Jim Carrey

3/5

Biography

James Eugene "Jim" Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario. After gaining prominence in 1981, he began working at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles where he was soon noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who immediately signed him to open his tour performances. Carrey, long interested in film and television, developed a close friendship with comedian Damon Wayans, which landed him a role in the sketch comedy hit In Living Color, in which he portrayed various characters during the show's 1990 season. Having had little success in television movies and several low-budget films, Carrey was cast as the title character in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective which premiered in February, 1994, making more than $72 million domestically despite receiving mixed critical reception.[1] The film spawned a sequel, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), in which he reprised the role of Ventura. High profile roles followed when he was cast as Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask (1994) for which he gained a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and as Lloyd Christmas in the comedy film Dumb and Dumber (1994). Between 1996 and 1999, Carrey continued his success after earning lead roles in several highly popular films including The Cable Guy (1996), Liar Liar (1997), in which he was nominated for another Golden Globe Award and in the critically acclaimed films The Truman Show and Man on the Moon, in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Both films earned Carrey Golden Globe awards. Since earning both awards, Carrey continued to star in comedy films, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) where he played the title character, Bruce Almighty (2003) where he portrayed the role of unlucky TV reporter Bruce Nolan, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man (2008), and A Christmas Carol (2009). Carrey has also taken on more serious roles including Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) alongside Kate Winslet and Kirsten Dunst, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination, and Steven Jay Russell in I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) alongside Ewan McGregor.

Music

Movies

TV

Books

Awards

Trivia

Dropped out of high school at 16.

(6/24/99) During the filming of Me, Myself & Irene , he and the production crew attended a private music show Phish at the guitarist/vocalist house in Careystock, Vermont. There he sang two songs with Phish, "Hey You" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive and "Come Together" by The Beatles.

(October 1997) Ranked #54 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

At age 10, he sent his resume to Carol Burnett.

He appeared at the 20th anniversary special for The Comedy Store wearing nothing but a sock on his penis.

Hosted "YTV Awards Show" in the mid-1980s with Laurie Hibberd , from "Fox After Breakfast" . YTV is Canadas Youth Television station.

At one point his family lived out of their car/trailer.

Performed "Rocket Man" on stage with Elton John at one of Johns concerts.

At one point he and his family all worked as janitors and security guards at a factory to make a living.

Relationship with Rene Zellweger ended while they were already engaged and had marriage plans.

Manager is Jimmy Miller , who is the younger brother of actor-comedian Dennis Miller.

Shares the same birthday with Andy Kaufman , who he played in Man on the Moon .

December, 2001: Announces his intention to become a United States citizen.

As of 2001, his total of nine MTV movie awards is the most won by any person.

Received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and maintains a dual citizen of both the United States and his native Canada.

He, Michael J. Fox and the late Raymond Burr head list of top Canadians in U.S. television compiled by Banff Television Festival, June 2002.

As a child, he used to wear his tap shoes to bed just in case his parents needed cheering up in the middle of the night.

Performed his first stand-up routine (with disastrous results) in a yellow suit and tails (made by his mother) similar to what he would later wear in The Mask .

Insisted the band, Cannibal Corpse , play in the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective .

(1/30/03) Melissa Carrey filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court requesting more child support, saying that $10,000 a month "is not sufficient" to meet the needs of their 15-year-old daughter Jane Carrey , who wants to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. An April 21 hearing is scheduled on the support request.

Became a father for the 1st time at age 25 when his 1st ex-wife Melissa Carrey gave birth to their daughter Jane Carrey on September 6, 1987.

Ranked #5 in Star TVs Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s.

Many of his characters are ordinary men whose lives are changed by supernatural or otherwise unseen forces. As in The Mask (" (Ipkiss happens to find the mask), The Majestic (Appleton is unlucky and suffers amnesia), Liar Liar (His sons birthday wish comes true), Bruce Almighty (Divine intervention), The Truman Show (He finds his life is a TV show), and so on.

His characters from Dumb and Dumber , The Mask , Batman Forever , Bruce Almighty , How the Grinch Stole Christmas , Man on the Moon and A Series of Unfortunate Events ) are losers who want to be recognized and be famous.

There is some sort of a bathroom scene and car scene in almost every one of his movies.

Along with Jeff Goldblum and Damon Wayans , his voice was dubbed for certain scenes in Earth Girls Are Easy .

While filming Earth Girls Are Easy , it took approximately two and a half hours for him and co-stars Jeff Goldblum and Damon Wayans to be suited up as the aliens.

