to debut at the recently-opened Yuk Yuk’s comedy club operating one-night-a-week out of community centre The 519’s basement on Church Street.^[25][27] For the performance, Carrey had his attire—a polyester leisure suit—chosen by his mother who reasoned «that’s how they dress on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast«.^[28][25] Pubescent Carrey’s conventional impersonations bombed, proving ill-suited for a club with a raunchy comedic sensibility and giving him doubts about his potential as a professional entertainer.^[25] Decades later, recalling Carrey’s stand-up debut, Yuk Yuk’s owner Mark Breslin described it as «bad Rich Little».^[25] His family’s financial struggles made it difficult for them to support Carrey’s show business ambitions.

Eventually, the family’s financial situation improved and they moved into a new home in Jackson’s Point.^[27][29] With more domestic stability, Carrey returned to the stage in 1979 with a more polished act that led to his first paid gig: a 20-minute spot at the Hay Loft club on Highway 48 in Scarborough for a reported Can$20 compensation on a bill with the Mother of Pearl performer from The Pig and Whistle.^[30] He soon faced his fears and went back downtown to the site of his debacle from two years earlier—Yuk Yuk’s that had in the meantime moved into a permanent location on Bay Street in the fashionable Yorkville district. In a short period of time, the seventeen-year-old went from open-mic nights at the club to regular paid shows, building his reputation in the process.

Parallel to his increasing local Toronto-area popularity as an impressionist stand-up comic, Carrey tried to break into sketch comedy, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–81 season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Carrey ended up not being selected by the show’s new executive producer Jean Doumanian who picked thirty-one-year-old Charles Rocket instead.^[31] Decades later, after establishing himself as a Hollywood film star, Carrey would host the show in May 1996, January 2011, and October 2014.^[32][33] After not getting Saturday Night Live, Carrey took a voice acting job performing Clutch Cargo-inspired bits on The All-Night Show, an overnight program airing locally on the CFMT-TV channel branded as Multilingual Television (MTV).^[34]

Continuing to perform his stand-up act of contortionist impressions in the city of Toronto and surrounding towns, in February 1981, nineteen-year-old Carrey was booked as the opening act for the rock band Goddo at The Roxy Theatre in Barrie for two shows on consecutive nights; the rock crowd booed him offstage and he refused to return for the second night.^[35] Two weeks later, however, a review of one of Carrey’s spots at Yuk Yuk’s—alongside a sizeable photo of him doing a stage impression of Sammy Davis Jr.—appeared in the Toronto Star on the front page of its entertainment section with the writer Bruce Blackadar raving about «a genuine star coming to life».^[36][37] Save for a brief mention in the Barrie Examiner, it was the first time Carrey received significant mainstream corporate media coverage and the glowing praise in one of Canada’s highest-circulation dailies created demand for his impressionist stand-up act throughout the country.^[37][30] In April 1981, he appeared in an episode of the televised stand-up show An Evening at the Improv.^[38] That summer, he landed one of the main roles in Introducing… Janet, a made-for-TV movie that premiered in September 1981 on the CBC drawing more than a million viewers for its first airing in Canada.^[39] Playing a struggling impressionist comic Tony Maroni, it was Carrey’s first acting role. The CBC promotion the movie had received as well its subsequent high nationwide viewership further solidified the youngster’s comedic status in the country; by the time the movie finished its CBC run of repeats several years later, its title for the home video release on VHS was changed to Rubberface in order to take advantage of the comic’s by then established prominence for doing elaborate contortionist impressions.^[39] Making more comedy club appearances in the United States, Carrey was noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield who signed Carrey to open his tour performances. By December 1981, a well-known comic in Canada, Toronto Star reported about Carrey waiting for a United States work permit having received interest from Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, largely off his reputation from Canada.^[40][41]

In the early part of 1982, Carrey reportedly performed for The Tonight Show bookers Jim McCauley and Bud Robinson as part of the program’s audition process for stand-up comic spots.^[42] However, rather than being booked on the show, Carrey got advised to further hone his act, so he went back home to the Toronto area where he had already built a significant following.^[42] Touring venues throughout North America as the opening act for Rodney Dangerfield, Carrey made a stop at home in Toronto on 19 June 1982, performing two sold-out shows at Massey Hall.

1983–1994: Move to Hollywood

In early 1983, Carrey decided to move to Hollywood where he began regularly performing at The Comedy Store. Getting on The Tonight Show became his immediate career goal, and, by spring 1983, he appeared to have achieved it after getting booked for a stand-up set on the highly-rated late night show.^[43] However, a lukewarm club set at The Improv got him unbooked.^[43] Though struggling to replicate his success in Los Angeles, Carrey continued being a big hit in his hometown Toronto where he returned during late April 1983 to perform at the short-lived B.B. Magoon’s theatrical venue on Bloor Street on three consecutive nights. While in town, CTV’s flagship newsmagazine program W5 did a feature on Carrey that aired nationally in Canada. Back in L.A., within months, he landed the main role on The Duck Factory, a sitcom being developed for NBC, and, in late November 1983, still got to debut his impressionist act on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson via a promotional appearance for the sitcom about to start airing nationally in the United States on the same network.^[43] In the meantime, he was cast for a supporting role in the Warner Bros. comedy production Finders Keepers, shot in the Canadian province of Alberta during late summer 1983. For his Tonight Show appearance that aired on American Thanksgiving, 21-year-old Carrey went through his most popular impressions—Elvis Presley, Leonid Brezhnev, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Michael Landon, James Dean, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Charles Nelson Reilly, characters from My Three Sons, and Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy—in rapid succession.^[44] After completing his set, though getting the OK gesture from Carson, the impressionist comic was notably not waved over by the host to join him on the couch—a usual indication that while sufficiently pleased, the powerful host was probably not ecstatic about the performance.^[45] The end of 1983 saw Carrey go back home to Toronto once more for a publicized New Years’ Eve performance at the Royal York Hotel’s Imperial Room.

Originally scheduled to start airing in January 1984, The Duck Factory sitcom debut in April, airing Thursdays at 9:30pm between Cheers and Hill Street Blues.^[46][47] The same month, Carrey took a job hosting the 1984 U-Know Awards ceremony held in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel’s Ballroom.^[48] By the time he made his debut appearance on NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman in late July 1984, the network had already cancelled The Duck Factory; Carrey went back to touring with his impressionist act, including often opening for Rodney Dangerfield.

After being noticed doing stand-up by producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and contacted to audition for a teen horror sex comedy being developed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Carrey landed a starring role in Once Bitten shot in early 1985.^[49] Carrey would continue getting film roles; throughout late summer and early fall 1985, he shot a supporting part in Francis Ford Coppola’s Peggy Sue Got Married which went into a long post-production process.^[49] In parallel, he decided to try out for Saturday Night Live again, this time ahead of the show’s 1985-86 season being prepared by returning executive producer Lorne Michaels who was looking to hire an all-new cast. Five years removed from his previous SNL audition, twenty-three-year-old Carrey was rejected again, reportedly never even getting the chance to audition his material—’post-nuclear Elvis’ hybrid impression and impersonation of Henry Fonda from On Golden Pond—in front of executive producer Michaels due to the show’s producers and senior writers Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey deciding that Michaels would not like it.^[50] Unlike his previous SNL rejection, Carrey now had a bit of a film career to fall back on in addition to his impressionist stand-up act; Once Bitten was released in mid November 1985 and turned out to be a modest box-office hit despite drawing poor reviews.

Back on the comedy club circuit with impressions, in fall 1986, Carrey auditioned for SNL‘s upcoming season, his third attempt at getting on the ensemble sketch comedy show. Finally managing to perform for the show’s executive producer Lorne Michaels at a Burbank studio, with returning cast members Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz, and Nora Dunn also watching the audition, Carrey was rejected again.^[50] Among the group of hopefuls auditioning alongside Carrey on this occasion were Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman, both of whom were hired.^[50]

Sensing that doing only impressions was turning into a career dead-end, Carrey set out to develop a new live comedy act.^[51] Much to the dismay of comedy club owners booking him, he began abandoning trademark celebrity impressions, opting instead to try adding observational and character humour to his comedic repertoire, a process that often involved forcing himself to improvise and scramble in front of dissatisfied live audiences that came to see him do impressions.^[51]

From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the ensemble comedy television series In Living Color.^[52] While short-lived, the popularity of this series helped him to land his first few major film roles.

1994–1998: Rise to fame

Carrey played the lead role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective which was released in February 1994 and went on to gross $72 million in the United States and Canada.^[53] Following its success and before the release of his next film, The Mask, which was anticipated to be another hit, Morgan Creek Productions paid him $5 million to reprise his role as Ace Ventura and New Line Cinema offered him $7 million to make a sequel to The Mask and paid him $7 million to appear in Dumb and Dumber, a nearly tenfold increase on his salary for Ace Ventura.^[54][55] The Mask, released in July 1994, grossed $351 million worldwide,^[56][57] and Dumb and Dumber, released in December 1994, was another commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide.^[58] Carrey received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Mask and was voted second on Quigley’s Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll, behind Tom Hanks.^[59]

Carrey portrayed the Batman villain the Riddler in the Joel Schumacher-directed superhero film Batman Forever (1995). The film received mixed reviews, but was a box office success. He reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls which was also released in 1995. Like the original film, it was well received by the public, but poorly received by critics. It was a huge box-office success, earning $212 million worldwide in addition to breaking records, with a $40 million opening weekend.^[60]

Carrey became the first actor to be paid $20 million for his next film, The Cable Guy (1996).^[61] Directed by Ben Stiller, the film was a satirical black comedy, in which Carrey played a lonely, menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played by Matthew Broderick). The role was a departure from the «hapless, hyper, overconfident» characters he had been known for. However, it did not fare well with most critics, many reacting to Carrey’s change of tone from previous films.^[62] Carrey also starred in the music video of the film’s closing song, «Leave Me Alone» by Jerry Cantrell.^[63] Despite the reviews, The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.^[64]

He soon bounced back with the critically acclaimed comedy Liar Liar (1997), playing Fletcher Reede, an unethical lawyer rendered unable to lie by his young son’s birthday wish. Carrey was praised for his performance, earning a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said: «Well into his tumultuous career, Mr. Carrey finally turns up in a straightforward comic vehicle, and the results are much wilder and funnier than this mundane material should have allowed.»^[65]

1998–2007: Critical acclaim

The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the seriocomic role of Truman Burbank in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).^[66] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Academy Award.^[67] For The Truman Show, he was nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success, earning $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.^[68][69] A Film4 critic stated that the film «allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy,» adding that it was «a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire.»^[70]

That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling’s The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling’s character. In 1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to critical acclaim and received his second Golden Globe in a row. In addition, he received his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actor.^[71]

In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly brothers, who had previously directed him in Dumb and Dumber, for the black comedy film Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews^[72] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics alongside a Golden Globe nomination.^[73]

For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac’s international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a television newsman who unexpectedly receives God’s omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film received mixed reviews upon release^[74] but still became a financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action comedy of all time.^[75][76]

In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received critical acclaim upon release. Critics highly praised Carrey’s portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to the performance of his co-star Kate Winslet, who was nominated for an Oscar. According to CNN’s reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey’s performance was the actor’s «best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever.»^[77] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor.

Carrey’s next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the children’s novels of the same name. The film was positively received; Desson Thomson from The Washington Post said of Carrey’s approach to the character of Count Olaf,

Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He’s not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can’t let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he’s rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur.^[78][79]

That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.^[80] In 2005, Carrey starred in the remake of Fun with Dick and Jane with Tea Leoni, which grossed $200 million with a profit of $100 million.^[81]

2007–2018: Change in pace

Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of Batman Forever, for The Number 23 (2007), a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. The film was panned by critics. The following year Carrey provided his voice for Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voiced Horton the Elephant for the CGI-animated feature, which was a box office success, grossing over $290 million worldwide.^[82]

Carrey returned to live-action comedy, starring opposite Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper in Yes Man (also 2008). Carrey played a man who signs up for a self-help program that teaches him to say yes to everything. Despite reviews being mixed, Rene Rodriquez of The Miami Herald stated, «Yes Man is fine as far as Jim Carrey comedies go, but it’s even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh.»^[83] The film had a decent performance at the box office, earning $225 million worldwide.^[84]

Since 2009, Carrey’s work has included a leading role in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s I Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayed Steven Jay Russell, a con artist, imposter, and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played by Ewan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews, with Damon Wise of The Times giving the film four stars out of five, stating, «I Love You Phillip Morris is an extraordinary film that serves as a reminder of just how good Carrey can be when he’s not tied into a generic Hollywood crowd-pleaser. His comic timing remains as exquisite as ever.»^[85]

For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters in Disney’s 3D animated take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (2009), voicing Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also starred Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, and Cary Elwes. The film received decent reviews and was a financial success. Carrey landed the lead role in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), playing Tom Popper Jr., a realtor who becomes the caretaker of a family of penguins. The film received a mixed reception upon release.^[86]

He starred alongside former co-star Steve Carell in the Don Scardino-directed comedy film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). Carrey played Steve Gray, a dangerous street magician who overshadows the formerly successful magician Burt Wonderstone (played by Carell). The film was released in March 2013 to mixed reviews and underperformed significantly at the box office, grossing just over $27 million on a $30 million budget.^[87]

Around the same time, he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 (also 2013) as Colonel Stars and Stripes. He retracted support for the film two months prior to its release. He issued a statement via his Twitter account that, in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, «Now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence.»^[88]

Peter Farrelly said in April 2012 that Carrey and Jeff Daniels would return for a Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, with the Farrelly brothers writing and directing and a planned September 2012 production start.^[89] In June, however, Carrey’s representative said Carrey had left the project because the comedian felt New Line and Warner Bros. were unenthusiastic toward it.^[90] However, on 1 October 2012, Yahoo!’s The Yo Show carried the news item that the script was complete and that the original actors, Carrey and Daniels, would be reprising their roles. The plot involved one of the characters having sired a child and needing to find them to obtain a kidney.^[91][92] Dumb and Dumber To was released in November 2014.

