Carrey, Jim 1962–

(James Carrey)

PERSONAL

Full name, James Eugene Carrey; born January 17, 1962, in Jacksons Point (some sources say Newmarket or Toronto), Ontario, Canada; son of Percy (a musician and accountant) and Kathleen (a homemaker) Carrey; married Melissa Womer (an actress), 1986 (some sources cite 1987; divorced 1995); married Lauren Holly (an actress), September 23, 1996 (divorced); children: (first marriage) Jane Erin. Avocational Interests: Alternative rock music, drawing, watching dramatic films, tennis, reading self-help books, painting, sculpting, songwriting.

Addresses: Agent—United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Fifth Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Manager—Werner-Gold-Miller, 4024 Radford Ave., Building 3, Studio City, CA 91604; Mosaic Media Group, 9200 Sunset Blvd., 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Publicist—Marleah Leslie and Associates, 8370 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 210, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Career: Actor, comedian, and writer. Stand-up comedian at various venues in Canada and the United States, beginning in the 1970s, including work as an opening performer for the comedian Rodney Dangerfield. Worked as a janitor and at Titan Wheels (factory), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Member: Screen Actors Guild.

Awards, Honors: MTV Movie Award nomination, best comedic performance, 1994, Blockbuster Entertainment awards, favorite actor—comedy, on video, and favorite male newcomer, on video, and Blimp Award, favorite movie actor, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice awards, all 1995, for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective; MTV Movie awards, best comedic performance and (with Lauren Holly) best kiss, and MTV Movie Award nomination (with Jeff Daniels), best on-screen duo, all 1995, for Dumb and Dumber; ALFS Award, newcomer of the year, London Critics Circle Film awards, 1995, for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask; Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—comedy/musical, and MTV Movie Award nominations, best comedic performance and (with Cameron Diaz) best dance sequence, all 1995, for The Mask; Special Award, comedy star of the year, ShoWest Convention, National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), 1995; named one of the ten most fascinating people of 1995; MTV Movie awards, best male performance and best comedic performance, Blimp Award, favorite movie actor, American Comedy Award nomination, funniest actor in a leading role in a motion picture, and MTV Movie Award nomination (with Sophie Okonedo), best kiss, all 1996, for Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls; MTV Movie Award nomination, best villain, 1996, for Batman Forever; Blimp Award, favorite movie actor, MTV Movie awards, best comedic performance and best villain, and MTV Movie Award nomination (with Matthew Broderick), best fight, all 1997, for The Cable Guy; named one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, Empire magazine, 1997; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, favorite actor—comedy, MTV Movie Award, best comedic performance, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—comedy/musical, and Blimp Award nomination, favorite movie actor, all 1998, for Liar Liar; Showman of the Year Award, 1998; Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—drama, MTV Movie Award, best male performance, Saturn Award nomination, best actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Films, American Comedy Award nomination, funniest actor in a leading role in a motion picture, Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite actor—drama, Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination, best actor, and Blimp Award nomination, favorite movie actor, all 1999, for The Truman Show; American Comedy Award nomination, funniest male guest appearance in a television series, 1999, for "Flip," an episode of The Larry Sanders Show; named one of the 100 greatest entertainers, Entertainment Weekly, 1999; Boston Society of Film Critics Award, best actor, and Toronto Film Critics Association Award nomination, best male performance, both 1999, Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—comedy/musical, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture, comedy, or musical, International Press Academy, American Comedy Award nomination, funniest actor in a leading role in a motion picture, Canadian Comedy Award nomination, film—male performance, MTV Movie Award nomination, best male performance, and Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, best actor, all 2000, all for Man on the Moon; ShoWest Award, male star of the year, 2000; received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2000; Teen Choice Award, wipeout scene of the summer, 2000, Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite actor—comedy/romance, 2001, and MTV Movie Award nomination, best comedic performance, 2001, all for Me, Myself & Irene; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, favorite actor—comedy, MTV Movie Award, best villain, Blimp Award, favorite movie actor, Teen Choice Award, choice hissy fit, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—comedy/musical, Saturn Award nomination, best actor, Canadian Comedy Award nomination, film—pretty funny male performance, and Empire Award nomination, best actor, all 2001, for How the Grinch Stole Christmas; ALFS Award nomination, actor of the year, 2001, for How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Man on the Moon; People's Choice Award, favorite motion picture star in comedy, 2001; Teen Choice Award, choice comedian, 2003; named one of the top ten box office stars of the 1990s, Star TV, 2003; Teen Choice Award, choice movie actor, and Teen Choice Award nomination (with Morgan Freeman), choice movie chemistry, both 2003, Blimp Award, favorite movie actor, 2004, MTV Movie Award (Mexico), most divine miracle, and MTV Movie Award nominations, best comedic performance and (with Jennifer Aniston) best kiss, all 2004, for Bruce Almighty; Teen Choice Award nomination, choice comedian, 2004; named one of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time, Comedy Central, 2004; San Diego Film Critics Society Award, best actor, 2004, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—comedy/musical, Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, best performance by an actor in a leading role, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best actor in a motion picture, comedy or musical, Saturn Award nomination, Empire Award nomination, and Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, all best actor, all 2005, for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Teen Choice Award, choice movie bad guy, Blimp Award nomination, favorite movie actor, MTV Movie Award nomination, best villain, and Teen Choice Award nominations, choice movie actor in an action or adventure film or thriller and choice movie liar, all 2005, for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events; AFI Star Award, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, 2005; People's Choice Award, favorite funny male star, 2005; Teen Choice Award nomination, choice comedian, 2005; MTV Generation Award, 2006.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Bobby Todd, Copper Mountain (short film; also known as Club Med and Copper Mountain: A Club Med Experience), Rose and Ruby Productions, 1983.

