After spending the 1980s honing his comedy act and playing supporting roles in films, Carrey gained recognition when he was cast in theFoxsketch comedy seriesIn Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a film star after starring in a string of box office hits, such asAce Ventura: Pet Detective,The Mask,Dumb and Dumber (all 1994),Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, andBatman Forever (both 1995). The success of these five films led to Carrey being the first comic actor to receive an upfront $20 million salary for performing in films, beginning withThe Cable Guy (1996).[3]
Carrey was born inNewmarket, Ontario, Canada,[4] to Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant.[5] He was raisedCatholic and has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita.[6][7] His mother was of Irish and Scottish descent, and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry; the family's original surname was Carré.[8][9][10]
At age eight, he began making faces before a mirror and discovered a talent for doing impressions.[11] At age ten, Carrey wrote a letter toCarol Burnett of theCarol Burnett Show pointing out that he was already a master ofimpressions and should be considered for a role on the show; he was overjoyed when he received aform letter reply.[12] A fan ofMonty Python, whose television showMonty Python's Flying Circus aired in the 1970s, in 2014 Carrey appeared onMonty Python's Best Bits (Mostly) and recalled the effect on him of Ernest Scribbler (played byMichael Palin) laughing himself to death in "The Funniest Joke in the World" sketch.[13]Radio Times states, "You'll see why immediately: Palin's performance is uncannily Carreyesque."[13]
Carrey spent his early years in the borough ofScarborough, Ontario, part of Metropolitan Toronto, where he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic Elementary School inNorth York. His family later moved toBurlington, Ontario, where they would spend eight years; Jim attendedAldershot High School while there.[14] 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 theLake Ontario shore inLincoln, Ontario.[15][16] 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.[16]
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.[16] Moving back to Scarborough, teenage Jim started attendingAgincourt 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 2007Hamilton Spectator interview, Carrey said, "If my career in show business hadn't panned out I would probably be working today inHamilton, Ontario, at theDofasco 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."[17]
Career
1977–1982: 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 toDowntown Toronto to debut at the recently openedYuk Yuk'scomedy club operating one-night-a-week out of community centerThe 519's basement onChurch Street.[16][18] For the performance, Carrey had his attire—a polyesterleisure suit—chosen by his mother who reasoned "that's how they dress onThe Dean Martin Celebrity Roast".[19][16] 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.[16] Decades later, recalling Carrey's stand-up debut, Yuk Yuk's ownerMark Breslin described it as "badRich Little".[16] 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 inJackson's Point.[18][20] 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 onHighway 48 in Scarborough for a reportedCan$20 compensation on a bill with the Mother of Pearl performer fromThe Pig and Whistle.[21] 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 onBay Street in the fashionableYorkville district. In a short period of time, the seventeen-year-old went fromopen-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 intosketch comedy, auditioning to be a cast member for the1980–81 season ofNBC'sSaturday Night Live. Carrey ended up not being selected by the show's new executive producerJean Doumanian who picked thirty-one-year-oldCharles Rocket instead.[22] Decades later, after establishing himself as a Hollywood film star, Carrey would host the show inMay 1996,January 2011, andOctober 2014.[23][24] After not gettingSaturday Night Live, Carrey took avoice acting job performingClutch Cargo-inspired bits onThe All-Night Show, an overnight program airing locally on theCFMT-TV channel branded as Multilingual Television (MTV).[25]
Continuing to perform his stand-up act ofcontortionist 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 bandGoddo at The Roxy Theatre inBarrie for two shows on consecutive nights; the rock crowd booed him offstage and he refused to return for the second night.[26] Two weeks later, however, a review of one of Carrey's spots at Yuk Yuk's—alongside a sizable photo of him doing a stage impression ofSammy Davis Jr.—appeared in theToronto Star on the front page of its entertainment section with the writer Bruce Blackadar raving about "a genuine star coming to life".[27][28] Save for a brief mention in theBarrie 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.[28][21]
In April 1981, he appeared in an episode of the televised stand-up showAn Evening at the Improv.[29] That summer, he landed one of the main roles inIntroducing... Janet, amade-for-TV movie that premiered in September 1981 on theCBC drawing more than a million viewers for its first airing in Canada.[30] Playing a strugglingimpressionist comic Tony Moroni, 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 toRubberface in order to take advantage of the comic's by then established prominence for doing elaborate contortionist impressions.[30] Making more comedy club appearances in the United States, Carrey was noticed by comedianRodney 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 aUnited States work permit having received interest fromJohnny Carson'sTonight Show, largely off his reputation from Canada.[31][32]
In the early part of 1982, Carrey reportedly performed forThe Tonight Show bookersJim McCawley and Bud Robinson as part of the program's audition process for stand-up comic spots.[33] 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.[33] Touring venues throughout North America as the opening act for Rodney Dangerfield, Carrey made a stop at home in Toronto on June 19, 1982, performing two sold-out shows atMassey Hall.