In March 2013, Carrey announced that he had written a children’s book titled How Roland Rolls, about a scared wave named Roland. He described it as «kind of a metaphysical children’s story, which deals with a lot of heavy stuff in a really childish way.» Carrey self-published the book, which was released in September 2013.^[93][94]

On March 25, 2013, Carrey released a parody music video with Eels through Funny or Die, with Carrey replacing Mark Oliver Everett on vocals. The song and video, titled «Cold Dead Hand» and set as a musical act during the variety program Hee Haw, lampoons American gun culture, and specifically former NRA spokesperson Charlton Heston.^[95]

Carrey delivered the commencement address at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in May 2014 and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist.^[96]

Carrey was a producer on Rubble Kings, a 2015 documentary film that depicts events preceding and following the Hoe Avenue peace meeting.^[97]

On 29 August 2014, Carrey was honoured by Canada Post with a limited-edition postage stamp with his portrait on it.^[98]

In June 2017, Showtime began airing the dramedy I’m Dying Up Here, for which Carrey served as the executive producer. The show, which chronicles a group of stand-up comics in 1970s Los Angeles, incorporates aspects of Carrey’s own experience.^[99] In September of that year, that same network announced that he would be starring in a comedy series titled Kidding, which will reunite Carrey and director Michel Gondry.^[100] By the end of 2017, it was announced that Catherine Keener would star opposite Carrey in Kidding.^[101]

Carrey was also the subject of two documentaries in 2017. The first, a short subject entitled I Needed Color about his lifelong passion for art, was released online in the summer.^[102] Later that year another documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond—Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton, premiered at The Venice Film Festival and was later picked up by Netflix.^[103] The film chronicles the behind-the-scenes drama during the shooting of Man on the Moon, when he never broke character as Andy Kaufman.^[104] It incorporates footage that was shot for the film’s electronic press kit^[104] but ultimately pulled by Universal as they felt that it was too damaging.^[105]

2018–present: Comeback

In June 2018, Carrey was cast as Dr. Robotnik, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, in a film adaptation of the franchise. The film was released in February 2020 to positive reviews.^[106] Carrey’s portrayal of Robotnik was praised, with some considering it one of his best performances in years.^[107][108] Carrey returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released in April 2022,^[109] which grossed $72 million at the US box office in its opening weekend to give Carrey the best opening of his career to date.^[110]

In 2020, Carrey published Memoirs and Misinformation.^[111] In September, during the final stages of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, it was announced that Carrey would portray presidential nominee Joe Biden on the 46th season of Saturday Night Live, taking over the role from Jason Sudeikis, Woody Harrelson and John Mulaney.^[112][113] However, Carrey’s high-energy comedy style clashed with real-life Biden’s low-key persona, producing an imitation that lacked authenticity, and failed to impress viewers and critics.^{[114][115][116][117][118]} On December 19, 2020, Carrey announced that he would step down from playing Biden on Saturday Night Live, stating that he had a six-week deal.^[119][120] Cast member Alex Moffat succeeded Carrey in portraying Biden during the cold open of the episode hosted by Kristen Wiig at the same day.^[121]

Carrey appeared as the narrator of The Weeknd album Dawn FM, released on 7 January 2022.^[122]

In April 2022, Carrey announced that he was considering retirement from the film industry, explaining, «I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.» When asked if he would ever come back, his response was, «It depends. If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break».^[123]

Personal life

Carrey suffers from depression^[124] and has taken Prozac to combat the symptoms. He has stated that he no longer takes medications or stimulants of any kind, including coffee.^[124]

He received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of the United States and his native Canada.^[125]

In November 2022, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs banned 100 Canadians including Jim Carrey from entering Russia as a reciprocity for the Western sanctions that had been introduced due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.^[126]

Relationships

In 1983, Jim Carrey dated singer Linda Ronstadt for eight months.^[127] Carrey has been married twice. His first marriage was to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, whom he married on 28 March 1987. Their daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, was born 6 September 1987.^[128] Jane was a 2012 contestant on American Idol.^[129] Carrey and Womer divorced in 1995.^[130]

On 23 September 1996, Carrey married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly; the marriage lasted less than a year.^[131] From 1999 to 2000, Carrey was engaged to his Me, Myself and Irene co-star Renée Zellweger.^[132] January Jones was in a relationship with Carrey in 2002.^[133] Carrey met model and actress Jenny McCarthy in 2005 and made their relationship public in June 2006. In April 2010, the two ended their relationship.^[134] In October 2010, McCarthy said they remained good friends.^[135]

Carrey met Cathriona White in 2012,^[136] a makeup artist from County Tipperary, Ireland. They dated between 2012 and 2015. On 28 September 2015, White was found dead from a prescription drug overdose; the death was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.^[137] Carrey was a pallbearer at her funeral in Cappawhite, County Tipperary, Ireland.^[138]

Carrey attended the Golden Globes 2019 Party with his girlfriend Ginger Gonzaga in January 2019.^[139][140] The couple split after less than a year of dating.^[141]

Wrongful death lawsuits

Carrey’s girlfriend Cathriona White married Mark Burton in 2013, in Las Vegas. She had been dating Carrey on and off since 2012, and was still married but dating Carrey when she died in 2015.^[142] On 19 September 2016, Burton filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Carrey, claiming that he had used his «immense wealth and celebrity status» to illegally obtain and distribute prescription drugs involved in White’s death. Carrey released a statement the following day:

What a terrible shame. It would be easy for me to get in a back room with this man’s lawyer and make this go away, but there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honor against the evil in this world. I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved. Cat’s troubles were born long before I met her and sadly her tragic end was beyond anyone’s control. I really hope that some day soon people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace.^[143][144]

In October 2016, White’s mother, Brigid Sweetman, also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Carrey.^[145] In this suit, Sweetman’s attorney states that Carrey underwent a test for sexually transmitted infections, tested positive for hepatitis A, HSV (Herpes) I and II, and chlamydia, and hid the results from White and had unprotected sex with her.^[146] Sweetman later issued a statement: «These documents show that Jim Carrey has lied to the media, the public and the court. Carrey has now been shown for what he is—a dishonest Hollywood celebrity who thinks he can say anything and fool people just because he is famous.»^[146]

Both lawsuits were dismissed on January 25, 2018, and attorneys for both sides confirmed there would be no further legal proceedings.^[147][148]

Vaccine skepticism

In 2009, Carrey wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination for The Huffington Post.^[149] With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a «Green Our Vaccines» march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of «toxic substances» from children’s vaccines, out of a belief that children had received «too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic».^[150] The rally was criticized by David Gorski, an American surgical oncologist on Science-Based Medicine blog, for being anti-vaccine and not «pro-safe vaccine»,^[151] and by Steven Parker on the WebMD website for being «irresponsible».^[152]

On July 1, 2015, after the signing of a new vaccination law, Carrey called California Governor Jerry Brown a «corporate fascist» who was «poisoning» children by enacting the vaccination requirements.^[153] The law disallowed religious and philosophical reasons for exemption from vaccination. Carrey was criticized for being «ignorant when it comes to vaccines» by Arthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics, at New York University,^[154] and by Jeffrey Kluger, senior writer at Time, who described his anti-vaccination statements as «angry, dense and immune to reason».^[155]

Political and spiritual views

Carrey is an outspoken advocate of the «law of attraction». In an interview with Oprah Winfrey on 17 February 1997,^[156] he revealed that as a struggling actor he would use visualization techniques to get work. He also stated that he visualized a $10 million check given to him for «acting services rendered», placed the check in his pocket, and seven years later received a $10 million check for his role in Dumb and Dumber.^[157]

Carrey practices Transcendental Meditation.^[158][159]

Carrey has defended socialism and has urged the Democratic Party to embrace the movement, saying «We have to say yes to socialism, to the word and everything. We have to stop apologizing».^[160]

Carrey has shared his own political cartoon drawings since August 2017, including controversial renderings of then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and then-President Donald Trump.^[161] He sparked an international event on 31 March 2019, posting a drawing criticising fascism by depicting Benito Mussolini’s infamous death with Clara Petacci; this irked Mussolini’s granddaughter Alessandra who chided him on Twitter calling him «a bastard» and his artworks «dirty paper.»^{[162][163][164][165][166][167]} His drawing repertoire culminated in an exhibition titled IndigNation, which opened on 23 October 2018 at the Maccarone Gallery in Los Angeles and featured 108 pen-and-ink drawings from Carrey’s Twitter feed from 2016 to 2018.^[168]

Artwork and NFTs

In 2017, Carrey revealed that he had been painting for the past six years. In 2011, he exhibited the painting Nothing to See Here in an art show in Palm Springs at the Heather James Fine Art Gallery.^[169] In 2017, Carrey released a six-minute documentary entitled, I Needed Color, which showed him working in his studio.^[169] In April 2022, Carrey announced that he had minted his first art NFT via the NFT platform SuperRare. The NFT is based on a painting entitled Sunflower, and is accompanied by original voiceover.^[170]

Awards and nominations

Selected filmography

Discography

Singles

• «Cuban Pete» (1995) – AUS No. 88,^[171] UK No. 31^[172]
• «Somebody to Love» (1996) – AUS No. 62^[171]
• «Cold Dead Hand» (2013) (as Lonesome Earl and the Clutterbusters)

Other

• George Martin – «I Am the Walrus» (1998)
• The Weeknd – «Dawn FM», «Out of Time» and «Phantom Regret by Jim» (2022)

Written works

Books

• Carrey, Jim (2013). How Roland Rolls. Illustrated by Rob Nason. Some Kind of Garden Media. ISBN 978-0-9893680-0-1.
• Carrey, Jim; Vachon, Dana (2020). Memoirs and Misinformation. Knopf. ISBN 9780525655978.^[173]

Forewords

• Carrey, Jim (2004). Foreword. It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs. By Rodney Dangerfield. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-621107-7.

See also

References

Further reading

• Krulik, Nancy (2001). Jim Carrey: Fun and Funnier. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-2219-8.

External links

• Jim Carrey at IMDb
• Jim Carrey at the TCM Movie Database
• Jim Carrey discography at Discogs
• Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

Jim Carrey
Carrey in 2008
Born	James Eugene Carrey January 17, 1962 (age 61) Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	Canada United States[1]
Occupations	Actor comedian author producer
Years active	1977–present
Works	Full list
Spouses	Melissa Womer ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1995)​ Lauren Holly ​ ​ (m. ; div. 1997)​
Partner	Jenny McCarthy (2005–2010)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up film television
Genres	Observational comedy physical comedy surreal humor character comedy satire slapstick
Subject(s)	Everyday life popular culture politics celebrities
Signature

James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962)^[2] is a Canadian and American actor, comedian and artist.^[3][4][5] Known for his energetic slapstick performances,^[6] Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a star in motion pictures with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber (all 1994). This was followed up with Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Batman Forever (both 1995) and Liar Liar (1997).

In the 2000s, he gained further notice for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and for the comedy Me, Myself & Irene (both in 2000), as well as Bruce Almighty (2003), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man, Horton Hears a Who! (both 2008), and A Christmas Carol (2009). In the 2010s, Carrey appeared in the films Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Kick-Ass 2 (both 2013), Dumb and Dumber To (2014), and portrayed Leap Day William in the sitcom 30 Rock (2012). In 2020, he portrayed Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog and its 2022 sequel and Joe Biden in six episodes of Saturday Night Live in the leadup to the 2020 United States presidential election.

Although largely typecast as a comedic actor, Carrey has had success in dramatic roles. His first dramatic success was for starring in the Emmy-nominated made-for-television film Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992). Carrey gained attention for his leading roles in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999), earning Golden Globe Awards for each film. He later starred in the psychological science fiction romantic drama film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); this performance is repeatedly lauded as the seminal in Carrey’s career and for which he was nominated for both the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and another Golden Globe Award. He was also praised for his dramatic role of Jeff Piccirillo in the Showtime tragicomedy series Kidding (2018, 2020), for which he was nominated for another Golden Globe. Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited Carrey as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.^[7][8][9]

In 2006, Carrey received a Grammy award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. In 2013, Carrey published his first book, a children’s story titled How Roland Rolls, which was awarded a 2013 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award.^[10] In 2020, Carrey published his first novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, which he co-authored with Dana Vachon.^[11][12]

Early life

Carrey was born in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada,^[2] to Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant.^[13][14] He was raised a Roman Catholic and has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita.^[15][16] His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent, and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry; the family’s original surname was Carré.^[17][18][19]

At age eight, he began making faces before a mirror and discovered a talent for doing impressions.^[20] At age ten, Carrey wrote a letter to Carol Burnett of the Carol Burnett Show pointing out that he was already a master of impressions and should be considered for a role on the show; he was overjoyed when he received a form letter reply.^[21] A fan of Monty Python, whose TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired in the 1970s, in 2014 Carrey appeared on Monty Python’s Best Bits (Mostly) and recalled the effect on him of Ernest Scribbler (played by Michael Palin) laughing himself to death in «The Funniest Joke in the World» sketch.^[22] Radio Times states, «You’ll see why immediately: Palin’s performance is uncannily Carreyesque.»^[22]

Carrey spent his early years in the borough of Scarborough, Ontario, part of Metropolitan Toronto, where he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic Elementary School in North York. His family later moved to Burlington, Ontario, where they would spend eight years; Jim attended Aldershot High School while there.^[23] Some time later, his family became homeless and lived together in a Volkswagen van while teenage Jim and his brother spent months living in a tent in Charles Daley Park on the Lake Ontario shore in Lincoln, Ontario.^[24][25] The family struggled financially, however, their situation started improving once his father found employment in the accounting department at the Titan Wheels tire factory in Scarborough.^[25] Furthermore, in return for living in the house across the street from the factory, the family—primarily teenage sons Jim and John—would work as janitors and security guards at the tire factory, doing eight-hour shifts from 6 pm into the next morning.^[25] Moving back to Scarborough, teenage Jim started attending Agincourt Collegiate Institute before dropping out of school on his sixteenth birthday. He began to perform comedy in downtown Toronto while continuing to work at the factory.