Ralph, All In Good Taste, Manesco Films, 1983.

Various characters, The Sex and Violence Family Hour, 1983.

Lane Biddlecoff, Finders Keepers, Warner Bros., 1984.

Mark Kendall, Once Bitten, Samuel Goldwyn, 1985.

Walter Getz, Peggy Sue Got Married, TriStar, 1986.

(As James Carrey) Johnny Squares, The Dead Pool, Warner Bros., 1988.

Lounge entertainer, Pink Cadillac, Warner Bros., 1989.

Wiploc, Earth Girls Are Easy, Vestron Pictures, 1989.

(Uncredited) Death, High Strung (also known as Pissed Off), Summa, 1991.

(As James Carrey) Voice of the exterminator, The Itsy Bitsy Spider (animated short film), Paramount, 1992.

Title role, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Warner Bros., 1994.

Lloyd Christmas, Dumb & Dumber (also known as Dumb Happens), New Line Cinema, 1994.

Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask, The Mask, New Line Cinema, 1994.

Ace Ventura, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (also known as Ace Ventura Goes to Africa), Warner Bros., 1995.

Edward Nygma/The Riddler, Batman Forever (also known as Forever), Warner Bros., 1995.

Title role, The Cable Guy, Columbia/TriStar, 1996.

Fletcher Reede, Liar Liar, Universal, 1997.

The adult Joe Wentworth (the narrator), Simon Birch (also known as Angels and Armadillos, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and A Small Miracle), Buena Vista,1998.

Himself, Junket Whore (documentary), 1998.

Truman Burbank, The Truman Show, Paramount, 1998.

Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton, Man on the Moon (also known as Der Mondmann), Universal, 1999.

Charlie Baileygates/Hank, Me, Myself & Irene, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2000.

The Grinch, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (also known as Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," The Grinch, and Der Grinch), Universal, 2000.

Peter Appleton, The Majestic, Warner Bros., 2001.

Bruce Nolan, Bruce Almighty, Universal, 2003.

The driver, Pecan Pie, Palm Pictures, 2003.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Himself, Pauly Shore Is Dead (also known as You'll Never Wiez in This Town Again), Regent Releasing, 2003, CKrush Entertainment, 2004.

