Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian who has appeared in various feature films, television films/series, along with one video game appearance. He is one of the top-50 highest-grossing actors of all time at the North American box office, with over $2.5 billion total gross and an average of $94.3 million per film. [1] He has been involved with thirteen films that grossed over $250 million at the worldwide box office; the highest-grossing film being Bruce Almighty . [2] Carrey gained his first lead role on the short-lived television series The Duck Factory in 1984, playing a young cartoonist. His first starring role in film was the 1985 comedy horror Once Bitten , with Lauren Hutton as a vampire countess and Carrey playing her victim. He landed supporting roles in films, such as Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), The Dead Pool (1988) and Earth Girls Are Easy (also 1988). In 1990, Carrey received his commercial breakthrough on Fox's In Living Color (1990–1994), where he displayed his character work.
In 1994, Carrey's breakthrough came when he landed the leading role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , in which he played a goof-ball detective specialized in crimes involving animals. The film would go on to earn over $72 million at the box office. [3] He went on to star in the sequel Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls in 1995. In 1994, he starred in two commercial successes: The Mask with Cameron Diaz, and Dumb and Dumber with Jeff Daniels. The films ended up grossing $120 million and $127 million, respectively, and established Carrey as a star. [4] [5] Other 1990s films he starred in included Batman Forever (1995), The Cable Guy (1996) and Liar Liar (1997).
In 1998, he gained critical acclaim in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show , in which he played Truman Burbank, a man whose life was, unbeknownst to him, a top-rating reality television show. The film was highly praised and led many to believe he would be nominated for an Oscar, but instead he picked up his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. [6] In 2000, he returned to comedy reteaming with the Farrelly brothers for Me, Myself & Irene , it received mixed reviews but enjoyed box office success. [7] [8] That same year, Carrey also appeared in How the Grinch Stole Christmas . [9]
Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac's 2003 comedy Bruce Almighty , portraying a television newsman who unexpectedly receives God's omnipotent abilities. It remains his most financially successful film to date. [10] In 2004, he took a role in the critically lauded art-house film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michael Gondry. [11] He received his fourth Golden Globe Award nomination, and was also nominated for his first BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In the 2010s and 2020s, he played Sal Bertolinni / Colonel Stars and Stripes in the black comedy superhero film Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To (2014), and the villain Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | The All-Night Show | Additional voices | Television film | |
1981 | Rubberface | Tony Moroni | ||
1983 | Copper Mountain | Bobby Todd | ||
1984 | Buffalo Bill | Jerry Lewis Impersonator | Episode: "Jerry Lewis Week" | |
The Duck Factory | Skip Tarkenton | 13 episodes | ||
1989 | Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All | Brad Peters | Television film | |
1990–1994 | In Living Color | Fire Marshall Bill, various roles | 125 episodes; credited as James Carrey | |
1991 | Jim Carrey: The Un-Natural Act | Himself | Stand-up special; also producer and writer | |
1992 | Doing Time on Maple Drive | Tim Carter | Television film | |
Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: "3023" | ||
1996, 2011, 2014 | Saturday Night Live | Host; 3 episodes | ||
1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Episode: "Flip" | ||
2011 | The Office | The FingerLakes Guy | Episode: "Search Committee" | |
2012 | 30 Rock | Dave Williams | Episode: "Leap Day" | |
2015 | Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special | Himself / Matthew McConaughey | ||
2017–2018 | I'm Dying Up Here | — | Executive producer only | |
2018–2020 | Kidding | Jeff Piccirillo / Jeff Pickles | 20 episodes; also executive producer | |
2020 | Saturday Night Live | Joe Biden | 6 episodes |
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects | Himself | |
1995 | A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman | ||
1995 | Jim Carrey Spotlight | ||
1998 | Junket Whore | ||
In My Life | |||
1999 | Pesel Ha'Zahav | ||
AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars: America's Greatest Screen Legends | |||
2000 | Jim Carrey Uncensored | ||
2001 | America: A Tribute to Heroes | ||
The Concert for New York City | |||
2009 | Under the Sea 3D | Narrator | |
2011 | Conan O'Brien Can't Stop | ||
The Love We Make | |||
2015 | Rubble Kings | Producer only | |
2017 | Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond | Himself | |
2018 | The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling |
Year | Artist | Song | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Tone Loc | "Ace Is In The House" | Appears in scenes of the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective | [15] |
1994 | Jim Carrey | "Cuban Pete (C&C Pop Radio Edit)" | Appears in scenes of the movie The Mask | |
1995 | Seal | "Kiss from a Rose" | Appears in scenes of the movie Batman Forever | [16] |
1999 | R.E.M. | "The Great Beyond" | Appears in scenes of the movie Man on the Moon | |
2000 | Foo Fighters | "Breakout" | Appears in scenes of the movie Me, Myself & Irene | |
2022 | Kid Cudi | "Stars in the Sky" | Appears in scenes of the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | |
2022 | The Weeknd | "Out of Time" | [17] |
Year | Title | Voice role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Count Olaf | [18] |
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Presidential Reunion | Ronald Reagan | [19] |
James Eugene Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian primarily known for his energetic slapstick performances. After spending the 1980s honing his comedy act and playing supporting roles in films, Carrey gained recognition when he was cast in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a film star after starring in a string of box office hits, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and Batman Forever. 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 with The Cable Guy (1996).