In a 2007 Hamilton Spectator interview, Carrey said, «If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Dofasco steel mill.» As a young man, he could see the steel mills across the Burlington Bay and often thought that was «where the great jobs were.»^[26]

Career

1977–1983: Early impressionist work in Toronto

Carrey’s first stand-up comedy experience took place in 1977 at the age of 15 with his father trying to help him put together a stage act, driving him to downtown Toronto to debut at the recently-opened Yuk Yuk’s comedy club operating one-night-a-week out of community centre The 519’s basement on Church Street.^[25][27] For the performance, Carrey had his attire—a polyester leisure suit—chosen by his mother who reasoned «that’s how they dress on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast«.^[28][25] Pubescent Carrey’s conventional impersonations bombed, proving ill-suited for a club with a raunchy comedic sensibility and giving him doubts about his potential as a professional entertainer.^[25] Decades later, recalling Carrey’s stand-up debut, Yuk Yuk’s owner Mark Breslin described it as «bad Rich Little».^[25] His family’s financial struggles made it difficult for them to support Carrey’s show business ambitions.

Eventually, the family’s financial situation improved and they moved into a new home in Jackson’s Point.^[27][29] With more domestic stability, Carrey returned to the stage in 1979 with a more polished act that led to his first paid gig: a 20-minute spot at the Hay Loft club on Highway 48 in Scarborough for a reported Can$20 compensation on a bill with the Mother of Pearl performer from The Pig and Whistle.^[30] He soon faced his fears and went back downtown to the site of his debacle from two years earlier—Yuk Yuk’s that had in the meantime moved into a permanent location on Bay Street in the fashionable Yorkville district. In a short period of time, the seventeen-year-old went from open-mic nights at the club to regular paid shows, building his reputation in the process.

Parallel to his increasing local Toronto-area popularity as an impressionist stand-up comic, Carrey tried to break into sketch comedy, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–81 season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Carrey ended up not being selected by the show’s new executive producer Jean Doumanian who picked thirty-one-year-old Charles Rocket instead.^[31] Decades later, after establishing himself as a Hollywood film star, Carrey would host the show in May 1996, January 2011, and October 2014.^[32][33] After not getting Saturday Night Live, Carrey took a voice acting job performing Clutch Cargo-inspired bits on The All-Night Show, an overnight program airing locally on the CFMT-TV channel branded as Multilingual Television (MTV).^[34]

Continuing to perform his stand-up act of contortionist impressions in the city of Toronto and surrounding towns, in February 1981, nineteen-year-old Carrey was booked as the opening act for the rock band Goddo at The Roxy Theatre in Barrie for two shows on consecutive nights; the rock crowd booed him offstage and he refused to return for the second night.^[35] Two weeks later, however, a review of one of Carrey’s spots at Yuk Yuk’s—alongside a sizeable photo of him doing a stage impression of Sammy Davis Jr.—appeared in the Toronto Star on the front page of its entertainment section with the writer Bruce Blackadar raving about «a genuine star coming to life».^[36][37] Save for a brief mention in the Barrie Examiner, it was the first time Carrey received significant mainstream corporate media coverage and the glowing praise in one of Canada’s highest-circulation dailies created demand for his impressionist stand-up act throughout the country.^[37][30] In April 1981, he appeared in an episode of the televised stand-up show An Evening at the Improv.^[38] That summer, he landed one of the main roles in Introducing… Janet, a made-for-TV movie that premiered in September 1981 on the CBC drawing more than a million viewers for its first airing in Canada.^[39] Playing a struggling impressionist comic Tony Maroni, it was Carrey’s first acting role. The CBC promotion the movie had received as well its subsequent high nationwide viewership further solidified the youngster’s comedic status in the country; by the time the movie finished its CBC run of repeats several years later, its title for the home video release on VHS was changed to Rubberface in order to take advantage of the comic’s by then established prominence for doing elaborate contortionist impressions.^[39] Making more comedy club appearances in the United States, Carrey was noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield who signed Carrey to open his tour performances. By December 1981, a well-known comic in Canada, Toronto Star reported about Carrey waiting for a United States work permit having received interest from Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, largely off his reputation from Canada.^[40][41]

In the early part of 1982, Carrey reportedly performed for The Tonight Show bookers Jim McCauley and Bud Robinson as part of the program’s audition process for stand-up comic spots.^[42] However, rather than being booked on the show, Carrey got advised to further hone his act, so he went back home to the Toronto area where he had already built a significant following.^[42] Touring venues throughout North America as the opening act for Rodney Dangerfield, Carrey made a stop at home in Toronto on 19 June 1982, performing two sold-out shows at Massey Hall.

1983–1994: Move to Hollywood

In early 1983, Carrey decided to move to Hollywood where he began regularly performing at The Comedy Store. Getting on The Tonight Show became his immediate career goal, and, by spring 1983, he appeared to have achieved it after getting booked for a stand-up set on the highly-rated late night show.^[43] However, a lukewarm club set at The Improv got him unbooked.^[43] Though struggling to replicate his success in Los Angeles, Carrey continued being a big hit in his hometown Toronto where he returned during late April 1983 to perform at the short-lived B.B. Magoon’s theatrical venue on Bloor Street on three consecutive nights. While in town, CTV’s flagship newsmagazine program W5 did a feature on Carrey that aired nationally in Canada. Back in L.A., within months, he landed the main role on The Duck Factory, a sitcom being developed for NBC, and, in late November 1983, still got to debut his impressionist act on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson via a promotional appearance for the sitcom about to start airing nationally in the United States on the same network.^[43] In the meantime, he was cast for a supporting role in the Warner Bros. comedy production Finders Keepers, shot in the Canadian province of Alberta during late summer 1983. For his Tonight Show appearance that aired on American Thanksgiving, 21-year-old Carrey went through his most popular impressions—Elvis Presley, Leonid Brezhnev, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Michael Landon, James Dean, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Charles Nelson Reilly, characters from My Three Sons, and Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy—in rapid succession.^[44] After completing his set, though getting the OK gesture from Carson, the impressionist comic was notably not waved over by the host to join him on the couch—a usual indication that while sufficiently pleased, the powerful host was probably not ecstatic about the performance.^[45] The end of 1983 saw Carrey go back home to Toronto once more for a publicized New Years’ Eve performance at the Royal York Hotel’s Imperial Room.

Originally scheduled to start airing in January 1984, The Duck Factory sitcom debut in April, airing Thursdays at 9:30pm between Cheers and Hill Street Blues.^[46][47] The same month, Carrey took a job hosting the 1984 U-Know Awards ceremony held in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel’s Ballroom.^[48] By the time he made his debut appearance on NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman in late July 1984, the network had already cancelled The Duck Factory; Carrey went back to touring with his impressionist act, including often opening for Rodney Dangerfield.

After being noticed doing stand-up by producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and contacted to audition for a teen horror sex comedy being developed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Carrey landed a starring role in Once Bitten shot in early 1985.^[49] Carrey would continue getting film roles; throughout late summer and early fall 1985, he shot a supporting part in Francis Ford Coppola’s Peggy Sue Got Married which went into a long post-production process.^[49] In parallel, he decided to try out for Saturday Night Live again, this time ahead of the show’s 1985-86 season being prepared by returning executive producer Lorne Michaels who was looking to hire an all-new cast. Five years removed from his previous SNL audition, twenty-three-year-old Carrey was rejected again, reportedly never even getting the chance to audition his material—’post-nuclear Elvis’ hybrid impression and impersonation of Henry Fonda from On Golden Pond—in front of executive producer Michaels due to the show’s producers and senior writers Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey deciding that Michaels would not like it.^[50] Unlike his previous SNL rejection, Carrey now had a bit of a film career to fall back on in addition to his impressionist stand-up act; Once Bitten was released in mid November 1985 and turned out to be a modest box-office hit despite drawing poor reviews.

Back on the comedy club circuit with impressions, in fall 1986, Carrey auditioned for SNL‘s upcoming season, his third attempt at getting on the ensemble sketch comedy show. Finally managing to perform for the show’s executive producer Lorne Michaels at a Burbank studio, with returning cast members Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz, and Nora Dunn also watching the audition, Carrey was rejected again.^[50] Among the group of hopefuls auditioning alongside Carrey on this occasion were Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman, both of whom were hired.^[50]

Sensing that doing only impressions was turning into a career dead-end, Carrey set out to develop a new live comedy act.^[51] Much to the dismay of comedy club owners booking him, he began abandoning trademark celebrity impressions, opting instead to try adding observational and character humour to his comedic repertoire, a process that often involved forcing himself to improvise and scramble in front of dissatisfied live audiences that came to see him do impressions.^[51]

From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the ensemble comedy television series In Living Color.^[52] While short-lived, the popularity of this series helped him to land his first few major film roles.

1994–1998: Rise to fame

Carrey played the lead role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective which was released in February 1994 and went on to gross $72 million in the United States and Canada.^[53] Following its success and before the release of his next film, The Mask, which was anticipated to be another hit, Morgan Creek Productions paid him $5 million to reprise his role as Ace Ventura and New Line Cinema offered him $7 million to make a sequel to The Mask and paid him $7 million to appear in Dumb and Dumber, a nearly tenfold increase on his salary for Ace Ventura.^[54][55] The Mask, released in July 1994, grossed $351 million worldwide,^[56][57] and Dumb and Dumber, released in December 1994, was another commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide.^[58] Carrey received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Mask and was voted second on Quigley’s Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll, behind Tom Hanks.^[59]

Carrey portrayed the Batman villain the Riddler in the Joel Schumacher-directed superhero film Batman Forever (1995). The film received mixed reviews, but was a box office success. He reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls which was also released in 1995. Like the original film, it was well received by the public, but poorly received by critics. It was a huge box-office success, earning $212 million worldwide in addition to breaking records, with a $40 million opening weekend.^[60]

Carrey became the first actor to be paid $20 million for his next film, The Cable Guy (1996).^[61] Directed by Ben Stiller, the film was a satirical black comedy, in which Carrey played a lonely, menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played by Matthew Broderick). The role was a departure from the «hapless, hyper, overconfident» characters he had been known for. However, it did not fare well with most critics, many reacting to Carrey’s change of tone from previous films.^[62] Carrey also starred in the music video of the film’s closing song, «Leave Me Alone» by Jerry Cantrell.^[63] Despite the reviews, The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.^[64]

He soon bounced back with the critically acclaimed comedy Liar Liar (1997), playing Fletcher Reede, an unethical lawyer rendered unable to lie by his young son’s birthday wish. Carrey was praised for his performance, earning a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said: «Well into his tumultuous career, Mr. Carrey finally turns up in a straightforward comic vehicle, and the results are much wilder and funnier than this mundane material should have allowed.»^[65]

1998–2007: Critical acclaim

The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the seriocomic role of Truman Burbank in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).^[66] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Academy Award.^[67] For The Truman Show, he was nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success, earning $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.^[68][69] A Film4 critic stated that the film «allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy,» adding that it was «a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire.»^[70]

That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling’s The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling’s character. In 1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to critical acclaim and received his second Golden Globe in a row. In addition, he received his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actor.^[71]

In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly brothers, who had previously directed him in Dumb and Dumber, for the black comedy film Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews^[72] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics alongside a Golden Globe nomination.^[73]

For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac’s international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a television newsman who unexpectedly receives God’s omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film received mixed reviews upon release^[74] but still became a financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action comedy of all time.^[75][76]

In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received critical acclaim upon release. Critics highly praised Carrey’s portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to the performance of his co-star Kate Winslet, who was nominated for an Oscar. According to CNN’s reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey’s performance was the actor’s «best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever.»^[77] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor.

Carrey’s next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the children’s novels of the same name. The film was positively received; Desson Thomson from The Washington Post said of Carrey’s approach to the character of Count Olaf,

Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He’s not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can’t let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he’s rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur.^[78][79]

That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.^[80] In 2005, Carrey starred in the remake of Fun with Dick and Jane with Tea Leoni, which grossed $200 million with a profit of $100 million.^[81]

2007–2018: Change in pace

Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of Batman Forever, for The Number 23 (2007), a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. The film was panned by critics. The following year Carrey provided his voice for Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voiced Horton the Elephant for the CGI-animated feature, which was a box office success, grossing over $290 million worldwide.^[82]

Carrey returned to live-action comedy, starring opposite Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper in Yes Man (also 2008). Carrey played a man who signs up for a self-help program that teaches him to say yes to everything. Despite reviews being mixed, Rene Rodriquez of The Miami Herald stated, «Yes Man is fine as far as Jim Carrey comedies go, but it’s even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh.»^[83] The film had a decent performance at the box office, earning $225 million worldwide.^[84]

Since 2009, Carrey’s work has included a leading role in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s I Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayed Steven Jay Russell, a con artist, imposter, and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played by Ewan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews, with Damon Wise of The Times giving the film four stars out of five, stating, «I Love You Phillip Morris is an extraordinary film that serves as a reminder of just how good Carrey can be when he’s not tied into a generic Hollywood crowd-pleaser. His comic timing remains as exquisite as ever.»^[85]

For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters in Disney’s 3D animated take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (2009), voicing Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also starred Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, and Cary Elwes. The film received decent reviews and was a financial success. Carrey landed the lead role in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), playing Tom Popper Jr., a realtor who becomes the caretaker of a family of penguins. The film received a mixed reception upon release.^[86]

He starred alongside former co-star Steve Carell in the Don Scardino-directed comedy film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). Carrey played Steve Gray, a dangerous street magician who overshadows the formerly successful magician Burt Wonderstone (played by Carell). The film was released in March 2013 to mixed reviews and underperformed significantly at the box office, grossing just over $27 million on a $30 million budget.^[87]

Around the same time, he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 (also 2013) as Colonel Stars and Stripes. He retracted support for the film two months prior to its release. He issued a statement via his Twitter account that, in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, «Now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence.»^[88]

Peter Farrelly said in April 2012 that Carrey and Jeff Daniels would return for a Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, with the Farrelly brothers writing and directing and a planned September 2012 production start.^[89] In June, however, Carrey’s representative said Carrey had left the project because the comedian felt New Line and Warner Bros. were unenthusiastic toward it.^[90] However, on 1 October 2012, Yahoo!’s The Yo Show carried the news item that the script was complete and that the original actors, Carrey and Daniels, would be reprising their roles. The plot involved one of the characters having sired a child and needing to find them to obtain a kidney.^[91][92] Dumb and Dumber To was released in November 2014.