Count Olaf, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (also known as Lemony Snicket-Raetselhafte Ereignisse), Paramount, 2004.

Joel Barish, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Focus Features, 2004.

Dick Harper, Fun with Dick and Jane (also known as Alternative Career), Columbia, 2005.

Walter Sparrow/Fingerling, The Number 23, New Line Cinema, 2006.

Used Guys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2007.

Some sources cite an appearance in The Mask's Revenge, 1996.

Film Producer:

Bruce Almighty, Universal, 2003.

Fun with Dick and Jane (also known as Alternative Career), Columbia, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Skip Tarkenton, The Duck Factory, NBC, 1984. (Also billed as James Carrey) Member of the ensemble, In Living Color, Fox, 1990–94.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

(In archive footage) Himself, Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, Comedy Central, 2004.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Tony Moroni, Introducing … Janet (short; also known as Rubberface), CBC, 1983.

Brad Peterson (one source says Brad Peters), Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All (also known as Murder Takes All), CBS, 1989.

Tim Carter, Doing Time on Maple Drive (also known as Faces in the Mirror), Fox, 1992.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Comic Relief IV, 1991.

Jim Carrey: The Un-Natural Act (also known as Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act), Showtime, 1991.

Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth, HBO, 1991.

The Comedy Store's 20th Birthday NBC, 1992.

Comic Relief V, HBO, 1992.

(In archive footage) Captain Kirk, Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America, HBO, 1993.

A Tribute to Sam Kinison, Fox, 1993.

Himself, Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects, 1994.

Himself, Barbara Walters Presents the 10 Most Fascinating People of 1995 (also known as The Barbara Walters Special), ABC, 1995.

Himself, Comedy Central Spotlight: Jim Carrey, Comedy Central, 1995.

A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman, NBC, 1995.

Riddle Me This: Why Is Batman Forever?, ABC, 1995.

Canned Ham: The Cable Guy, Comedy Central, 1996.

Performer, In My Life, Bravo, 1998.

AFI's 100 Years … 100 Stars (documentary), CBS, 1999.

Andy Kaufman's Really Big Show, Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (also known as AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs), CBS, 2000.

Canned Ham: Me, Myself & Irene, Comedy Central, 2000.

America: A Tribute to Heroes, multiple channels, 2001.

The Concert for New York City, VH1, 2001.

(In archive footage) Himself and various characters, Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell, NBC, 2002.

Before The Were Stars!, ABC, 2002.

Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion, Arts and Entertainment, 2002.

Himself, John Ritter Remembered (documentary), VH1, c. 2004.

A Look inside "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," 2004.

The 50 Greatest Comedy Films, Channel 4 (England), 2006.

Also appeared in specials broadcast on MTV.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, 1995 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1995.

Presenter, The Ninth Annual American Comedy Awards, 1995.

A Salute to Steven Spielberg (also known as The AFI Salute to Steven Spielberg, The American Film Institute Salute to Steven Spielberg, and The 23rd American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Steven Spielberg), NBC, 1995.

Host, A Salute to Clint Eastwood (also known as The AFI Salute to Clint Eastwood, The American Film Institute Salute to Clint Eastwood, and The 24th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Clint Eastwood), ABC, 1996.

Presenter, The 68th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1996.

The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, 1996.

Presenter, The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997.

The VH1 1997 Fashion Awards (also known as VH1 97 Fashion Awards), VH1, 1997.

The 1998 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1998.

The 24th Annual People's Choice Awards, 1998.

Presenter, The 71st Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1999.

The 1999 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1999.

Presenter, The 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV, 2000.

2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Fox, 2000.

The 2000 Teen Choice Awards, Fox, 2000.

Presenter, The VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, 2001.

The 2001 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2001.

Presenter, Hollywood Salutes Nicolas Cage: An American Cinematheque Tribute, TNT, 2002.

(In archive footage) Himself, The Award Show Awards Show, Trio, 2003.

Himself, E! Entertainer of the Year, E! Entertainment Television, 2003.