Many of his characters have a job or interest in TV ( The Mask , Batman Forever , The Cable Guy , The Truman Show , Man on the Moon , Bruce Almighty ).

Has said that his least favorite movie is The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes .

Owns his own $25-million plane.

October 2004 - Became a U.S. citizen.

He has said that Joel, his painfully shy, lovelorn character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , is closer to what hes like when hes not "on," and that making the film led him to reflect on his past relationships and why they didnt work out.

Attended Agincourt Collegiate Institute (High School), in Scarborough.

Auditioned for the role of Farmer Ted in the film Sixteen Candles . Eventually, actor Anthony Michael Hall won the part.

He donated a signed head-shot to Rocky Stone to be auctioned off to raise money to buy more toys for less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign 2004.

While getting his start in Los Angeles, one of his frequent stops was at the Comedy Store.

Went through depression in the 1980s while struggling to make ends meet as a comedian.

Wrote letters to Tupac Shakur when Tupac was in prison to help him laugh and smile. Tupac said that Carrey was his favorite actor.

Briefly attended Aldershot High School in Burlington, Ontario.

Bought a Harley Davidson motorcycle and got a vanity license plate for it which read "NO TAG" as a joke. This resulted in Jim receiving numerous traffic tickets in the mail that were meant for other people. As it turns out, when filling out a ticket, police officers write "no tag" in the license plate number slot on the ticket when the offending vehicle has no license plate. In some cases, this was interpreted as the actual license plate number, as it was in Jims case, which caused the tickets to be routed to him.

He was originally cast as "Dr. Evil" in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery , but he had to drop out of the role due to a scheduling conflict with Liar Liar .

Was considered for the roles of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , both of which eventually went to Johnny Depp.

His performance as "Ace Ventura" in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is ranked #97 on Premiere Magazines 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Was originally offered the lead role in the movie The Master of Disguise .

Was a straight-A student until he dropped out.

Before Martin Scorsese s The Aviator , he spent years trying to produce and star in a film of Howard Hughes life as Hughes himself.

He has been nominated for 5 Golden Globes, but although more recognised for his comedic performances, the only two Globes hes won were for dramatic performances. ( The Truman Show and Man on the Moon ).

Fellow Canadian comedian Mike Myers was chosen over Carrey to play in "Saturday Night Live" .

Possibly out of slapstick to his nationality, his "Dick Harper" character of Fun with Dick and Jane has been compared by fans to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

First actor to reach 20 million dollar salary mark (for The Cable Guy ) in 1996. The first actress to do so was Julia Roberts , four years later, who was paid the same amount for her role in Erin Brockovich in 2000.

On September 13th, 2006, Carrey fired his agent of 15 years, Nick Stevens.

Along with his girlfriend Jenny McCarthy , he was among the guests at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes s wedding.

Often his protagonist (or antagonist) roles are associated with the color green. The Mask , How the Grinch Stole Christmas , "The Riddler" in Batman Forever , the alias Mr. Red Green in Fun with Dick and Jane . The Red Green reference in Fun With Dick and Jane might have been a nod to a Canadian comedy, "The Red Green Show" .

Turned down the offer to induct Jerry Lawler into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2007, for he believed the people in the audience would have come to the ceremony to see him, not the legends being honored that night.

Nicole Kidman calls him her best male friend.

Is a huge fan of the cartoons "Johnny Bravo" , "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dave the Barbarian" .

At one time, Carrey was slated to star as the lead in Meet the Parents and even contributed jokes to the screenplay, such as the main character being named "Focker".

With the exception of his "Ace Ventura" character, Carrey has a reputation of not repeating the same character twice in a sequel ( Batman & Robin ) or prequel ( Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd ).

Studies acting with legendary coach Larry Moss.

Is a vegetarian.

A fan of "Monty Pythons Flying Circus" .

Has worked with two actresses from the TV show "Friends" : Courteney Cox in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , and Jennifer Aniston in Bruce Almighty .

Played a (fictional) man who is not (yet) aware he is on television on The Truman Show and a real-life man who believed he was always on television Man on the Moon .

Jack Nicholson has called him the "Jack Nicholson of the next generation".

As of 2009, he is only one of six performers who won a Golden Globe Award as Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture Drama without being nominated for an Oscar for that same role (his for The Truman Show ). The others are Spencer Tracy in The Actress , Anthony Franciosa in Career , Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago , Shirley MacLaine for Madame Sousatzka and Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road .

Was considered for the role of Ted Stroehmann in Theres Something About Mary .

As a kid, he was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.