In March 2013, Carrey announced that he had written a children’s book titled How Roland Rolls, about a scared wave named Roland. He described it as «kind of a metaphysical children’s story, which deals with a lot of heavy stuff in a really childish way.» Carrey self-published the book, which was released in September 2013.^[93][94]

On March 25, 2013, Carrey released a parody music video with Eels through Funny or Die, with Carrey replacing Mark Oliver Everett on vocals. The song and video, titled «Cold Dead Hand» and set as a musical act during the variety program Hee Haw, lampoons American gun culture, and specifically former NRA spokesperson Charlton Heston.^[95]

Carrey delivered the commencement address at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in May 2014 and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist.^[96]

Carrey was a producer on Rubble Kings, a 2015 documentary film that depicts events preceding and following the Hoe Avenue peace meeting.^[97]

On 29 August 2014, Carrey was honoured by Canada Post with a limited-edition postage stamp with his portrait on it.^[98]

In June 2017, Showtime began airing the dramedy I’m Dying Up Here, for which Carrey served as the executive producer. The show, which chronicles a group of stand-up comics in 1970s Los Angeles, incorporates aspects of Carrey’s own experience.^[99] In September of that year, that same network announced that he would be starring in a comedy series titled Kidding, which will reunite Carrey and director Michel Gondry.^[100] By the end of 2017, it was announced that Catherine Keener would star opposite Carrey in Kidding.^[101]

Carrey was also the subject of two documentaries in 2017. The first, a short subject entitled I Needed Color about his lifelong passion for art, was released online in the summer.^[102] Later that year another documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond—Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton, premiered at The Venice Film Festival and was later picked up by Netflix.^[103] The film chronicles the behind-the-scenes drama during the shooting of Man on the Moon, when he never broke character as Andy Kaufman.^[104] It incorporates footage that was shot for the film’s electronic press kit^[104] but ultimately pulled by Universal as they felt that it was too damaging.^[105]

2018–present: Comeback

In June 2018, Carrey was cast as Dr. Robotnik, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, in a film adaptation of the franchise. The film was released in February 2020 to positive reviews.^[106] Carrey’s portrayal of Robotnik was praised, with some considering it one of his best performances in years.^[107][108] Carrey returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released in April 2022,^[109] which grossed $72 million at the US box office in its opening weekend to give Carrey the best opening of his career to date.^[110]

In 2020, Carrey published Memoirs and Misinformation.^[111] In September, during the final stages of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, it was announced that Carrey would portray presidential nominee Joe Biden on the 46th season of Saturday Night Live, taking over the role from Jason Sudeikis, Woody Harrelson and John Mulaney.^[112][113] However, Carrey’s high-energy comedy style clashed with real-life Biden’s low-key persona, producing an imitation that lacked authenticity, and failed to impress viewers and critics.^{[114][115][116][117][118]} On December 19, 2020, Carrey announced that he would step down from playing Biden on Saturday Night Live, stating that he had a six-week deal.^[119][120] Cast member Alex Moffat succeeded Carrey in portraying Biden during the cold open of the episode hosted by Kristen Wiig at the same day.^[121]

Carrey appeared as the narrator of The Weeknd album Dawn FM, released on 7 January 2022.^[122]

In April 2022, Carrey announced that he was considering retirement from the film industry, explaining, «I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.» When asked if he would ever come back, his response was, «It depends. If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break».^[123]

Personal life

Carrey suffers from depression^[124] and has taken Prozac to combat the symptoms. He has stated that he no longer takes medications or stimulants of any kind, including coffee.^[124]

He received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of the United States and his native Canada.^[125]

In November 2022, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs banned 100 Canadians including Jim Carrey from entering Russia as a reciprocity for the Western sanctions that had been introduced due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.^[126]

Relationships

In 1983, Jim Carrey dated singer Linda Ronstadt for eight months.^[127] Carrey has been married twice. His first marriage was to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, whom he married on 28 March 1987. Their daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, was born 6 September 1987.^[128] Jane was a 2012 contestant on American Idol.^[129] Carrey and Womer divorced in 1995.^[130]

On 23 September 1996, Carrey married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly; the marriage lasted less than a year.^[131] From 1999 to 2000, Carrey was engaged to his Me, Myself and Irene co-star Renée Zellweger.^[132] January Jones was in a relationship with Carrey in 2002.^[133] Carrey met model and actress Jenny McCarthy in 2005 and made their relationship public in June 2006. In April 2010, the two ended their relationship.^[134] In October 2010, McCarthy said they remained good friends.^[135]

Carrey met Cathriona White in 2012,^[136] a makeup artist from County Tipperary, Ireland. They dated between 2012 and 2015. On 28 September 2015, White was found dead from a prescription drug overdose; the death was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.^[137] Carrey was a pallbearer at her funeral in Cappawhite, County Tipperary, Ireland.^[138]

Carrey attended the Golden Globes 2019 Party with his girlfriend Ginger Gonzaga in January 2019.^[139][140] The couple split after less than a year of dating.^[141]

Wrongful death lawsuits

Carrey’s girlfriend Cathriona White married Mark Burton in 2013, in Las Vegas. She had been dating Carrey on and off since 2012, and was still married but dating Carrey when she died in 2015.^[142] On 19 September 2016, Burton filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Carrey, claiming that he had used his «immense wealth and celebrity status» to illegally obtain and distribute prescription drugs involved in White’s death. Carrey released a statement the following day:

What a terrible shame. It would be easy for me to get in a back room with this man’s lawyer and make this go away, but there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honor against the evil in this world. I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved. Cat’s troubles were born long before I met her and sadly her tragic end was beyond anyone’s control. I really hope that some day soon people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace.^[143][144]

In October 2016, White’s mother, Brigid Sweetman, also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Carrey.^[145] In this suit, Sweetman’s attorney states that Carrey underwent a test for sexually transmitted infections, tested positive for hepatitis A, HSV (Herpes) I and II, and chlamydia, and hid the results from White and had unprotected sex with her.^[146] Sweetman later issued a statement: «These documents show that Jim Carrey has lied to the media, the public and the court. Carrey has now been shown for what he is—a dishonest Hollywood celebrity who thinks he can say anything and fool people just because he is famous.»^[146]

Both lawsuits were dismissed on January 25, 2018, and attorneys for both sides confirmed there would be no further legal proceedings.^[147][148]

Vaccine skepticism

In 2009, Carrey wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination for The Huffington Post.^[149] With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a «Green Our Vaccines» march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of «toxic substances» from children’s vaccines, out of a belief that children had received «too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic».^[150] The rally was criticized by David Gorski, an American surgical oncologist on Science-Based Medicine blog, for being anti-vaccine and not «pro-safe vaccine»,^[151] and by Steven Parker on the WebMD website for being «irresponsible».^[152]

On July 1, 2015, after the signing of a new vaccination law, Carrey called California Governor Jerry Brown a «corporate fascist» who was «poisoning» children by enacting the vaccination requirements.^[153] The law disallowed religious and philosophical reasons for exemption from vaccination. Carrey was criticized for being «ignorant when it comes to vaccines» by Arthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics, at New York University,^[154] and by Jeffrey Kluger, senior writer at Time, who described his anti-vaccination statements as «angry, dense and immune to reason».^[155]

Political and spiritual views

Carrey is an outspoken advocate of the «law of attraction». In an interview with Oprah Winfrey on 17 February 1997,^[156] he revealed that as a struggling actor he would use visualization techniques to get work. He also stated that he visualized a $10 million check given to him for «acting services rendered», placed the check in his pocket, and seven years later received a $10 million check for his role in Dumb and Dumber.^[157]

Carrey practices Transcendental Meditation.^[158][159]

Carrey has defended socialism and has urged the Democratic Party to embrace the movement, saying «We have to say yes to socialism, to the word and everything. We have to stop apologizing».^[160]

Carrey has shared his own political cartoon drawings since August 2017, including controversial renderings of then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and then-President Donald Trump.^[161] He sparked an international event on 31 March 2019, posting a drawing criticising fascism by depicting Benito Mussolini’s infamous death with Clara Petacci; this irked Mussolini’s granddaughter Alessandra who chided him on Twitter calling him «a bastard» and his artworks «dirty paper.»^{[162][163][164][165][166][167]} His drawing repertoire culminated in an exhibition titled IndigNation, which opened on 23 October 2018 at the Maccarone Gallery in Los Angeles and featured 108 pen-and-ink drawings from Carrey’s Twitter feed from 2016 to 2018.^[168]

Artwork and NFTs

In 2017, Carrey revealed that he had been painting for the past six years. In 2011, he exhibited the painting Nothing to See Here in an art show in Palm Springs at the Heather James Fine Art Gallery.^[169] In 2017, Carrey released a six-minute documentary entitled, I Needed Color, which showed him working in his studio.^[169] In April 2022, Carrey announced that he had minted his first art NFT via the NFT platform SuperRare. The NFT is based on a painting entitled Sunflower, and is accompanied by original voiceover.^[170]

Awards and nominations

Selected filmography

Discography

Singles

• «Cuban Pete» (1995) – AUS No. 88,^[171] UK No. 31^[172]
• «Somebody to Love» (1996) – AUS No. 62^[171]
• «Cold Dead Hand» (2013) (as Lonesome Earl and the Clutterbusters)

Other

• George Martin – «I Am the Walrus» (1998)
• The Weeknd – «Dawn FM», «Out of Time» and «Phantom Regret by Jim» (2022)

Written works

Books

• Carrey, Jim (2013). How Roland Rolls. Illustrated by Rob Nason. Some Kind of Garden Media. ISBN 978-0-9893680-0-1.
• Carrey, Jim; Vachon, Dana (2020). Memoirs and Misinformation. Knopf. ISBN 9780525655978.^[173]

Forewords

• Carrey, Jim (2004). Foreword. It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs. By Rodney Dangerfield. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-621107-7.

See also

References

Further reading

• Krulik, Nancy (2001). Jim Carrey: Fun and Funnier. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-2219-8.

External links

• Jim Carrey at IMDb
• Jim Carrey at the TCM Movie Database
• Jim Carrey discography at Discogs
• Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

Jim Carrey: biography

Actor Jim Carrey is one of the best comedians of our time. Carrey took a unique niche in Hollywood and for many years pleased the viewers with amusing roles. But despite the constant humor in the cinema, the biography of Kerry is hard to call fun and easy. The actor’s way to success was thorny and full of failures, which the movie star passed with dignity.

Childhood and youth

James Eugene Carrey was born in early 1962 in a large family in Newmarket. Jim became the fourth child in the family of Kathleen and Percy Carrey. The family was not very rich. The mother of the boy once worked as a singer but was forced to do become a housewife and to raise children, so she never returned to the profession. His father was a successful bookkeeper and the family breadwinner.

Since childhood, the future movie star loved to entertain people around with parody. Jim made funny faces, which invariably caused smiles on the faces of his classmates and teachers. Jim recorded it on the camera, and when he collected more than 80 videos, he sent it to a popular.

Carol Burnett Show. At that time, the boy was 11 years old. However, Jim received neither the invitation to the TV program nor a response to his letter.

The actor’s family wasn’t rich, but the boy experienced real problems with money at the age of 14. Jim’s father was fired from his job, and the family had to travel the country in search of a job. The family stopped in a suburb of Toronto, where Carrey Sr. got a job as a security guard. Alas, his father’s salary was too small, and the children also had to work as cleaners. At the same time, the young comedian faced his first disappointment in the professional field. Father brought his son to the local club «Yak-yak», where Jim had the opportunity to perform on the stage. The audience didn’t like the performance of the future Hollywood star. After that, Jim stopped performing.

Fortunately, the father found another job. The family had to live in the trailer, but it was a small price for liberation from the disrespectful work. Jim went to the Aldershot High School and gradually became more sociable and also found a job at a steel mill.

In 1979, the future actor, without a musical education, founded the band «Spoons», playing in the style of «new wave.» Also, Jim returned to the stage again to the same club that he left with disgrace a few years ago. Young, beautiful and tall (the height of the actor is 187 cm), the young man could become a musician or a romantic actor, but Jim did not forget the dream of a comedy. This time the audience was more supportive. Litrays Spivak became his manager, who made him a real celebrity of the club.

People from all over Toronto came to Jim’s performances. Critics called the actor a star. On the stage of the club «Yak-yak», Jim was noticed by another famous comedian Rodney Dangerfield and offered to perform at his «opening» in Las Vegas. Jim agreed but worked with Rodney for a very short time since Kerry went to Hollywood. So Kerry was in Los Angeles, where he began to work in a humorous club «Сomedy Shop» and visited all available auditions.