Surprise guest, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards '03 (also known as Nickelodeon 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards), Nickelodeon, 2003.

The 2003 Teen Choice Awards (also known as The Teen Choice Awards 2003), Fox, 2003.

Presenter, AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Meryl Streep (also known as AFI Tribute to Meryl Streep), USA Network, 2004.

Presenter, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards '04 (also known as Nickelodeon 17th Annual Kids' Choice Awards), Nickelodeon, 2004.

Presenter, The 76th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2004.

Presenter, The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 2004.

The 30th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 2004.

Presenter, The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 2005.

Presenter, The 2005 Teen Choice Awards, Fox, 2005.

Presenter, Moving Image Salutes Ron Howard, Bravo, 2006.

2006 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2006.

Also appeared as cohost, YTV Awards Show, YTV (Canada), 1980s.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Gang member, "Fonzie the Flatfoot," Happy Days (also known as Happy Days Again), ABC, 1975.

An Evening at the Improv, syndicated, 1982.

(Uncredited) Jerry Lewis impersonator, "Jerry Lewis Week," Buffalo Bill, NBC, 1984.

The Bob Monkhouse Show, 1986.

Himself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (also known as The Best of Carson), NBC, multiple episodes in 1991.

Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1991.

The Dennis Miller Show, syndicated, 1992.

Himself, "Fame," Dennis Miller Live, HBO, 1994.

"The Mask," Space Ghost Coast to Coast (live action and animated; also known as SGC2C), Cartoon Network, 1994.

Howard Stern (also known as The Howard Stern Radio Show), E! Entertainment Television, 1994, multiple episodes in 2003.

The Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show and Late Show Backstage), CBS, multiple episodes in 1994, 1999, 2003, multiple episodes in 2004, 2005.

"Le livre d'histoire," Space Ghost Coast to Coast (live action and animated; also known as SGC2C), Cartoon Network, 1995.

Showbiz Today, Cable News Network, multiple episodes in 1995.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 1995, 2003.

Himself, "Jim Carrey: The Joker's Wild," Biography (also known as A & E Biography: Jim Carrey), Arts and Entertainment, 1996.

Voice of himself, "A Comedy of Eras," The Mask (animated), CBS, 1996.

Guest host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's "Saturday Night," Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1996.

Himself, Life and Death of Sam Kinison: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1996.

Himself, "Flip," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1998.

Himself, "Rodney Dangerfield: Respect at Last," Biography (also known as A & E Biography: Rodney Dangerfield), Arts and Entertainment, 1998.

The Entertainment Business (also known as Bravo Profiles), Bravo, 1998.

Himself, The Oprah Winfrey Show, syndicated, 1998, multiple episodes in 2003 and 2004, 2005.

Himself, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 1999.

"Nicolas Cage: Wild at Heart," Biography (also known as A & E Biography: Nicolas Cage), Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

E! Celebrity Profile (also known as Celebrity Profile), E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Himself, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005.

Himself, "The Films of Milos Forman," The Directors, Encore, c. 2000.

Himself, "Jim Carrey: Somebody Stop Me," Life and Times, CBC, 2000.

Himself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 2000, 2001.

Himself, "The Comedy Store," The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2001.

Himself, "The Majestic," HBO First Look, HBO, 2001.

Himself, The Charlie Rose Show (also known as Charlie Rose), PBS, 2001.

Himself, Supermarket Sweep, PAX TV, 2002.

Himself, "Jim Carrey," Revealed with Jules Asner, E! Entertainment Television, 2003.

(In archive footage) Himself, Celebrities Uncensored, E! Entertainment Television, multiple episodes in 2003.

Himself, Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2003.

(In archive footage) Himself, Entertainment Tonight (also known as Entertainment This Week, E.T., ET Weekend, and This Week in Entertainment), syndicated, 2003.

Himself, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, BBC, 2003.

Himself, Richard & Judy, Channel 4 (England), 2003.

(Uncredited) Himself, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's "Saturday Night," Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 2003.