The characters played by him in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , The Mask and Dumb and Dumber later all became TV cartoons, whereas his "Grinch", "Horton" and "Riddler" characters were already cartoons.

Publicist is Marleah Leslie.

Spoofed the Players Club TV commercials, made famous by Telly Savalas in the 1980s, on "In Living Color" .

He had never heard of "Doctor Who" until being offered the role of the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who , which was the key factor into turning down the role, as he felt he would cause outrage amongst Doctor Who fans if the role wasnt played by a Doctor Who fan.

Lives in Los Angeles and Malibu, California.

Jim and his girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy , have ended their five-year romance [April 6, 2010].

Became a grandfather for the 1st time at age 48 when his daughter Jane Carrey gave birth to her son Jackson Riley Santana on February 26, 2010. Childs father is singer Alex Santana.

According to Biography, Jim wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars in 1983, post-dated 10 years, hoping to be able to cash it by then. The episode also featured a clip from a 1999 interview where Jim stated he put the check in his fathers pocket after he passed away on September 13, 1994. [October 13, 2010].

A lifelong fan of the Pink Panther movie series, especially Inspector Clouseaus house servant Cato (as played by Burt Kwouk ).

He is of French-Canadian ancestry on his fathers side, and has French, Irish, and Scottish ancestry on his mothers side. His familys surname was originally "Carr".

Pictured on one of a set of five nondenominated Canadian commemorative postage stamps honoring Great Canadian Comedians, issued 29 August 2014. In addition to the main portrait, he is shown in his roles as Ace Ventura, Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask , and Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber . Others honored in this set are Mike Myers , Catherine OHara , Martin Short , and Oliver Guimond. Price of each stamp on day of issue was 85.

In several films he has played an extraordinary character for whom television plays an vital role. In Batman Forever he played The Riddler who devises a master plan to hypnotize and absorb knowledge from the population using television. In The Cable Guy he played a cable TV technician with a lifelong unhealthy obsession with television. In The Truman Show he played a man who discovers that his entire life was a hugely successful reality TV show. In Man on the Moon he played the TV comedy star Andy Kaufman who pushed the boundaries of his medium. And in Bruce Almighty he played a TV reporter who was suddenly granted the powers of God.

Has played the two most well known fictional characters who hated Christmas, The Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge.

Is good friends with Steve Oedekerk.

Appeared on the final episode of "Late Show with David Letterman" , wearing a personally made shirt saying "Spank You Kindly David Letterman ".

His ex-girlfriend, Cathriona White , died from a suspected drug overdose on September 28, 2015 in Los Angeles.

His role of Brad Peters in the 1989 CBS television film Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All turned out to be the final murder victim. Helen Durant (Lynda Carter ) was his off screen murderer. The notable other deaths in that television film were Johnny Roman (Edward Winter ), Barbara Leguire (Kelly Jerles ), Bundy (Royce D. Applegate ), Leora van Treas (Michelle Phillips ), Reggie Diaz (Lyle Alzado ), John McNiece (Jessie Lawrence Ferguson ), and Carl Durant (John Calvin ).

Good friends with Jeff Daniels , Ewan McGregor , Steve Carell , and Steven Tyler.

He has worked with 4 directors who have won a Best Director Oscar: Francis Ford Coppola , Milos Forman , Ron Howard , and Robert Zemeckis.

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.

As of 2017, Jim Carrey is the only actor (male or female) to date to win a Golden Globe for Best Actor in both the drama and comedy/musical categories without being nominated for an Academy Award.

Played a mild bank teller in The Mask and bears a strong resemblance to Dick York who also played a mild banker in "The Twilight Zone" {A Penny for Your Thoughts (#2.16)} .

Quotes

Until Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) , no actor had considered,talking through his ass.

I have no intention of giving up my Canadian heritage, and all those who,loved and supported me. My upbringing in Canada made me the person I,am. I will always be proud to be a Canadian.

[on being asked what his personal motto is] Always turn your wheel in,the direction of the skid.

The power of the subconscious mind! With the power of the sub-conscious,mind I can learn how to do anything. . . I could. . . learn how to dance, or,yodel like an Austrian.

My focus is to forget the pain, mock the pain, reduce it.

[on Ireland] I love the whole culture, obviously. You have the best,musicians, the best poets. Great artists come out of Ireland.

My family kinda hit the skids. We were experiencing poverty at that point. We all got a job, where the whole family had to work as security guards and janitors. And I just got angry.

A lot of good love can happen in ten years.

Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.

I feel like I want to take care of everyone and I also feel this terrible guilt if I am unable to. And I have felt this way ever since all this success started.

Comments