Films

Carrey made his debut on television in the humorous stand-up show «An Evening at the Improv» in 1982. After some time, Jim was invited to the night talk show «The Tonight Show». But the future actor dreamed of starring in films. In 1983, Jim’s dream almost came true. Carrey was offered to star in the role of a young comedian in the film «Rubberface» and in «Copper Mountain». Both films were planned to be low-budget.

In 1984, the artist was invited to the children’s animated sitcom «The Duck Factory», which was closed a month later. But during the existence of the show, it gave Jim a lot of useful acquaintances and was noticed by Hollywood directors. Then Jim met the director Clint Eastwood, who invited a comedian to his club to parody him and other famous people. For some time the actor worked in the club but later said that he did not want to become famous making parody of others.

Success and first world fame for Carrey came after starring in the comedy «Ace Ventura: Pet Detective » in 1993. The film received mixed reviews. From the very beginning, the film had problems: the most famous comedians refused to participate in the comedy, and Jim agreed to the role only with the condition of a complete reworking of the script and the image of the main character. The picture was very popular with the audience. Carrey received the first award «MTV Movie Awards.» But the critics were not so supportive: the actor was awarded the «Golden Raspberry» as the worst new star.

The next films starring Jim could not leave even the critics indifferent. The films «The Mask» and «Dumb and Dumber» became world hits. The new Hollywood star appeared. Carrey played in the movie «The Mask», where the protagonist turns into the green god Loki.

Since 1996, Carrey became the star of Saturday Night Live, where he made humorous sketches and music videos. In sketches, Jim Carrey paradises popular films, celebrities, and himself. The actor dances disco, ballet and plays a tourist, a singer, rescuer or fitness coach.

A sketch from the series Roxbury Guys Viral became popular, which often appeared under the title «What is love?” Jim Carrey with Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan played three brothers who couldn’t meet girls at parties. The action takes place mostly in the car. The men visit a lot of parties. The audience liked the sketches so much that the film «A Night at the Roxbury» was shot.

In the big movie, the actor’s iconic role was the role of Fletcher Reed in the movie «Liar, liar», released in 1997. In order to play this role, Jim refused another equally interesting film «Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.» It is interesting but this was the first film, where the audience could see the natural color of the hair of their favorite actor. Before that, Carrey played in wigs or with hair of wild colors. The film brought the actor the second nomination for the Golden Globe and the next award of the MTV channel.

Carrey has become very famous as a comedian. Most of the roles played by the actor have a humorous overtone. In 1998, Jim Carrey played the main role in the drama «The Truman Show.» Carrey’s hero is a man who has learned that his whole life turned out to be a reality show. Truman sometimes makes jokes and grimaces but this is definitely a dramatic character.

In 1999, Carrey played in the biopic about the life of the comedian Andy Kaufman. The film showed the tragic side of the comedian’s life that seemed funny to others. In 2000, Jim Carrey returned to the genre of comedy that brought him popularity. He played a police officer with a split personality in the film «Me, Myself & Irene.» In 2003, the actor played one of his best roles, a man who received divine powers, in the film «Bruce Almighty.»

In 2007, Jim again decided to make an experiment and starred in the mystical thriller by Joel Schumacher «The Number 23». Alas, but critics again did not like the actor’s game and nominated Carrey for the «Golden Raspberry».

Another atypical role for Jim was the role in the drama «I Love You, Phillip Morris,» where Carrey played a gay Steven Russell. The film had many problems, because of frank scenes, the film was refused to be shown in the cinema, but still, the film was released in 2010. Fans and critics reacted to the project coolly, and Carrey again returned to comedies.

In 2014, the actor appeared in the comic action movie “Kick-Ass 2”, where he played the leader of the followers of the main character, self-proclaimed heroes in masks, Colonel America.

Personal life

In 1983, Carrey had 8-months-relations with the singer Linda Ronstadt. But the relationship did not work out and the couple broke up. In 1987, the actor met, and later made an offer to the former actress and waitress of the «Comedy store» Melissa Womer. In September of the same year, their daughter Jane Erin was born. Unfortunately, the couple quarreled and in 1995 they divorced. Carrey had to pay his ex-wife $ 7 million compensation.

The divorce seriously affected Carrey’s mental health; the actor had a depression and took antidepressants, which soon ceased to help the artist. Then Jim took a step towards a healthy lifestyle and went in for sports, replacing antidepressants with vitamins.

Carrey remarried a year later. The actress Lauren Holly became the comedian’s wife; this marriage was also short: in 10 months the couple divorced. In the future, Jim had relations with famous ladies of Hollywood: the actress Renée Zellweger and the model Jenny McCarthy.

In February 2010, Kerry became a grandfather. The daughter of the actor Jane gave birth to a boy Jackson Riley.

The actor has a page Instagram with 170,000 followers.

Today

Carrey tries to star in serious drama films. Fans associate this with Carrey’s age and with the fact that the actor does not want to remain a hostage of one role.

In September 2016, there was a premiere of the romantic thriller «The Bad Batch», starring Jim Carrey.

In October 2016, there was a presentation of the crime drama with Carrey «True Crime» at the Polish festival.

The actor is working on the comedy «Ricky Stanicky». There is no official date of the premiere of the comedy. The plot of the story tells about two friends who invented a friend Ricky. Already in adulthood, friends have to hire an actor to this role to convince others that they have not lied to relatives since childhood.

Filmography

• Once Bitten
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
• Dumb and Dumber
• Mask
• Batman Forever
• Liar, liar
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Yes Man
• Mr. Popper’s penguins

Photo

James Eugene «Jim» Carrey (/ˈkæri/; born January 17, 1962)[3] is a Canadian American actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for his highly energetic slapstick performances.[4]

Carrey first gained recognition in 1990 after landing a recurring role in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color. His first leading roles in major productions came with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), The Mask (1994), and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), as well as a supporting role in Batman Forever (1995) and a lead role in Liar Liar (1997). He then starred in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999), with each garnering him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

In the 2000s, he gained further recognition for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), as well as Bruce Almighty (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man (2008), Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and A Christmas Carol (2009).

In the 2010s, he has starred in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011) and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). In 2013, he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 as Colonel Stars and Stripes. Controversially, he retracted support for the film two months prior to its release. He issued a statement via his Twitter account that, in light of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, «Now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence.»[5] Carrey reprised his role as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To (2014).[6][7][8]

Contents
1 Early life
2 Career 2.1 Early work
2.2 Rise to fame
2.3 Critical acclaim
2.4 Continued success
3 Personal life 3.1 Health
3.2 Relationships
3.3 Citizenship
3.4 Beliefs
4 Filmography
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links

Early life[]

Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada,[3] to Kathleen (née Oram) (1927–1991), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey (1927–1994), a musician and accountant.[10] He has three older siblings: John, Patricia, and Rita. He was raised a Roman Catholic.[11][12] His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry (the family’s original surname was Carré).[13][15]

According to his own testimony, at age ten, Carrey wrote a letter to Carol Burnett of the Carol Burnett Show pointing out that he was already a master of impressions and should be considered for a role on the show; he was, as a child, overjoyed at receiving the semblance of a formally written reply.[16]

Carrey lived in Burlington, Ontario, for eight years, and attended Aldershot High School. In a Hamilton Spectator interview (February 2007), Carrey said, «If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill.» When looking across the Burlington Bay toward Hamilton, he could see the mills and thought, «Those were where the great jobs were.»[17]

Career[]

Early work

While Carrey was struggling to obtain work and make a name for himself, his father tried to help the young comedian put together a stage act, driving him to Toronto to debut at comedy club Yuk Yuk’s.[18] Carrey’s impersonations bombed and this gave him doubts about his capabilities as a professional entertainer. His family’s financial struggles made it difficult for them to support Carrey’s ambitions.After a lot of effort and small appearances in programs like The Duck Factory, and Jim Carrey’s Unnatural Act, he landed his first gig on the sketch comedy show In Living Color.^[1]

Eventually, the family’s financial problems were resolved and they moved into a new home.[18] With more domestic stability, Carrey returned to the stage with a more polished act. In a short period of time, he went from open-mic nights to regular paid shows, building his reputation in the process. A reviewer in the Toronto Star raved that Carrey was «a genuine star coming to life».[19] Carrey was soon noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who signed the young comic to open his tour performances. Dangerfield eventually brought Carrey to Las Vegas. However, Carrey soon decided to move to Hollywood, where he began performing at The Comedy Store and, in 1982, appeared on the televised stand-up show An Evening at the Improv.[20] The following year, he debuted his act on The Tonight Show.[21]

Despite his increasing popularity as a stand-up comic, Carrey turned his attention to the film and television industries, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–1981 season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Carrey was not selected for the position, although he later hosted the show in May 1996, January 2011 and October 2014.[22][23]

In 1984 Carrey was in the short-lived sitcom The Duck Factory.[24]

From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the ensemble comedy television series In Living Color.

Rise to fame

1994 was a break-out year for Carrey. He was cast in the lead roles in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber.[25] Well received by critics, Dumb and Dumber was a commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide,[26] He received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Mask.

Carrey in Madrid, Spain on December 13, 2008

In 1995, Carrey co-starred in the Joel Schumacher-directed superhero film Batman Forever, in which Batman tries to stop Two-Face and the Riddler (played by Carrey) in their villainous scheme to drain information from all the brains in Gotham City. The feature received reasonable reviews, with most criticism aimed at the movie’s «blatant commercialism», as characterized by Peter Travers.[27] In that same year, Carrey reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Like the original film, it was well received by the public, but heavily criticised by critics. It was a huge box-office success, earning $212 million worldwide in addition to breaking records, with a $40 million opening weekend.[28]

Carrey earned $20 million for his next film, The Cable Guy (1996). Directed by Ben Stiller, the film was a satirical black comedy, in which Carrey played a lonely, menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played by Matthew Broderick). The role was a departure from the «hapless, hyper, overconfident» characters he had been known for. However, it did not fare well with most critics, many reacting towards Carrey’s change of tone to previous films.[29] Despite the reviews, The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.[30]

He soon bounced back in 1997 with the critically acclaimed comedy Liar Liar, playing Fletcher Reede, a successful lawyer who has built his career on lying, regularly breaking promises that he makes to his son Max. Max soon makes a birthday wish that for just that one day, his dad would not be able to lie. Carrey was praised for his performance, earning a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said, «Well into his tumultuous career, Mr. Carrey finally turns up in a straightforward comic vehicle, and the results are much wilder and funnier than this mundane material should have allowed.»[31]

Critical acclaim

The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the serious role of Truman Burbank in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).[32] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Oscar.[33] Eventually, he did pick up his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success also, earning $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.[34][35] A Film4 critic stated that the film «allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy», adding that it was «a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire».[36]

That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling’s The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling’s character. In 1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to critical acclaim and received his second Golden Globe in a row. In addition, he received his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actor.[37]

In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly brothers, who had previously directed him in Dumb and Dumber, for the black comedy film Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews[38] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics alongside a Golden Globe nomination.[39]

For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac’s international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a TV newsman who unexpectedly receives God’s omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film received mixed reviews upon release[40] but despite this still became a financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action comedy of all time. The film has since gained a cult following.[41][42]

In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received overwhelming acclaim upon release. Critics highly praised Carrey’s portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to the performance of his co-star Kate Winslet, who received an Oscar nomination. According to CNN’s reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey’s performance was the actor’s «best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever.»[43] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor.

Carrey at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival

Carrey’s next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the popular children’s novels of the same name. The film received a positive reception, with Desson Thomson from The Washington Post saying of Carrey’s approach to the character of Count Olaf,

Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He’s not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can’t let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he’s rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur.[44][45]

That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.[46]

Continued success

In 2007, Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of Batman Forever, for The Number 23, a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. The film was panned by critics. The following year Carrey provided his voice for Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voiced the beloved elephant for the CGI-animated feature, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and delivered family crowds en masse. The film was also a box office success, raking in over $290 million worldwide.[47]

Later that same year, Carrey returned to live-action comedy, starring opposite Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper in Yes Man (2008). Carrey played down-and-out man, Carl Allen, who had gone nowhere in life, thanks to always saying no to everything, until he signs up for a self-help program that teaches him the power of saying yes. Despite reviews being mixed, Rene Rodriquez of The Miami Herald stated, «Yes Man is fine as far as Jim Carrey comedies go, but it’s even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh.»[48] The film had a decent performance at the box office, earning $225 million worldwide.[49]

Since 2009, Carrey’s work has included a leading role in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s I Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayed Steven Jay Russell, a con artist, imposter, and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played by Ewan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews, with Damon Wise of The Times giving the film four stars out of five, stating, «I Love You Phillip Morris is an extraordinary film that serves as a reminder of just how good Carrey can be when he’s not tied into a generic Hollywood crowd-pleaser. His comic timing remains as exquisite as ever.»[50]

Carrey in the studio of the Late Show with David Letterman in 2010

For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters in Disney’s 3D animated take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (2009), voicing Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also starred Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, and Cary Elwes. The film received reasonable reviews and was a financial success. In 2011, Carrey landed the lead role in Mr. Popper’s Penguins, playing Thomas «Tom» Popper Jr. a realtor who becomes the caretaker of a family of penguins. The film received a mixed reception upon release.[51]

In 2013, he starred alongside former co-star Steve Carell in the Don Scardino-directed comedy film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Carrey played Steve Gray, a dangerous street magician who overshadows the formerly successful magician Burt Wonderstone (played by Carell). The film was released in March 2013 to mixed reviews and underperformed significantly at the box office, grossing just over $27 million on a $30 million budget.[52]

Peter Farrelly said in April 2012 that Carrey and Jeff Daniels would return for a Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, with the Farrelly brothers writing and directing and a planned September 2012 production start.[53] In June, however, Carrey’s representative said Carrey had left the project because the comedian felt New Line and Warner Bros. were unenthusiastic toward it.[54] However, on October 1, 2012, Yahoo!’s «The Yo Show» carried the news item that the script was complete and that the original actors, Carrey and Daniels, would be reprising their roles. The plot involved one of the characters having sired a child and needing to find them in order to obtain a kidney.[6][55] Dumb and Dumber To was released in November 2014.