(In archive footage) Himself, "68: Box Office Hit to Box Office Flop," 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops (also known as E's "101"), E! Entertainment Television, 2004.

(In archive footage) Himself, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 2004.

Himself, Live with Regis and Kelly, syndicated, 2004.

Himself, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, syndicated, 2004.

Himself, T4, Channel 4, 2004.

Himself, Tinseltown TV(also known as Tinseltown.TV), International Channel, 2004.

Himself, Total Request Live (also known as TRL and Total Request with Carson Daly), MTV, 2004.

Himself, The Wayne Brady Show, syndicated, 2004.

Himself, Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (also known as Ellen and The Ellen DeGeneres Show), syndicated, 2004, 2005.

Himself, GMTV, Independent Television, multiple episodes in 2004 and 2006.

Himself, "Lemony Snicket's," Only in LA, 2005.

Himself, The Early Show (also known as The Saturday Early Show), CBS, 2005.

Himself, Entertainment Tonight (also known as Entertainment This Week, E.T., ET Weekend, and This Week in Entertainment), syndicated, 2005.

Himself, Extra (also known as Extra: the Entertainment Magazine), syndicated, 2005.

Himself, The Film Programme (also known as Film 2005, BBC, 2005.

Himself, The Insider, syndicated, 2005.

Himself, Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 2005.

(In archive footage) Truman, Cinema mil, Televisio de Catalunya (TV3, Spain), 2005.

Himself, The Film Programme (also known as Film 2006), BBC, 2006.

Appeared in episodes of other series, including "The Films of Frank Darabont," The Directors, Encore; in Movie House, MTV; and in Sesame Street (also known as Canadian Sesame Street, The New Sesame Street, Open Sesame, and Sesame Park), PBS and CBC. Some sources cite appearances in episodes of other series, including The Brady Bunch (also known as The Brady Brood), ABC.

Television Work; Series:

Additional voices, The All-Night Show, [Canada], beginning c. 1980.

Character creator, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (animated), CBS and Nickelodeon, 1995–99.

Television Producer; Specials:

Jim Carrey: The Un-Natural Act (also known as Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act), Showtime, 1991.

Radio Appearances; Episodic:

Howard Stern (also known as The Howard Stern Radio Show), E! Entertainment Television, 1994, multiple episodes in 2003.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Liar Liar: Bridging the Comedy Chasm, Universal Studios Home Video, 1999.

(In archive footage) Playboy: Playmate Pajama Party, 1999.

Man on the Moon: Behind the Moonlight (also known as Spotlight on Location: Man on the Moon), Universal Studios Home Video, 2000.

(In archive footage) Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians, 2001.

(In archive footage) Christmas from Hollywood, Koch Vision, 2003.

(In archive footage) The driver in the segment Pecan Pie, The Work of Director Michel Gondry 2003.

(In archive footage) Cartoon Logic, New Line Home Video, 2005.

(In archive footage) How's It Going to End? The Making of "The Truman Show," Paramount, 2005.

Inside the Mind of Michel Gondry, Alliance Atlantis, 2005.

Introducing Cameron Diaz, New Line Home Video, 2005.

(In archive footage) Return to Edge City, New Line Home Video, 2005.

(In archive footage) Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight—Reinventing a Hero, 2005.

Still Dumb after All These Years, New Line Home Video, 2006.

Video Games:

Voice of Count Olaf, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Activision, 2004.

Albums; with Others:

"I Am the Walrus," In My Life, Geffen, 1998.

Singles:

"Cuban Pete," 1994.

"Somebody to Love," 1996.

Music Videos:

"Cuban Pete," 1994.

"Somebody to Love," 1996.

Foo Fighters, "There's Nothing Left to Lose," c. 1999.

WRITINGS

Screenplays; with Others:

(Idea for film) Pink Cadillac, Warner Bros., 1989.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Warner Bros., 1994.

(Material for characters) Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (also known as Ace Ventura Goes to Africa), Warner Bros., 1995.

