Overview (3)

Mini Bio (1)

Spouse (2)

Trade Mark (9)

Flexible body movements



Frequently plays a character who wears green or is green



Makes weird facial expressions in his more comical roles. A lot of times, the expression is accompanied by an equally weird voice or laugh.



In dramatic roles, often plays a character who discovers a bizarre truth about the foundations of his life



Wild erratic manner of speaking



His characters often have catchphrases



Characters lacking in manners or social awareness



Occasionally performs musical numbers in his movies (The Mask (1994), The Grinch (2000), Man on the Moon (1999), Yes Man (2008), Fun With Dick and Jane (2005), The Cable Guy (1996))



Trivia (93)

Dropped out of high school at 16.



Ranked #54 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]



Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]





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.



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





Performed "Rocket Man" on stage with Elton John at one of John's concerts. [1998]

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





Relationship with Renée Zellweger ended while they were already engaged and had marriage plans. [2000]



Shares the same birthday with Andy Kaufman , who he played in Der Mondmann (1999).

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 Die Maske (1994).



(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 TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003).



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





Has said that his least favorite movie is Superhirn in Tennisschuhen (1969).

Owns his own $25-million plane.



October 2004 - Became a U.S. citizen.





He has said that Joel, his painfully shy, lovelorn character in Vergiss mein nicht (2004), is closer to what he's like when he's not "on," and that making the film led him to reflect on his past relationships and why they didn't work out.

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





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 Jim's case, which caused the tickets to be routed to him.





His performance as "Ace Ventura" in Ace Ventura - Ein tierischer Detektiv (1994) is ranked #97 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.



Was originally offered the lead role in the movie Meister der Verwandlung (2002).

Was a straight-A student until he dropped out.





Before Martin Scorsese 's Aviator (2004), 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 he's won were for dramatic performances. ( Die Truman Show (1998) and Der Mondmann (1999)).



He auditioned to be a castmember on Saturday Night Live (1975) in its 1980-81 season, but lost out to Charles Rocket (who he'd later star opposite in Dumm und Dümmer (1994)). He auditioned again for the 1985-1986 season, but Carrey saw a man on the ledge of the 30 Rock building threatening to kill himself and was afraid that working on SNL would drive him to suicide. Both seasons are considered among the worst in the show's history.



Possibly out of slapstick to his nationality, his "Dick Harper" character of Dick und Jane (2005) has been compared by fans to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.



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



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.



At one time, Carrey was slated to star as the lead in Meine Braut, ihr Vater und ich (2000) 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 (1997)) or prequel ( Dumm und Dümmerer (2003)).



Studies acting with legendary coach Larry Moss



Played a (fictional) man who is not (yet) aware he is on television on Die Truman Show (1998) and a real-life man who believed he was always on television Der Mondmann (1999).



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



Was considered for the role of Ted Stroehmann in Verrückt nach Mary (1998).

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





He had never heard of Doctor Who (1963) until being offered the role of the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who: Der Film (1996), which was the key factor into turning down the role, as he felt he would cause outrage amongst Doctor Who fans if the role wasn't 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. Child's 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 father's pocket after he passed away on September 13, 1994. [October 13, 2010].





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

He is of French-Canadian ancestry on his father's side, and has French, Irish, and Scottish ancestry on his mother's side. His family's surname was originally "Carré".



Catherine O'Hara,

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 Die Maske (1994), and Lloyd Christmas in Dumm und Dümmer (1994). Others honored in this set are Mike Myers 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 (1995) he played The Riddler who devises a master plan to hypnotize and absorb knowledge from the population using television. In Cable Guy - Die Nervensäge (1996) he played a cable TV technician with a lifelong unhealthy obsession with television. In Die Truman Show (1998) he played a man who discovers that his entire life was a hugely successful reality TV show. In Der Mondmann (1999) he played the TV comedy star Andy Kaufman who pushed the boundaries of his medium. And in Bruce Allmächtig (2003) 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



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

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.





Carrey is mentioned in Blessid Union of Souls 's "Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)".



Auditioned the same night as budding comedian Bill Maher for Mitzi Shore at The Comedy Store in the early 1980s.



Nominated for the 2019 Golden Globe Award in the Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series category for his role as Jeff in Kidding (2018), but lost to Michael Douglas for The Kominsky Method (2018).

Believes the MMR vaccine causes autism. In 2009, Carrey wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination and vaccine research for The Huffington Post.



In 2014 he received an honorary degree at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.



Personal Quotes (33)

I tend to stay up late, not because I'm partying but because it's the only time of day when I'm alone and I don't have to be on, performing.





Until Ace Ventura - Ein tierischer Detektiv (1994), no actor had considered talking through his ass.

I've been dubbed the man most responsible for the dumbing of America, so obviously I don't put much stock into thoughts like (the theme of the 'dumbing down' of contemporary comedy). People love to laugh, and most people can find humor in just about anything, which is great. Trying to label or categorize comedy is ridiculous. I mean, if you laugh at a fart joke, does that make you a moron? I don't think so.



Maybe there is no actual place called hell. Maybe hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they're eating sandwiches.



That's the trouble with being me. At this point, nobody gives a damn what my problem is. I could literally have a tumor on the side of my head and they'd be like, 'Yeah, big deal. I'd eat a tumor every morning for the kinda money you're pulling down.



I'm charming, but I dip into the Prozac now and then.