The Truman Show is a 1998 American psychological drama film written and co-produced by Andrew Niccol, and directed by Peter Weir. The film depicts the story of Truman Burbank, a man who is unaware that he is living his entire life on a colossal soundstage, and that it is being filmed and broadcast as a reality television show which has a huge international following. All of his friends, family and members of his community are paid actors whose job it is to sustain the illusion and keep Truman unaware about the false world he inhabits.
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God that he is not doing his job correctly and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. It co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall and Catherine Bell. The film is Shadyac and Carrey's third collaboration, after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Liar Liar (1997).
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film starring Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, an animal detective who is tasked with finding the abducted dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team. The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, who wrote the screenplay with Jack Bernstein and Carrey. The film co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young, and then–Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and features a cameo appearance from death metal band Cannibal Corpse.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is a 1995 American detective comedy film and the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and the second installment of the Ace Ventura franchise. Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame and captive animals, and has been summoned to Africa to locate a missing bat. Ian McNeice, Simon Callow, and Sophie Okonedo co-star. Tommy Davidson, who co-starred with Carrey on the show In Living Color, makes a cameo appearance in the film.
Liar Liar is a 1997 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth for a single day, during which he struggles to maintain his career and to reconcile with his ex-wife and son whom he alienated with his pathological lying.
Dumb and Dumber is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the Dumb and Dumber franchise. Starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, it tells the story of Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), two dumb but well-meaning friends from Providence, Rhode Island, who set out on a cross-country road trip to Aspen, Colorado, to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, thinking it was abandoned as a mistake, though it was actually left as a ransom. Lauren Holly, Karen Duffy, Mike Starr, Charles Rocket, and Teri Garr play supporting roles.
The Cable Guy is a 1996 American satirical black comedy thriller film directed by Ben Stiller and written by Lou Holtz Jr. It stars Jim Carrey as an eccentric cable installer who becomes overly intrusive in the life of a customer ; Leslie Mann, George Segal, Diane Baker and Jack Black appear in supporting roles. It was released in the United States on June 14, 1996.
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd is a 2003 American buddy comedy film directed by Troy Miller from a screenplay by Miller and Robert Brener. It is the second installment in the Dumb and Dumber franchise and a prequel to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. Depicting the original film's characters during their high school years, it stars Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen in the title roles. The film was a moderate box office success but was panned by critics, who compared it unfavorably with the original.
Steven Brent Oedekerk is an American filmmaker, actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, and The Nutty Professor remake. His film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was nominated for an Academy Award.
The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film directed by Chuck Russell and produced by Bob Engelman from a screenplay by Mike Werb and a story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden. It is the first film in the Mask franchise, based on the comic book series of the same name by Mike Richardson, published by Dark Horse Comics. It stars Jim Carrey in the title role along with Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz in her film debut. Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, an ordinary man who finds a magical wooden mask that transforms him into the titular green-faced troublemaker who can cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. Filming began on August 30, 1993, and concluded in October 1993.
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 2005 American crime comedy film directed by Dean Parisot from a screenplay by Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller. A remake of the 1977 film of the same name, the film stars Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni as a married, middle-class couple who, after the husband's employer goes bankrupt, struggle to maintain jobs before eventually resorting to robberies. Alec Baldwin and Richard Jenkins also star, and James Whitmore appears in an uncredited cameo in one of his final roles.
Yes Man is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul, and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey and co-starring Zooey Deschanel. The film is based loosely on the 2005 memoir of the same name by the British humorist Danny Wallace, who also makes a cameo appearance in the film.
Brad Krevoy is a film producer, entrepreneur, and founder and chairman/CEO of the Motion Picture Corporation of America. Over his 37-year career, Krevoy has been involved in the production and distribution of more than 250 film and television projects, most notably Dumb and Dumber, and Christmas-themed entertainment, including the A Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch trilogies, as well as Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish.
The Ace Ventura franchise, originally created by Jack Bernstein, consists of American detective-comedies, with two theatrical films, one made-for-television film, and one animated television series. The overall story follows the criminal investigations of the titular and comedic pet detective.
Dumb and Dumber To is a 2014 American buddy comedy film co-written and directed by the Farrelly brothers. It is the third film in the Dumb and Dumber franchise and a sequel to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. The film stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprising their roles 20 years after the events of the first film as well as Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Rachel Melvin, and Kathleen Turner. The film tells the story of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, two dimwitted friends who set out on a cross-country road trip to locate Harry's daughter, who has been adopted.
Dumb and Dumber is a series of comedy films starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. The films have been released from 1994 to 2014.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series. The first in the Sonic film series, it was directed by Jeff Fowler, written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, and stars James Marsden and Jim Carrey. Ben Schwartz voices Sonic, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who runs at supersonic speeds and teams up with a town sheriff to stop the mad scientist Dr. Ivo Robotnik.
Bohdan Tůma is a Czech actor and voice actor. He is one of the most famous actors in the dubbing industry of Czech Republic, being the main voice actor for Jack Black, Jim Carrey and Denzel Washington.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series. The second in the Sonic film series, it was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington. Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Jim Carrey reprise their roles, with Idris Elba joining the cast. In the film, Sonic and Tails must find the Master Emerald before their nemesis Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his partner Knuckles.