In March 2013, Carrey announced that he had written a children’s book titled How Roland Rolls, about a scared wave named Roland. He described it as «kind of a metaphysical children’s story, which deals with a lot of heavy stuff in a really childish way.» Carrey self-published the book, which was released in September 2013.[56][57]

On March 25, 2013, Carrey released a parody music video with Eels through Funny or Die, with Carrey replacing Mark Oliver Everett on vocals. The song and video, titled «Cold Dead Hand» and set as a musical act during the variety program Hee Haw, lampoons American gun culture, and specifically former NRA spokesperson Charlton Heston.[58]

Carrey delivered the commencement address at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in May 2014 and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist.[59]

Carrey was a producer on Rubble Kings, a 2015 documentary film that depicts events preceding and following the Hoe Avenue peace meeting.[60]

On August 29, 2014, Carrey was honored by Canada Post with a limited-edition postage stamp with his portrait on it. The stamps will not be reprinted once they are sold out.[61]

Personal life[]

Health

Carrey has battled depression.[62] To deal with his depression, Carrey took Prozac, eventually deciding to get off medications. He has stated that he no longer takes medications or stimulants of any kind, not even coffee.[62]

Relationships

Carrey with his family at the Horton Hears a Who! premiere in 2008

Carrey has been married twice. His first marriage was to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, whom he married on March 28, 1987. Their daughter Jane Erin Carrey was born September 6, 1987.[63] Jane was a 2012 contestant on American Idol.[64] The two divorced in 1995.

A year later Carrey married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly, on September 23, 1996; the marriage lasted less than a year.[citation needed] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Carrey had a much-publicized yet short-lived romance with his Me, Myself and Irene co-star Renée Zellweger, whom he dated, and at one point was engaged to from 1999 to 2000.[65]

Carrey met model and actress Jenny McCarthy in 2005 and made their relationship public in June 2006. In April 2010, the two ended their near five-year relationship.[66] Despite the split and media circulations, McCarthy stated in October 2010 that, «Jim and I are still good friends».[67]

On September 28, 2015, Carrey’s on-off girlfriend, Cathriona White, was found dead from a possibly intentional prescription drug overdose. The couple first met in 2012.[68][69] Carrey was a pallbearer at her funeral in Tipperary.[70]

Citizenship

Carrey received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of the United States and his native Canada.[71]

Beliefs

Carrey has been a critic of the scientific consensus that no evidence links the childhood MMR vaccination to the development of autism, and wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination and vaccine research for The Huffington Post.[72] With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a «Green Our Vaccines» march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of toxic substances from children’s vaccines, out of a belief that children had received «too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic.»[73] The rally was criticized by David Gorski, an American surgical oncologist on Science-Based Medicine blog for being anti-vaccine, not “pro-safe vaccine”[74] and by Steven Parker on WebMD website for being «irresponsible».[75] On July 1, 2015, after the signing of a new vaccination law, Carrey called California Governor Jerry Brown a ‘corporate fascist’ who was poisoning children by signing into law the vaccination requirements.[76] The new law precludes religious and philosophical reasons to exempt from vaccination. After his words, he was criticized for being «ignorant when it comes to vaccines» by Arthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics, at New York University,[77] and by Jeffrey Kluger, senior writer at Time, who described his anti vaccination statements as «angry, dense and immune to reason.»[78]

Carrey is a follower and an advocate for the law of attraction. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1997,[79] Carrey revealed that as a struggling actor he would use visualization techniques to get work. He also stated that he visualized a $10,000,000 check given to him for «Acting services rendered», placed the check in his pocket, and seven years later received a check for $10,000,000 for his role in Dumb and Dumber.

Carrey is a Transcendental Meditation practitioner.[80][81]

Filmography[]

Main article: Jim Carrey filmography

Once Bitten (1985)
The Dead Pool (1988)
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
The Mask (1994)
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Batman Forever (1995)
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
The Cable Guy (1996)
Liar Liar (1997)
The Truman Show (1998)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The Majestic (2001)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005)
The Number 23 (2007)
Horton Hears a Who! (2008) (voice)
Yes Man (2008)
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
True Crimes (2016)

See also[]

List of awards and nominations received by Jim Carrey

References[]

1.Jump up ^ «Jonathan Winters, who influenced Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, among others, dead at 87». National Post. April 12, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
2.Jump up ^ Sepinwall, Alan (July 29, 2011). «Press tour: Jerry Lewis is cranky for Encore». Hitflix. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
3.^ Jump up to: a b «1962: Funny man Jim Carrey born in Newmarket, Ont.». CBC. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016. «On this day in history, Jan. 17, 1962, James Eugene Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ont.»
4.Jump up ^ Shanlin, Calum. «Throwback Thursday: Jim Carrey at 20». CBC. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
5.Jump up ^ WILLIS,JACKIE (June 24, 2013). «Jim Carrey Bashes ‘Kick-Ass 2’ For Its Violence». ET Online. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
6.^ Jump up to: a b Spero, Jesse (March 12, 2013). «Jim Carrey: Dumb & Dumber Sequel Happening ‘Hopefully Next Year'». Access Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
7.Jump up ^ «‘Dumb and Dumber To’ filming starts in Atlanta on Monday». OLV. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
8.Jump up ^ «‘Dumb And Dumber To’ Release Date Set For Nov. 14, 2014». Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
10.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Biography (1962–)». Filmreference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
11.Jump up ^ Puig, Claudia (May 27, 2003). «Spiritual Carrey still mighty funny». USA Today. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
12.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey: Carrey’d Away». Movieline. January 7, 1994. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Online • View topic – Scottish Interview & Clip». Jimcarreyonline.com. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
15.Jump up ^ Knelman, Martin. Jim Carrey: The Joker Is Wild (2000). U.S.: Firefly Books Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 1-55209-535-5.
16.Jump up ^ Seinfeld, Jerry (2016). «Jim Carry: We Love Breathing What You’re Burning Baby». Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
17.Jump up ^ Holt, Jim (February 26, 2007). «Its all in the numbers: Jim Carrey could be at Dofasco if Hollywood hadn’t worked out». The Hamilton Spectator. pp. Go14.
18.^ Jump up to: a b «Jim Carrey Biography». Bio. Bio. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
19.Jump up ^ «Up, up goes a new comic star», Bruce Blackadar, Toronto Star, February 27, 1981, p. C1.
20.Jump up ^ «An Evening at the Improv». IMDB. IMDB. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
21.Jump up ^ Leung, Rebecca. «Carrey: ‘Life Is Too Beautiful'». CBS News. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
22.Jump up ^ McGlynn, Katla (January 9, 2011). «Jim Carrey Spoofs ‘Black Swan’ on ‘SNL'». Huffington Post. Huffington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
23.Jump up ^ Zach Seemayer (26 October 2014). «Jim Carrey Gets Super Weird To Host Best Episode Of ‘SNL’ This Season». Retrieved 10 December 2014.
24.Jump up ^ The Duck Factory at the Internet Movie Database
25.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (July 29, 1994). «The Mask». rogerebert.com. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
26.Jump up ^ Weinraub, Bernard (January 3, 1995). «‘Dumb and Dumber’ Tops Holiday Film Grosses». The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
27.Jump up ^ Peter Travers (December 8, 2000). «Batman Forever». Rolling Stone.
28.Jump up ^ «Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)». Box Office Mojo. March 2, 1996. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
29.Jump up ^ «The Cable Guy – Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
30.Jump up ^ «The Cable Guy (1996)». Boxofficemojo.com. August 30, 1996. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
31.Jump up ^ Maslin, Janet. Tomatoes The Truth Shall Set You Free. Not!. The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
32.Jump up ^ «The Truman Show Movie Reviews, Pictures». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
33.Jump up ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (June 5, 1998). «The Truman Pro». Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
34.Jump up ^ «The Truman Show». Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
35.Jump up ^ «1998 Yearly Box Office Results». Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
36.Jump up ^ «Film4 Review». Rotten Tomatoes. Film4. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
37.Jump up ^ Rotten Tomatoes – Man on the Moon Retrieved March 31, 2007
38.Jump up ^ «Me, Myself & Irene». Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
39.Jump up ^ «How the Grinch Stole Christmas». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
40.Jump up ^ «Bruce Almighty». May 23, 2003.
41.Jump up ^ «Box Office Mojo – Bruce Almighty». Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com.
42.Jump up ^ «Hollywood.com’s Highest Grossing Comedy Films of All Time List». Hollywood.com. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
43.Jump up ^ CNN.com «the best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever from Jim Carrey»
44.Jump up ^ Thomson, Deeson (April 17, 2004). «A Fortunate Series of Scenes». The Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2009.
45.Jump up ^ «Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
46.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey, 2004 inductee». Canada’s Walk of Fame. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
47.Jump up ^ «Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
48.Jump up ^ «Miami Herald Yes Man Review». The Miami Herald. December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
49.Jump up ^ «Yes Man (2008)». Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
50.Jump up ^ Wise, Damon (January 20, 2009). «I Love You Phillip Morris at the Sundance Film Festival, Utah». London: The Times. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
51.Jump up ^ «Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Rotten Tomatoes». Retrieved June 17, 2011.
52.Jump up ^ «The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) — Box Office Mojo». boxofficemojo.com.
53.Jump up ^ «Exclusive: Dumb and Dumber 2 Begins Production This September». ComingSoon.net. April 1, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
54.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Moves on From ‘Dumber’ Sequel». etonline.com.
55.Jump up ^ «The Yo Show – Yahoo! omg!». Omg.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
56.Jump up ^ «Carrey: Reading to kids is heaven». Retford Trader and Guardian. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
57.Jump up ^ «The Incredible Burt Wonderstone – Jim Carrey Interview». HitFix.com. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
58.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey, Eels Team for Gun Culture Parody». Rolling Stone.
59.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree». International Business Times. May 27, 2014.
60.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey at the DOC NYC for «Rubble Kings»». jimcarreyonline.com. November 18, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
61.Jump up ^ «Canada Post honours Canuck comedians with new stamp series». cbc.ca. August 29, 2014.
62.^ Jump up to: a b Leung, Rebecca (February 11, 2009). «Carrey: ‘Life Is Too Beautiful'». 60 minutes CBS News. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
63.Jump up ^ No Lie – Jim Carrey Will Be a Grandfather – Jim Carrey’s 21-year-old daughter is expecting! Yahoo!. July 10, 2009.
64.Jump up ^ Allison Corneau, Us Weekly, Jim Carrey’s Daughter Jane Cut from American Idol, February 9, 2012
65.Jump up ^ «Renee Zellweger was engaged to Jim Carrey». Zimbio. Zimbio.com. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
66.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey And Jenny McCarthy Announce Split After Five Years Together | Showbiz News | Sky News». News.sky.com. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
67.Jump up ^ «Jenny McCarthy: Jim and I are still good friends». Scoop Celebrity. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
68.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey’s girlfriend Cathriona White dies, aged 30». Telegraph.co.uk. September 29, 2015.
69.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey’s ex-girlfriend-dead-in-suspected-suicide».
70.Jump up ^ Natalie Stone. «Jim Carrey Attends Funeral of Late Girlfriend Cathriona White, Carries Coffin». The Hollywood Reporter.
71.Jump up ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (October 14, 2004). «Jim Carrey Becomes New U.S. Citizen». People.com. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
72.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey: The Judgment on Vaccines Is In???». Huffington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
73.Jump up ^ Brady, Jonann; Dahle, Stephanie (June 4, 2008). «Celeb Couple to Lead ‘Green Vaccine’ Rally». ABC News. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
74.Jump up ^ «Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, and «Green Our Vaccines»: Anti-vaccine, not «pro-safe vaccine»». Science Based Medicine. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
75.Jump up ^ «Green Our Vaccines?». WebMD. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
76.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey calls Gov. Brown a ‘fascist’ for signing new vaccination law». Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
77.Jump up ^ «Ethicist: Why Jim Carrey is Wrong About Vaccines». NBCnews. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
78.Jump up ^ «Ethicist: Jim Carrey, Please Shut Up About Vaccines». Times Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
79.Jump up ^ What Oprah Learned from Jim Carrey – Oprah’s Lifeclass – Oprah Winfrey Network on YouTube
80.Jump up ^ Hasty, Katie. «Carrey on Dumb and Dumber sequel». Archived from the original on 2014-04-23. Retrieved 23 April 2014. «The DLF raises awareness and furthers education on transcendental meditation, of which Carrey is a practicioner [sic] and admirer.»
81.Jump up ^ Lisa Respers France, CNN (May 28, 2014). «Jim Carrey’s inspiring commencement speech». CNN.

Further reading[]

Krulik, Nancy (2001). Jim Carrey: Fun and Funnier. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-2219-8

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Jim Carrey 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim Carrey. 

Official website
Jim Carrey at the Internet Movie Database
Jim Carrey at Box Office Mojo

James Eugene «Jim» Carrey (/ˈkæri/; born January 17, 1962)[3] is a Canadian American actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for his highly energetic slapstick performances.[4]

Carrey first gained recognition in 1990 after landing a recurring role in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color. His first leading roles in major productions came with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), The Mask (1994), and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), as well as a supporting role in Batman Forever (1995) and a lead role in Liar Liar (1997). He then starred in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999), with each garnering him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

In the 2000s, he gained further recognition for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), as well as Bruce Almighty (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man (2008), Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and A Christmas Carol (2009).

