Czech Film and Television Academy forced to admit they were dumb and dumber for failing to identify hoaxer at the annual Czech Lion ceremony

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Jim Carrey has built a career from shape-shifting, impersonations and putting on silly voices – the actor’s first film was called Rubberface.

But even Carrey was surprised to find out that a joker impersonating him gained access to the Czech Republic’s most prestigious film awards the night before the Oscars.

Suited and booted and bearing only a passing resemblance to the Canadian actor, the hoaxer managed to fool officials into allowing him on to stage at the Česky Lev (Czech Lion) awards in Prague, where he was showered in confetti.

The day after the main ceremony, members of the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) continued to insist their guest was indeed Carrey – star of hit comedies The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and alternate reality drama, The Truman Show – even as movie-goers pointed out their mistake.

“Of course the real Jim Carrey was on the stage. I knew that he would come but I did not know what he would do there,” award host Lucie Vyborna told the Blesk Prague newspaper, who later identified the hoaxer as Hari Zinhasovic.

Eventually, the academy issued a statement admitting the joke was on them. “We were the victims of an elaborate hoax,” said the CFTA about the incident.

“We communicated with the supposed Hollywood actor’s agents and he came with bodyguards and an interpreter so it all appeared very professional with nothing suggesting it was a hoax.”

“MY SPIRIT WILL NOT BE IGNORED,” tweeted the real Carrey about the mix-up.