1983–1993: Move to Hollywood
Carrey in 1985
In early 1983, Carrey decided to move to Hollywood where he began regularly performing atThe Comedy Store. Getting onThe 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.[34] However, a lukewarm club set at The Improv got him unbooked.[34] 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 onBloor Street on three consecutive nights. While in town,CTV's flagship newsmagazine programW5 did a feature on Carrey that aired nationally in Canada. Back in L.A., within months, he landed the main role onThe Duck Factory, a sitcom being developed for NBC, and, in late November 1983, still got to debut his impressionist act onThe 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.[34] In the meantime, he was cast for a supporting role in theWarner Bros. comedy productionFinders Keepers, shot in the Canadian province ofAlberta during late summer 1983. For hisTonight Showappearance that aired onAmerican 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 fromMy Three Sons, andKermit the Frog andMiss Piggy—in rapid succession.[35] After completing his set, though getting theOK 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.[36] The end of 1983 saw Carrey go back home to Toronto once more for a publicized New Years' Eve performance at theRoyal York Hotel'sImperial Room.
Originally scheduled to start airing in January 1984,The Duck Factory sitcom debuted in April, airing Thursdays at 9:30pm betweenCheers andHill Street Blues.[37][38] The same month, Carrey took a job hosting the 1984U-Know Awards ceremony held in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel's Ballroom.[39] By the time he made his debut appearance on NBC'sLate Night with David Letterman in late July 1984, the network had already canceledThe Duck Factory; Carrey went back to touring with his impressionist act, including often opening for Rodney Dangerfield.
After being noticed doing stand-up by producerSamuel Goldwyn Jr. and contacted to audition for a teen horrorsex comedy being developed byThe Samuel Goldwyn Company, Carrey landed a starring role inOnce Bitten shot in early 1985.[40] Carrey would continue getting film roles; throughout late summer and early fall 1985, he shot a supporting part inFrancis Ford Coppola'sPeggy Sue Got Married which went into a long post-production process.[40] In parallel, he decided to try out forSaturday Night Live again, this time ahead of the show's1985–86 season being prepared by returning executive producerLorne Michaels who was looking to hire an all-new cast. Five years removed from his previousSNL 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 ofHenry Fonda fromOn Golden Pond—in front of executive producer Michaels due to the show's producers and senior writersAl Franken,Tom Davis, andJim Downey deciding that Michaels would not like it.[41] Unlike his previousSNL 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 forSNL'supcoming 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 aBurbank studio, with returning cast membersDennis Miller,Jon Lovitz, andNora Dunn also watching the audition, Carrey was rejected again.[41] Among the group of hopefuls auditioning alongside Carrey on this occasion wereDana Carvey andPhil Hartman, both of whom were hired.[41] Sensing that doing only impressions was turning into a career dead-end, Carrey set out to develop a new live comedy act.[42] Much to the dismay of comedy club owners booking him, he began abandoning trademark celebrity impressions, opting instead to try addingobservational andcharacter humor 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.[42] From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the ensemble comedy television seriesIn Living Color.[43] The popularity of the series helped him to land his first few major film roles.