In the 2010s, he has starred in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011) and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). In 2013, he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 as Colonel Stars and Stripes. Controversially, he retracted support for the film two months prior to its release. He issued a statement via his Twitter account that, in light of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, «Now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence.»[5] Carrey reprised his role as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To (2014).[6][7][8]

Contents
1 Early life
2 Career 2.1 Early work
2.2 Rise to fame
2.3 Critical acclaim
2.4 Continued success
3 Personal life 3.1 Health
3.2 Relationships
3.3 Citizenship
3.4 Beliefs
4 Filmography
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links

Early life[]

Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada,[3] to Kathleen (née Oram) (1927–1991), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey (1927–1994), a musician and accountant.[10] He has three older siblings: John, Patricia, and Rita. He was raised a Roman Catholic.[11][12] His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry (the family’s original surname was Carré).[13][15]

According to his own testimony, at age ten, Carrey wrote a letter to Carol Burnett of the Carol Burnett Show pointing out that he was already a master of impressions and should be considered for a role on the show; he was, as a child, overjoyed at receiving the semblance of a formally written reply.[16]

Carrey lived in Burlington, Ontario, for eight years, and attended Aldershot High School. In a Hamilton Spectator interview (February 2007), Carrey said, «If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill.» When looking across the Burlington Bay toward Hamilton, he could see the mills and thought, «Those were where the great jobs were.»[17]

Career[]

Early work

While Carrey was struggling to obtain work and make a name for himself, his father tried to help the young comedian put together a stage act, driving him to Toronto to debut at comedy club Yuk Yuk’s.[18] Carrey’s impersonations bombed and this gave him doubts about his capabilities as a professional entertainer. His family’s financial struggles made it difficult for them to support Carrey’s ambitions.After a lot of effort and small appearances in programs like The Duck Factory, and Jim Carrey’s Unnatural Act, he landed his first gig on the sketch comedy show In Living Color.^[1]

Eventually, the family’s financial problems were resolved and they moved into a new home.[18] With more domestic stability, Carrey returned to the stage with a more polished act. In a short period of time, he went from open-mic nights to regular paid shows, building his reputation in the process. A reviewer in the Toronto Star raved that Carrey was «a genuine star coming to life».[19] Carrey was soon noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who signed the young comic to open his tour performances. Dangerfield eventually brought Carrey to Las Vegas. However, Carrey soon decided to move to Hollywood, where he began performing at The Comedy Store and, in 1982, appeared on the televised stand-up show An Evening at the Improv.[20] The following year, he debuted his act on The Tonight Show.[21]

Despite his increasing popularity as a stand-up comic, Carrey turned his attention to the film and television industries, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–1981 season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Carrey was not selected for the position, although he later hosted the show in May 1996, January 2011 and October 2014.[22][23]

In 1984 Carrey was in the short-lived sitcom The Duck Factory.[24]

From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the ensemble comedy television series In Living Color.

Rise to fame

1994 was a break-out year for Carrey. He was cast in the lead roles in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber.[25] Well received by critics, Dumb and Dumber was a commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide,[26] He received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Mask.

Carrey in Madrid, Spain on December 13, 2008

In 1995, Carrey co-starred in the Joel Schumacher-directed superhero film Batman Forever, in which Batman tries to stop Two-Face and the Riddler (played by Carrey) in their villainous scheme to drain information from all the brains in Gotham City. The feature received reasonable reviews, with most criticism aimed at the movie’s «blatant commercialism», as characterized by Peter Travers.[27] In that same year, Carrey reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Like the original film, it was well received by the public, but heavily criticised by critics. It was a huge box-office success, earning $212 million worldwide in addition to breaking records, with a $40 million opening weekend.[28]

Carrey earned $20 million for his next film, The Cable Guy (1996). Directed by Ben Stiller, the film was a satirical black comedy, in which Carrey played a lonely, menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played by Matthew Broderick). The role was a departure from the «hapless, hyper, overconfident» characters he had been known for. However, it did not fare well with most critics, many reacting towards Carrey’s change of tone to previous films.[29] Despite the reviews, The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.[30]

He soon bounced back in 1997 with the critically acclaimed comedy Liar Liar, playing Fletcher Reede, a successful lawyer who has built his career on lying, regularly breaking promises that he makes to his son Max. Max soon makes a birthday wish that for just that one day, his dad would not be able to lie. Carrey was praised for his performance, earning a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said, «Well into his tumultuous career, Mr. Carrey finally turns up in a straightforward comic vehicle, and the results are much wilder and funnier than this mundane material should have allowed.»[31]

Critical acclaim

The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the serious role of Truman Burbank in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).[32] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Oscar.[33] Eventually, he did pick up his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success also, earning $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.[34][35] A Film4 critic stated that the film «allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy», adding that it was «a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire».[36]

That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling’s The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling’s character. In 1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to critical acclaim and received his second Golden Globe in a row. In addition, he received his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actor.[37]

In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly brothers, who had previously directed him in Dumb and Dumber, for the black comedy film Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews[38] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics alongside a Golden Globe nomination.[39]

For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac’s international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a TV newsman who unexpectedly receives God’s omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film received mixed reviews upon release[40] but despite this still became a financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action comedy of all time. The film has since gained a cult following.[41][42]

In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received overwhelming acclaim upon release. Critics highly praised Carrey’s portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to the performance of his co-star Kate Winslet, who received an Oscar nomination. According to CNN’s reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey’s performance was the actor’s «best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever.»[43] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor.

Carrey at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival

Carrey’s next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the popular children’s novels of the same name. The film received a positive reception, with Desson Thomson from The Washington Post saying of Carrey’s approach to the character of Count Olaf,

Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He’s not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can’t let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he’s rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur.[44][45]

That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.[46]

Continued success

In 2007, Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of Batman Forever, for The Number 23, a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. The film was panned by critics. The following year Carrey provided his voice for Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voiced the beloved elephant for the CGI-animated feature, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and delivered family crowds en masse. The film was also a box office success, raking in over $290 million worldwide.[47]

Later that same year, Carrey returned to live-action comedy, starring opposite Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper in Yes Man (2008). Carrey played down-and-out man, Carl Allen, who had gone nowhere in life, thanks to always saying no to everything, until he signs up for a self-help program that teaches him the power of saying yes. Despite reviews being mixed, Rene Rodriquez of The Miami Herald stated, «Yes Man is fine as far as Jim Carrey comedies go, but it’s even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh.»[48] The film had a decent performance at the box office, earning $225 million worldwide.[49]

Since 2009, Carrey’s work has included a leading role in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s I Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayed Steven Jay Russell, a con artist, imposter, and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played by Ewan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews, with Damon Wise of The Times giving the film four stars out of five, stating, «I Love You Phillip Morris is an extraordinary film that serves as a reminder of just how good Carrey can be when he’s not tied into a generic Hollywood crowd-pleaser. His comic timing remains as exquisite as ever.»[50]

Carrey in the studio of the Late Show with David Letterman in 2010

For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters in Disney’s 3D animated take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (2009), voicing Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also starred Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, and Cary Elwes. The film received reasonable reviews and was a financial success. In 2011, Carrey landed the lead role in Mr. Popper’s Penguins, playing Thomas «Tom» Popper Jr. a realtor who becomes the caretaker of a family of penguins. The film received a mixed reception upon release.[51]

In 2013, he starred alongside former co-star Steve Carell in the Don Scardino-directed comedy film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Carrey played Steve Gray, a dangerous street magician who overshadows the formerly successful magician Burt Wonderstone (played by Carell). The film was released in March 2013 to mixed reviews and underperformed significantly at the box office, grossing just over $27 million on a $30 million budget.[52]

Peter Farrelly said in April 2012 that Carrey and Jeff Daniels would return for a Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, with the Farrelly brothers writing and directing and a planned September 2012 production start.[53] In June, however, Carrey’s representative said Carrey had left the project because the comedian felt New Line and Warner Bros. were unenthusiastic toward it.[54] However, on October 1, 2012, Yahoo!’s «The Yo Show» carried the news item that the script was complete and that the original actors, Carrey and Daniels, would be reprising their roles. The plot involved one of the characters having sired a child and needing to find them in order to obtain a kidney.[6][55] Dumb and Dumber To was released in November 2014.

In March 2013, Carrey announced that he had written a children’s book titled How Roland Rolls, about a scared wave named Roland. He described it as «kind of a metaphysical children’s story, which deals with a lot of heavy stuff in a really childish way.» Carrey self-published the book, which was released in September 2013.[56][57]

On March 25, 2013, Carrey released a parody music video with Eels through Funny or Die, with Carrey replacing Mark Oliver Everett on vocals. The song and video, titled «Cold Dead Hand» and set as a musical act during the variety program Hee Haw, lampoons American gun culture, and specifically former NRA spokesperson Charlton Heston.[58]

Carrey delivered the commencement address at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in May 2014 and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist.[59]

Carrey was a producer on Rubble Kings, a 2015 documentary film that depicts events preceding and following the Hoe Avenue peace meeting.[60]

On August 29, 2014, Carrey was honored by Canada Post with a limited-edition postage stamp with his portrait on it. The stamps will not be reprinted once they are sold out.[61]

Personal life[]

Health

Carrey has battled depression.[62] To deal with his depression, Carrey took Prozac, eventually deciding to get off medications. He has stated that he no longer takes medications or stimulants of any kind, not even coffee.[62]

Relationships

Carrey with his family at the Horton Hears a Who! premiere in 2008

Carrey has been married twice. His first marriage was to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, whom he married on March 28, 1987. Their daughter Jane Erin Carrey was born September 6, 1987.[63] Jane was a 2012 contestant on American Idol.[64] The two divorced in 1995.

A year later Carrey married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly, on September 23, 1996; the marriage lasted less than a year.[citation needed] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Carrey had a much-publicized yet short-lived romance with his Me, Myself and Irene co-star Renée Zellweger, whom he dated, and at one point was engaged to from 1999 to 2000.[65]

Carrey met model and actress Jenny McCarthy in 2005 and made their relationship public in June 2006. In April 2010, the two ended their near five-year relationship.[66] Despite the split and media circulations, McCarthy stated in October 2010 that, «Jim and I are still good friends».[67]

On September 28, 2015, Carrey’s on-off girlfriend, Cathriona White, was found dead from a possibly intentional prescription drug overdose. The couple first met in 2012.[68][69] Carrey was a pallbearer at her funeral in Tipperary.[70]

Citizenship

Carrey received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of the United States and his native Canada.[71]

Beliefs

Carrey has been a critic of the scientific consensus that no evidence links the childhood MMR vaccination to the development of autism, and wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination and vaccine research for The Huffington Post.[72] With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a «Green Our Vaccines» march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of toxic substances from children’s vaccines, out of a belief that children had received «too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic.»[73] The rally was criticized by David Gorski, an American surgical oncologist on Science-Based Medicine blog for being anti-vaccine, not “pro-safe vaccine”[74] and by Steven Parker on WebMD website for being «irresponsible».[75] On July 1, 2015, after the signing of a new vaccination law, Carrey called California Governor Jerry Brown a ‘corporate fascist’ who was poisoning children by signing into law the vaccination requirements.[76] The new law precludes religious and philosophical reasons to exempt from vaccination. After his words, he was criticized for being «ignorant when it comes to vaccines» by Arthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics, at New York University,[77] and by Jeffrey Kluger, senior writer at Time, who described his anti vaccination statements as «angry, dense and immune to reason.»[78]

Carrey is a follower and an advocate for the law of attraction. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1997,[79] Carrey revealed that as a struggling actor he would use visualization techniques to get work. He also stated that he visualized a $10,000,000 check given to him for «Acting services rendered», placed the check in his pocket, and seven years later received a check for $10,000,000 for his role in Dumb and Dumber.

