Jim Carrey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Carrey
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Carrey in December 2008
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James Eugene Carrey
January 17, 1962 Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
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| Years active | 1977–present |
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| Partner(s) | Jenny McCarthy (2005–2010) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
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James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He is famous for his energetic and funny performances, especially his slapstick comedy. Slapstick comedy uses exaggerated physical actions for humor. Jim Carrey became well-known in the 1990s and has starred in many popular movies.
He started his career doing stand-up comedy and acting in TV shows. Later, he became a huge movie star. He is also known for taking on serious roles, showing his talent beyond just comedy.
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Jim Carrey: Early Life and First Steps
Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. His mother, Kathleen, was a homemaker, and his father, Percy, was a musician and accountant. He grew up with three older siblings. His family had roots in France, Ireland, and Scotland.
When he was eight, Jim started making funny faces in the mirror. He found out he was good at doing impressions of other people. At ten, he wrote to Carol Burnett, a famous comedian, saying he was already a master of impressions. He was very happy to get a reply.
Facing Challenges and Finding His Path
Jim's family faced tough times financially. For a while, they even lived in a Volkswagen van. Jim and his brother sometimes lived in a tent by Lake Ontario. His family's situation improved when his father found a job at a tire factory.
Jim and his brother also worked as janitors and security guards at the factory. They worked eight-hour shifts at night. Jim attended high school but left when he was sixteen. He started performing comedy in Toronto while still working at the factory.
Jim once said that if his acting career didn't work out, he might have worked at a steel mill. He could see the steel mills from his home and thought they offered good jobs.
Becoming a Comedy Star
Jim Carrey's first time doing stand-up comedy was in 1977. He was only 15 years old. His father helped him put together an act and drove him to a comedy club in Toronto. His first performance didn't go well, and he felt unsure about his future.
However, his family's money problems got better, and Jim returned to the stage in 1979. This time, his act was much better. He got his first paid job, earning $20 for a 20-minute show. Soon, he became a regular at Yuk Yuk's, a famous comedy club.
Breaking into TV and Movies
Jim tried out for Saturday Night Live several times but wasn't chosen. Despite this, he kept working on his comedy. In 1981, a newspaper called the Toronto Star wrote a great review about his act. This helped him become well-known across Canada.
He also got his first acting role in a TV movie called Introducing... Janet. In the early 1980s, he moved to Hollywood. There, he performed at famous comedy clubs. He also got a main role in a TV show called The Duck Factory.
Jim Carrey also started getting roles in movies. He appeared in Finders Keepers and Once Bitten. From 1990 to 1994, he was a regular on the TV comedy series In Living Color. This show helped him get his first big movie roles.
Rise to Fame: Blockbuster Hits
In 1994, Jim Carrey starred in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. This movie was a huge success. After that, he starred in The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, both released in 1994. These movies made him a global star.
The Mask earned over $351 million worldwide. Dumb and Dumber also made over $270 million. Because of this success, Jim Carrey became the first comedy actor to earn $20 million upfront for a movie. This started with The Cable Guy in 1996.
He continued to star in popular comedies like Liar Liar (1997). In this film, he played a lawyer who couldn't lie. Critics praised his performance, and he earned a Golden Globe nomination.
Serious Roles and More Success
In 1998, Jim Carrey took on a different kind of role in The Truman Show. He played Truman Burbank, a man whose entire life is a TV show. This movie was highly praised and showed his talent for dramatic acting. He won a Golden Globe Award for this role.
The next year, he played comedian Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999). He received another Golden Globe for this performance. These roles proved he could do more than just comedy.
More Popular Movies
In 2000, Jim Carrey worked with the directors of Dumb and Dumber again for Me, Myself & Irene. He played a state trooper with multiple personalities. That same year, he starred as the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This movie became one of the highest-grossing Christmas films ever.
He then starred with Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty (2003). Jim played a TV newsman who gets God's powers. The movie was a big financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide.
In 2004, Jim Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This film was highly praised by critics. His performance was called his "best, most mature" work. He received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award nomination.
Voice Acting and Later Films
Jim Carrey also starred in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004). He played the villain, Count Olaf. Critics liked how he brought his unique style to the character. In 2008, he voiced Horton the Elephant in the animated movie Horton Hears a Who!, which was a box office hit.
He returned to live-action comedy in Yes Man (2008). In this movie, he played a man who learns to say yes to everything. The film earned $225 million worldwide.
Since 2009, Jim Carrey has appeared in fewer films. He played multiple characters in Disney's animated A Christmas Carol (2009). He also starred in Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011).
In 2014, he returned for the sequel Dumb and Dumber To. He also played Doctor Eggman in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, starting in 2020. His role as Dr. Robotnik was very popular. He returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 2022, which had the best opening weekend of his career. He is also set to appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Other Creative Work
In March 2013, Jim Carrey announced he had written a children's book. It is called How Roland Rolls and is about a scared wave. He described it as a "metaphysical children's story."
Jim Carrey has also shown his talent for art. In 2017, he released a short film called I Needed Color. This film showed him working in his art studio. Later that year, a documentary called Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond was released. It showed how he stayed in character as Andy Kaufman during the filming of Man on the Moon.
In 2020, Carrey published a book called Memoirs and Misinformation. He also appeared as the narrator on the Weeknd's album Dawn FM in 2022.
Personal Life
Jim Carrey became a U.S. citizen in 2004. He is a dual citizen of both the United States and Canada. He owns several properties in Los Angeles.
In 1987, Jim Carrey married Melissa Womer. They had a daughter named Jane Erin Carrey. They later divorced in 1995. In 1996, he married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly. This marriage lasted less than a year.
Jim Carrey has faced challenges with his mood at times. He has spoken about learning ways to feel better without medicine. He also practices Transcendental Meditation.
Awards and nominations
Filmography
Discography
Singles
- "Cuban Pete" (1995) – AUS No. 88, UK No. 31
- "Somebody to Love" (1996) – AUS No. 62
- "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)
Images for kids
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Jim Carrey's signature
See also
In Spanish: Jim Carrey para niños