1994–1997: Rise to fame
Carrey played the lead role inAce Ventura: Pet Detective which was released in February 1994 and went on to gross $72 million in the United States and Canada.[44] 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 andNew Line Cinema offered him $7 million to make a sequel toThe Mask and paid him $7 million to appear inDumb and Dumber, a nearly tenfold increase on his salary forAce Ventura.[45][46]The Mask, released in July 1994, grossed $351 million worldwide,[47][48] andDumb and Dumber, released in December 1994, was another commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide.[49] Carrey received his firstGolden Globe Award nomination forBest Actor for his work inThe Mask and was voted second onQuigley'sTop Ten Money Making Stars Poll, behindTom Hanks.[50]
Carrey portrayed theBatman villain theRiddler in theJoel Schumacher-directedsuperhero filmBatman Forever (1995). The film received mixed reviews, but was a box office success. He reprised his role asAce Ventura inAce 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.[51] Carrey became the first comic actor to be paid an upfront salary of $20 million for his next film,The Cable Guy (1996).[52][53] Directed byBen Stiller, the film was asatiricalblack comedy, in which Carrey played a lonely, menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played byMatthew 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.[54] Carrey also starred in the music video of the film's closing song, "Leave Me Alone" byJerry Cantrell.[55] Despite the reviews,The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.[56]
He soon bounced back with the critically acclaimed comedyLiar 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 ofThe 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."[57]
1998–1999: Critical acclaim
The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the seriocomic role of Truman Burbank in the satiricalcomedy-drama filmThe Truman Show (1998).[58] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for anAcademy Award.[59] He won the Golden Globe Award forBest Actor in a Motion Picture Drama but did not receive an Academy Award nomination.The Truman Show was a commercial success, grossing $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.[60][61] AFilm4 critic stated that the film "allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy", adding that it was "a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire".[62]
In 2000, Carrey reteamed with theFarrelly brothers, who had previously directed him inDumb and Dumber, for the black comedy filmMe, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews[65] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who hasmultiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed byRenée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time,How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing thetitle character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics alongside a Golden Globe nomination.[66]
For his next feature film, Carrey starred oppositeJennifer Aniston andMorgan Freeman inTom Shadyac's international hit comedyBruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a television newsman who unexpectedly receives God'somnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film received mixed reviews upon release[67] 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.[68][69]
In 2004, Carrey starred inEternal 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-starKate Winslet, who was nominated for an Oscar. According toCNN's reviewerPaul Clinton, Carrey's performance was the actor's "best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever."[70] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination forBest Actor. Carrey's next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy filmLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the children's novelsof the same name. The film was positively received;Desson Thomson fromThe Washington Post said of Carrey's approach to the character ofCount 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.[71][72]
Carrey reunited withJoel Schumacher, director ofBatman Forever, forThe Number 23 (2007), a psychological thriller co-starringVirginia Madsen andDanny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with thenumber 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 forDr. Seuss'Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voicedHorton the Elephant for theCGI-animated feature, which was a box office success, grossing over $290 million worldwide.[75] Carrey returned to live-action comedy, starring oppositeZooey Deschanel andBradley Cooper inYes 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 ofThe 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."[76] The film earned $225 million at the box office worldwide.[77]
Carrey in 2011
Since 2009, Carrey's work has included a leading role inGlenn Ficarra andJohn Requa'sI Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at theSundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayedSteven Jay Russell, acon artist, imposter, and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played byEwan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews, with Damon Wise ofThe 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."[78] For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters inDisney's 3D animated take on the classicCharles Dickens tale,A Christmas Carol (2009), voicingEbenezer Scrooge and theGhosts of Christmas Past,Present, andFuture. Directed byRobert Zemeckis, the film also starredRobin Wright Penn,Bob Hoskins,Colin Firth,Gary Oldman, andCary Elwes. The film received decent reviews and was a financial success. Carrey landed the lead role inMr. 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.[79]
2012–2018: Change in pace
He starred alongside former co-starSteve Carell in theDon Scardino-directed comedy filmThe 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.[80] Around the same time, he appeared inKick-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 theSandy Hook Elementary School shooting, "Now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence."[81]
Peter Farrelly said in April 2012 that Carrey andJeff Daniels would return for aDumb and Dumber sequel,Dumb and Dumber To, with the Farrelly brothers writing and directing and a planned September 2012 production start.[82] 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.[83] However, on October 1, 2012,Yahoo!'sThe 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.[84][85]Dumb and Dumber To was released in November 2014.