Carrey is a Transcendental Meditation practitioner.[80][81]

Filmography[]

Main article: Jim Carrey filmography

Once Bitten (1985)
The Dead Pool (1988)
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
The Mask (1994)
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Batman Forever (1995)
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
The Cable Guy (1996)
Liar Liar (1997)
The Truman Show (1998)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The Majestic (2001)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005)
The Number 23 (2007)
Horton Hears a Who! (2008) (voice)
Yes Man (2008)
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
True Crimes (2016)

See also[]

List of awards and nominations received by Jim Carrey

References[]

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2.Jump up ^ Sepinwall, Alan (July 29, 2011). «Press tour: Jerry Lewis is cranky for Encore». Hitflix. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
3.^ Jump up to: a b «1962: Funny man Jim Carrey born in Newmarket, Ont.». CBC. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016. «On this day in history, Jan. 17, 1962, James Eugene Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ont.»
4.Jump up ^ Shanlin, Calum. «Throwback Thursday: Jim Carrey at 20». CBC. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
5.Jump up ^ WILLIS,JACKIE (June 24, 2013). «Jim Carrey Bashes ‘Kick-Ass 2’ For Its Violence». ET Online. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
6.^ Jump up to: a b Spero, Jesse (March 12, 2013). «Jim Carrey: Dumb & Dumber Sequel Happening ‘Hopefully Next Year'». Access Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
7.Jump up ^ «‘Dumb and Dumber To’ filming starts in Atlanta on Monday». OLV. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
8.Jump up ^ «‘Dumb And Dumber To’ Release Date Set For Nov. 14, 2014». Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
10.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Biography (1962–)». Filmreference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
11.Jump up ^ Puig, Claudia (May 27, 2003). «Spiritual Carrey still mighty funny». USA Today. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
12.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey: Carrey’d Away». Movieline. January 7, 1994. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Online • View topic – Scottish Interview & Clip». Jimcarreyonline.com. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
15.Jump up ^ Knelman, Martin. Jim Carrey: The Joker Is Wild (2000). U.S.: Firefly Books Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 1-55209-535-5.
16.Jump up ^ Seinfeld, Jerry (2016). «Jim Carry: We Love Breathing What You’re Burning Baby». Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
17.Jump up ^ Holt, Jim (February 26, 2007). «Its all in the numbers: Jim Carrey could be at Dofasco if Hollywood hadn’t worked out». The Hamilton Spectator. pp. Go14.
18.^ Jump up to: a b «Jim Carrey Biography». Bio. Bio. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
19.Jump up ^ «Up, up goes a new comic star», Bruce Blackadar, Toronto Star, February 27, 1981, p. C1.
20.Jump up ^ «An Evening at the Improv». IMDB. IMDB. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
21.Jump up ^ Leung, Rebecca. «Carrey: ‘Life Is Too Beautiful'». CBS News. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
22.Jump up ^ McGlynn, Katla (January 9, 2011). «Jim Carrey Spoofs ‘Black Swan’ on ‘SNL'». Huffington Post. Huffington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
23.Jump up ^ Zach Seemayer (26 October 2014). «Jim Carrey Gets Super Weird To Host Best Episode Of ‘SNL’ This Season». Retrieved 10 December 2014.
24.Jump up ^ The Duck Factory at the Internet Movie Database
25.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (July 29, 1994). «The Mask». rogerebert.com. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
26.Jump up ^ Weinraub, Bernard (January 3, 1995). «‘Dumb and Dumber’ Tops Holiday Film Grosses». The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
27.Jump up ^ Peter Travers (December 8, 2000). «Batman Forever». Rolling Stone.
28.Jump up ^ «Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)». Box Office Mojo. March 2, 1996. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
29.Jump up ^ «The Cable Guy – Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
30.Jump up ^ «The Cable Guy (1996)». Boxofficemojo.com. August 30, 1996. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
31.Jump up ^ Maslin, Janet. Tomatoes The Truth Shall Set You Free. Not!. The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
32.Jump up ^ «The Truman Show Movie Reviews, Pictures». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
33.Jump up ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (June 5, 1998). «The Truman Pro». Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
34.Jump up ^ «The Truman Show». Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
35.Jump up ^ «1998 Yearly Box Office Results». Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
36.Jump up ^ «Film4 Review». Rotten Tomatoes. Film4. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
37.Jump up ^ Rotten Tomatoes – Man on the Moon Retrieved March 31, 2007
38.Jump up ^ «Me, Myself & Irene». Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
39.Jump up ^ «How the Grinch Stole Christmas». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
40.Jump up ^ «Bruce Almighty». May 23, 2003.
41.Jump up ^ «Box Office Mojo – Bruce Almighty». Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com.
42.Jump up ^ «Hollywood.com’s Highest Grossing Comedy Films of All Time List». Hollywood.com. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
43.Jump up ^ CNN.com «the best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever from Jim Carrey»
44.Jump up ^ Thomson, Deeson (April 17, 2004). «A Fortunate Series of Scenes». The Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2009.
45.Jump up ^ «Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
46.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey, 2004 inductee». Canada’s Walk of Fame. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
47.Jump up ^ «Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who». Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
48.Jump up ^ «Miami Herald Yes Man Review». The Miami Herald. December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
49.Jump up ^ «Yes Man (2008)». Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
50.Jump up ^ Wise, Damon (January 20, 2009). «I Love You Phillip Morris at the Sundance Film Festival, Utah». London: The Times. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
51.Jump up ^ «Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Rotten Tomatoes». Retrieved June 17, 2011.
52.Jump up ^ «The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) — Box Office Mojo». boxofficemojo.com.
53.Jump up ^ «Exclusive: Dumb and Dumber 2 Begins Production This September». ComingSoon.net. April 1, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
54.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Moves on From ‘Dumber’ Sequel». etonline.com.
55.Jump up ^ «The Yo Show – Yahoo! omg!». Omg.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
56.Jump up ^ «Carrey: Reading to kids is heaven». Retford Trader and Guardian. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
57.Jump up ^ «The Incredible Burt Wonderstone – Jim Carrey Interview». HitFix.com. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
58.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey, Eels Team for Gun Culture Parody». Rolling Stone.
59.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey Awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree». International Business Times. May 27, 2014.
60.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey at the DOC NYC for «Rubble Kings»». jimcarreyonline.com. November 18, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
61.Jump up ^ «Canada Post honours Canuck comedians with new stamp series». cbc.ca. August 29, 2014.
62.^ Jump up to: a b Leung, Rebecca (February 11, 2009). «Carrey: ‘Life Is Too Beautiful'». 60 minutes CBS News. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
63.Jump up ^ No Lie – Jim Carrey Will Be a Grandfather – Jim Carrey’s 21-year-old daughter is expecting! Yahoo!. July 10, 2009.
64.Jump up ^ Allison Corneau, Us Weekly, Jim Carrey’s Daughter Jane Cut from American Idol, February 9, 2012
65.Jump up ^ «Renee Zellweger was engaged to Jim Carrey». Zimbio. Zimbio.com. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
66.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey And Jenny McCarthy Announce Split After Five Years Together | Showbiz News | Sky News». News.sky.com. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
67.Jump up ^ «Jenny McCarthy: Jim and I are still good friends». Scoop Celebrity. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
68.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey’s girlfriend Cathriona White dies, aged 30». Telegraph.co.uk. September 29, 2015.
69.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey’s ex-girlfriend-dead-in-suspected-suicide».
70.Jump up ^ Natalie Stone. «Jim Carrey Attends Funeral of Late Girlfriend Cathriona White, Carries Coffin». The Hollywood Reporter.
71.Jump up ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (October 14, 2004). «Jim Carrey Becomes New U.S. Citizen». People.com. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
72.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey: The Judgment on Vaccines Is In???». Huffington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
73.Jump up ^ Brady, Jonann; Dahle, Stephanie (June 4, 2008). «Celeb Couple to Lead ‘Green Vaccine’ Rally». ABC News. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
74.Jump up ^ «Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, and «Green Our Vaccines»: Anti-vaccine, not «pro-safe vaccine»». Science Based Medicine. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
75.Jump up ^ «Green Our Vaccines?». WebMD. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
76.Jump up ^ «Jim Carrey calls Gov. Brown a ‘fascist’ for signing new vaccination law». Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
77.Jump up ^ «Ethicist: Why Jim Carrey is Wrong About Vaccines». NBCnews. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
78.Jump up ^ «Ethicist: Jim Carrey, Please Shut Up About Vaccines». Times Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
79.Jump up ^ What Oprah Learned from Jim Carrey – Oprah’s Lifeclass – Oprah Winfrey Network on YouTube
80.Jump up ^ Hasty, Katie. «Carrey on Dumb and Dumber sequel». Archived from the original on 2014-04-23. Retrieved 23 April 2014. «The DLF raises awareness and furthers education on transcendental meditation, of which Carrey is a practicioner [sic] and admirer.»
81.Jump up ^ Lisa Respers France, CNN (May 28, 2014). «Jim Carrey’s inspiring commencement speech». CNN.

Further reading[]

Krulik, Nancy (2001). Jim Carrey: Fun and Funnier. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-2219-8

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Jim Carrey 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim Carrey. 

Official website
Jim Carrey at the Internet Movie Database
Jim Carrey at Box Office Mojo

• Biography
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Play clip2:03

Jim Carrey | Career Retrospective

Jim Carrey, Canadian-born and a U.S. citizen since 2004, is
an actor and producer famous for his rubbery body movements and
flexible facial expressions. The two-time Golden Globe-winner rose to
fame as a cast member of the Fox sketch comedy
In Living Color (1990) but
leading roles in
Эйс Вентура: Розыск домашних животных (1994),
Тупой и еще тупее (1994) and
Маска (1994) established him as a
bankable comedy actor.

James Eugene Carrey was born on January 17, 1962 in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, and is the youngest of four children of Kathleen (Oram), a homemaker,
and Percy Carrey, an accountant and jazz musician. The family surname
was originally «Carré», and he has French-Canadian, Scottish, and Irish
ancestry. Carrey was an incurable extrovert from day one. As a child,
he performed constantly, for anyone who would watch, and even mailed
his résumé to
The Carol Burnett Show (1967)
at age 10. In junior high, he was granted a few precious minutes at the
end of each school day to do stand-up routines for his classmates
(provided, of course, that he kept a lid on it the rest of the day).

Carrey’s early adolescence took a turn for the tragic, however, when
the family was forced to relocate from their cozy town of Newmarket to
Scarborough (a Toronto suburb). They all took security and janitorial
jobs in the Titan Wheels factory, Jim working 8-hour shifts after
school let out (not surprisingly, his grades and morale both suffered).
When they finally deserted the factory, the family lived out of a
Volkswagen camper van until they could return to Toronto.

Carrey made his stand-up debut in Toronto after his parents and
siblings got back on their feet. He made his (reportedly awful)
professional stand-up debut at Yuk-Yuk’s, one of the many local clubs
that would serve as his training ground in the years to come. He
dropped out of high school, worked on his celebrity impersonations
(among them Michael Landon and
James Stewart), and in 1979 worked
up the nerve to move to Los Angeles. He finessed his way into a regular
gig at The Comedy Store, where he impressed
Rodney Dangerfield so much that the
veteran comic signed him as an opening act for an entire season. During
this period Carrey met and married waitress Melissa Womer, with whom he
had a daughter (Jane). The couple would later go through a very messy
divorce, freeing Carrey up for a brief second marriage to actress
Lauren Holly. Wary of falling into the
lounge act lifestyle, Carrey began to look around for other performance
outlets. He landed a part as a novice cartoonist in the short-lived
sitcom
The Duck Factory (1984);
while the show fell flat, the experience gave Carrey the confidence to
pursue acting more vigorously.

Carrey also worked on breaking into film around this time. He scored
the male lead in the ill-received
Lauren Hutton vehicle
Однажды укушенный (1985), and had a
supporting role in
Пегги Сью вышла замуж (1986),
before making a modest splash with his appearance as the alien Wiploc
in
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988).
Impressed with Carrey’s lunacy, fellow extraterrestrial
Damon Wayans made a call to his brother,
Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was in the
process of putting together the sketch comedy show
In Living Color (1990).
Carrey joined the cast and quickly made a name for himself with
outrageous acts (one of his most popular characters, psychotic Fire
Marshall Bill, was attacked by watchdog groups for dispensing ill-
advised safety tips).

Following his time on
In Living Color (1990),
Carrey’s transformation from TV goofball to marquee headliner happened
within the course of a single year. He opened 1994 with a starring turn
in
Эйс Вентура: Розыск домашних животных (1994),
a film that cashed in on his extremely physical brand of humor (the
character’s trademark was talking out his derrière). Next up was the
manic superhero movie Маска (1994),
which had audiences wondering just how far Carrey’s features could
stretch.

Finally, in December 1994, he hit theaters as a loveable dolt in the
Farrelly brothers’
Тупой и еще тупее (1994) (his first
multi-million dollar payday). Now a box-office staple, Carrey brought
his manic antics onto the set of
Бэтмен навсегда (1995), replacing
Robin Williams as The Riddler. He
also filmed the follow-up to his breakthrough,
Эйс Вентура 2: Когда зовёт природа (1995),
and inked a deal with Sony to star in
Кабельщик (1996) (replacing
Chris Farley) for a cool $20
million—at the time, that was the biggest up-front sum that had been
offered to any comic actor. The movie turned out to be a
disappointment, both critically and financially, but Carrey bounced
back the next year with the energetic hit
Лжец, лжец (1997). Worried that his
comic shtick would soon wear thin, Carrey decided to change course.

In 1998, he traded in the megabucks and silly grins to star in
Peter Weir’s
Шоу Трумана (1998) playing a
naive salesman who discovers that his entire life is the subject of a
TV show, Carrey demonstrated an uncharacteristic sincerity that took
moviegoers by surprise. He won a Golden Globe for the performance, and
fans anticipated an Oscar nomination as well—when it didn’t
materialize, Carrey lashed out at Academy members for their
narrow-minded selection process. Perhaps inspired by the snub, Carrey
threw himself into his next role with abandon. After edging out a
handful of other hopefuls (including
Edward Norton) to play eccentric
funnyman Andy Kaufman in
Человек на Луне (1999), Carrey
disappeared into the role, living as Kaufman — and his blustery
alter-ego Tony Clifton — for months (Carrey even owned Kaufman’s bongo
drums, which he’d used during his audition for director
Milos Forman). His sometimes uncanny
impersonation was rewarded with another Golden Globe, but once again
the Academy kept quiet.

An indignant Carrey next reprised his bankable mania for the Farrelly
brothers in
Я, снова я и Ирэн (2000),
playing a state trooper whose Jekyll and Hyde personalities both fall
in love with the same woman
(Renée Zellweger). Carrey’s real-life
persona wound up falling for her too—a few months after the film
wrapped, the pair announced they were officially a couple. By then,
Carrey had already slipped into a furry green suit to play the stingy
antihero of Ron Howard’s
Гринч — похититель Рождества (2000).

Although Carrey maintains a foothold in the comedy world with films
such as Брюс всемогущий (2003) and
Пингвины мистера Поппера (2011),
he is also capable of turning in nuanced dramatic performances, as
demonstrated in films like
Вечное сияние чистого разума (2004)
and the drama/comedy Всегда говори «ДА» (2008). In
2013, he costars with Steve Carell in
Невероятный Бёрт Уандерстоун (2013).

Carrey has one child with his first wife,
Melissa Carrey, whom he divorced in 1995.
He married actress Lauren Holly in 1996,
but they split less than a year later.

Double Take: Showstopping Biopic Transformations

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