I don't believe in this fairy tale of staying together for ever. Ten years with somebody is enough. In ten years, you can give a lot of love.



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.





[after recording a cover of The Beatles ' "I Am the Walrus"] There! I did it! I defiled a timeless work of art! For my next trick, I will paint a clown face on the Mona Lisa while using the shroud of Turin as a dropcloth.

[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.



If there'd been Ritalin when I was a kid, I wouldn't be here now.



The best possible thing you can get out of a relationship is that you're with somebody who encourages you to be the best version of yourself.



(1996, on choosing projects) Very rarely do I jump up and say on my own, 'I must do this!' I have a lot of people who look at material and give me their opinions. It's like the President-he doesn't make a move without his aides, which is a smart way to be if you trust the opinions of the people on your team.



(1996, on $20 million paydays) See, the number in the paper is one thing, but then there's 35 percent off the top for commissions, then there's taxes, so the $20 million check becomes $5.5 million. That's amazing money, but it's not $20 million. Believe me, I don't gloat about the money. People have lost fortunes that make mine look microscopic. You can never count on it for sure. People that do that are asking for trouble.



(1996) Money doesn't faze me at all. It goes into an account and then I basically do what I need to do with it. The money takes a little of your fear away-you know, fear of the future. This country is pretty scary if you don't build some kind of nest egg for yourself. I don't go buy Maseratis, because I've never been impressed with stuff like that at all. I'll probably end up with two houses, someplace to escape to and someplace in the city, I'm pretty basic. I understand the dynamic of people who medicate themselves with things, but it always seemed hollow to me.





(1996) I'm just a freak like the rest of us. I'd say I've had an even flow of neediness through my whole life, and I got kind of clever about it early. I remember starting out imitating records in the back of the classroom, and when the teacher singled me out and tried to make me feel embarrassed by saying, 'Get up and do that in front of the whole class,' it marked the end of all normal life. I got up, did it in front of the whole class and learned that committing myself to getting a reaction was very addicting. For sure, I have an unnatural need to be noticed or liked. But I don't necessarily gear everything to an audience, going, 'What are they going to want?', I'm not afraid to become a different thing, because I believe talent finds its audience. It's just like The Beatles . They didn't stay put. They changed, made a lot of enemies, lost fans, gained new ones.



(1996) I dyed my hair black just before I started shooting Cable Guy - Die Nervensäge (1996) and immediately got completely in the doldrums. I couldn't lift myself out of it, because every time I looked in the mirror, I didn't like myself. It definitely put me in a weird place.



Even if I am being over the top or crazy, I want to do something original. There is nothing that makes me happier than when someone says: 'I watched Die Maske (1994) 300 times when I was a kid.' I look forward to when I am 80 and people come up to me going: 'It was you, dude.' That's an amazing feeling.

It is as if I am starting out every time I make a film. And I swear to you I don't feel any more secure than I used to, or jaded in any way. There was a moment when I thought 'I am not sure I want to be part of this big thing that is Hollywood.' I looked at it cynically for a minute. Then I sat on my couch and realized the value of what I do. We free people from concern. It is what everyone needs in this day and age. There is nothing better and it started out that way.



I was always trying to make my mother laugh because she was sick or depressed or whatever. Many comics start out by trying to heal their family. That's how you get good. Your drunken grandparents leave and you turn around as a seven-year-old child and imitate them. That is how it began for me, bringing comic relief to my family. It really is comic relief, people don't just want to see it, they need it. I need it more than they do and that is why I am on this side of the camera because I am a really needy person.



(2001, on his first comedy show) My mother dressed me in a polyester suit, and I got booed off the stage, and I didn't go back for two years. But then when I went back, I was gangbusters.



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.



These mass shootings and daily body counts are an invitation for us to become more civilized and to deal with our addiction and entitlement to violence. Not to shut our eyes and ears and scream at those with a different opinion than ours to 'fuck off and go back to Canada'.



So many of us chose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn't believe that was possible for him. So, he made a conservative choice and instead he got a job as an accountant. When I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. Our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.





[on Jerry Lewis ] People might dismiss Jerry as someone who acted the fool. But the fool is not an idiot.The courage and freedom of the fool liberates us. The fool tells the truth while making fun of our arrogance and our conventional ideas. He shows us up for what we are, and that's what Jerry did. He was a blessing.

[on the nuclear alert in Hawaii on January 13, 2018] It was a false alarm, but a real psychic warning. If we allow this one-man Gomorrah and his corrupt Republican congress to continue alienating the world, we are all headed for suffering beyond all imagination.



It's not our World.





[as a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher: Episode #16.26 (2018)] I grew up in Canada, OK. We have socialized medicine, and I am here to tell you that this bullshit line that you get on all the political shows from people, is that it's a failure; the system is a failure in Canada. It is NOT a failure in Canada. I never waited for anything in my life, I chose my own doctors, my mother never paid for a prescription. It was fantastic. And I just got back from Vancouver, and I keep hearing this, "Canadians are so nice . . . Canadians are so nice." They can be nice because they have health care. Because they have a government that cares about them. It doesn't say, "Sink or fucking swim pal, or you live in a box." There are certain people in our society that need to be taken care of. There are people without as many opportunities that need to be helped toward those opportunities. There are people who are sick. You shouldn't have to lose your home because your mother got sick.

I feel that we're all lighthouses, and my job is to shine my light as brightly as I can to the darkness.



Salary (15)