In March 2013, Carrey announced that he had written a children's book titledHow 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.[86][87] On March 25, 2013, Carrey released a parody music video withEels throughFunny or Die, with Carrey replacingMark Oliver Everett on vocals. The song and video, titled "Cold Dead Hand" and set as a musical act during the variety programHee Haw, lampoons American gun culture, and specifically formerNRA spokespersonCharlton Heston.[88] Carrey delivered the commencement address atMaharishi University of Management inFairfield, Iowa, in May 2014 and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist.[89] On August 29, 2014, Carrey was honored byCanada Post with a limited-edition postage stamp with his portrait on it.[90] Carrey was a producer onRubble Kings, a 2015 documentary film that depicts events preceding and following theHoe Avenue peace meeting.[91]
In June 2017,Showtime began airing the dramedyI'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.[92] In September of that year, that same network announced that he would star in a comedy series titledKidding, which would reunite Carrey and directorMichel Gondry.[93] By the end of 2017, it was announced thatCatherine Keener would star opposite Carrey inKidding.[94] The series lasted two seasons.
In June 2018, Carrey was cast asDr. Ivo Robotnik, the mainantagonist of theSonic the Hedgehog video game series, in afilm adaptation of the franchise. The film was released in February 2020 to positive reviews.[99] Carrey's portrayal of Ivo Robotnik was praised, with some considering it one of his best performances in years.[100][101] Carrey returned forSonic the Hedgehog 2, released in April 2022,[102] which grossed $72 million at the US box office in its opening weekend to give Carrey the best opening of his career to date.[103]
In April 2022, Carrey announced that he was considering retirement, saying: "I have enough. I've done enough. I am enough." He said he would return to acting if "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".[116] In February 2024, it was announced that Carrey would reprise his role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik inSonic the Hedgehog 3.[117] Notably, a copy of the script forSonic the Hedgehog 3 was delivered to Carrey written in 24-carat ink in reference to his previous comments.[118] Carrey also plays Ivo Robotnik’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik.[119] Carrey reportedly told anAssociated Press reporter that he agreed to return to theSonic universe because "I need the money, frankly."[120] He later clarified in interviews in December 2024 that he planned to "power rest" rather than retire, while also stating that he was open to continuing his role in theSonic film series.[121][122]
Personal life
Carrey suffers fromdepression and tookProzac to combat the symptoms for years. He later said that he no longer takes medications of any kind and abstains fromcoffee,alcohol anddrugs.[123]
Carrey dated singerLinda Ronstadt for eight months in 1983.[127] On March 28, 1987, Carrey married former actress andComedy Store waitress Melissa Womer. Their daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, was born on September 6, 1987.[128] Carrey and Womer divorced in 1995.[129]
On September 23, 1996, Carrey married hisDumb and Dumber co-starLauren Holly; this second marriage lasted less than a year.[130] From 1999 to 2000, Carrey was engaged to hisMe, Myself and Irene co-starRenée Zellweger.[131] In 2002, he was in a relationship withJanuary Jones.[132] In 2005, Carrey met model and actressJenny McCarthy, and he made public in June 2006 that they were in a romantic relationship. They ended it in April 2010,[133] with McCarthy noting in October 2010 that they had remained good friends.[134] In early 2011, Carrey was seen holding hands withAmerica's Next Top Model contestantAnchal Joseph, leading to speculation that the two were dating.[135]
In 2012, Carrey met Cathriona White, a makeup artist fromCounty Tipperary, Ireland.[136] They dated between 2012 and 2015. On September 28, 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 apallbearer at her funeral inCappawhite, Ireland.[138] In January 2019 when Carrey attended theGolden Globes 2019 Party, he was accompanied by his then-girlfriendGinger Gonzaga.[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, inLas Vegas. She and Carrey had been dating on and off since 2012, and she was still married but dating Carrey when she died in 2015.[142] On September 19, 2016, Burton filed awrongful 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] 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 articlequestioning the merits of vaccination forThe Huffington Post.[149] With former partnerJenny 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 byDavid Gorski, an Americansurgical oncologist onScience-Based Medicine blog, for being anti-vaccine and not "pro-safe vaccine",[151] and by Steven Parker on theWebMD website for being "irresponsible".[152]
On July 1, 2015, after the signing of anew vaccination law, Carrey calledCalifornia governorJerry 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" byArthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics atNew York University,[154] and byJeffrey Kluger, senior writer atTime, 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 withOprah Winfrey on February 17, 1997,[156] he revealed that as a struggling actor he would usevisualization 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 inDumb and Dumber.[157] Carrey practicesTranscendental Meditation.[158][159]
Carrey appeared alongsideEckhart Tolle at an event in 2009. He shared that through studying Tolle's teachings, he had a spiritual experience: "I was no longer a fragment of the universe. I was the universe."[160] He also paid tribute to Tolle by impersonating him.[161]
Carrey has also advocatedsocialism and has urged theDemocratic Party to embrace the movement saying, "We have to say yes to socialism, to the word and everything. We have to stop apologizing".[162]
Carrey has shared his ownpolitical cartoon drawings since August 2017, including controversial renderings of then-White House press secretarySarah Huckabee Sanders and then-presidentDonald Trump.[163] He sparked an international event on March 31, 2019, posting a drawing criticizingfascism by depictingBenito Mussolini'sinfamous death withClara Petacci; this irked Mussolini's granddaughterAlessandra, who chided him on Twitter, calling him "a bastard" and his artworks "dirty paper".[164][165] His drawing repertoire culminated in an exhibition titledIndigNation, which opened on October 23, 2018, at the Maccarone Gallery in Los Angeles and featured 108 pen-and-ink drawings from Carrey's Twitter feed from 2016 to 2018.[166] In February 2021, Carrey announced he would discontinue political cartoons.[167]
In a 2004 interview with60 Minutes, Carrey reportedly said, “I'm a Buddhist, I'm a Muslim, I'm a Christian.”[168] In June 2017, Carrey delivered a speech at aHomeboy Industries event, where he said, “I want to speak to the fact that I believe that this room is filled with God, and that you are heroes to me and I admire you.”[169]
Artwork
In 2017, Carrey revealed that he had been painting for the past six years. In 2011, he exhibited the paintingNothing to See Here in an art show inPalm Springs at the Heather James Fine Art Gallery.[170] In 2017, Carrey released a six-minute documentary entitled,I Needed Color, which showed him working in his studio.[170]
NFTs
In April 2022, Carrey announced that he had minted his first artNFT via the NFT platform SuperRare. The NFT is based on a painting entitledSunshower, and is accompanied by original voiceover.[171]
^"1962: Funny man Jim Carrey born in Newmarket, Ont". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. RetrievedApril 15, 2016.On this day in history, Jan. 17, 1962, James Eugene Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ont.
^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.
^Nocera, Joe (January 28, 2006)."A Revenge Fantasy, Except It's Reality".The New York Times.Archived from the original on May 28, 2020.the movie is anEnron revenge fantasy. Which helps explain, I think, why this decidedly mediocre film has made more than $100 million at the box office so far.
^Hasty, Katie (February 28, 2014)."Carrey onDumb and Dumber sequel".Hitfix. Archived fromthe original on March 17, 2014. RetrievedApril 23, 2014.The DLF raises awareness and furthers education on transcendental meditation, of which Carrey is a practicioner [sic] and admirer.
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