Teleplays; with Others; Series:

(As James Carrey) In Living Color, Fox, 1990–94.

Teleplays; Specials:

Jim Carrey: The Un-Natural Act (also known as Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act), Showtime, 1991.

Writings for Videos; with Others:

Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians, 2001.

Nonfiction:

Featured in Andy Lipschultz's book How the Grinch Stole Hollywood: The Making of the Movie Starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch, Random House, 2000.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Knelman, Martin, Jim Carrey: The Joker Is Wild, Firefly Books, 2000.

Newsmakers 1995, Gale, 1995.

Siegel, Scott, and Barbara Siegel, The Jim Carrey Scrap-book, Carol Publishing Group, 1995.

Trakin, Roy, Jim Carrey: Unmasked!, St. Martin's Press, 1995.

Periodicals:

Blunt Review, December, 2000, p. 2.

Empire, October, 1997.

Entertainment Weekly, June 5, 1998, pp. 24-30; November 1, 1999, p. 124; June 23, 2000, pp. 28-34.

Film Review, March, 2000, pp. 71-73.

Film Threat, December 21, 2003.

Flicks, October, 1998, pp. 28-29.

Hollywood Reporter, June 15, 1999, pp. 23-30.

Maclean's, April 9, 1984, pp. 58-59.

Movieline, January, 1995, p. 83; May, 1998, pp. 48-53, 86-87; December, 2001, pp. 64, 66.

Newsweek, July 25, 1994, pp. 50-51.

New Yorker, December 17, 2001, pp. 48-61.

People Weekly, June 29, 1998, p. 117; June 26, 2000; July 10, 2000, p. 164.

Premiere, March, 1997, pp. 62-69, 100.

Starlog, September, 1995.

TV Guide, November 18, 2000, pp. 14-22.

USA Weekend, May 23, 2003, pp. 6-7.

Vanity Fair, November, 1999, pp. 236-41, 292-95.

Variety, August 24, 1998, pp. S3-S5.

Woman's World, June 22, 1999, pp. 16-17.

CARREY, Jim

Nationality: Canadian. Born: James Eugene Carrey in Jacksons Point (some sources say Newmarket), Ontario, Canada, 17 January 1962, Family: Married 1) Melissa Womer (an actress), 1986 (divorced, 1995); 2) Lauren Holly (an actress), September 23, 1996 (divorced, 1997); children: (first marriage) Jane. Career: Titan Wheels (factory), Toronto, Ontario, laborer, c. 1978; performed in comedy clubs in Toronto, Canada, 1977–81; moved to Los Angeles to work clubs, 1981; appeared on a television special with Rich Little; played Skip Tarkenton, The Duck Factory TV show, 1984; ensemble member, In Living Color weekly comedy variety television show, 1990; writer, for In Living Color, 1990–94; voice of Exterminator, Itsy Bitsy Spider, USA Network, 1993. Awards: MTV Movie Award, best comedic performance, 1994, for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective; MTV Movie Award, best comedic performance, 1996, for Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls; MTV Movie Award, best comedic performance, 1997, for The Cable Guy; Showman of the Year Award, 1998; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, favorite actor-comedy, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture-comedy/musical, and MTV Movie Award, best comedic performance, all 1998, for Liar Liar; Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture-drama, 1999, for The Truman Show; Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture-drama, 2000, for Man on the Moon; ShoWest Award, for Male Star of the Year, 2000. Address: United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Boulevard, 5th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212–2401, U.S.A.

Films as Actor:

1983

All in Good Taste (Kramreither); Copper Mountain (Mitchell) (as Bobby Todd); Introducing . . . Janet (Rubberface) (Salzman and Yates) (as Tony Moroni)

1984

Finders Keepers (Lester) (as Lane Biddlecoff)

1985

Once Bitten (Storm) (as Mark Kendall)

1986

Peggy Sue Got Married (Coppola) (as Walter Getz)

1988

The Dead Pool (Van Horn) (as Johnny Squares) (credited as James Carrey)

1989

Pink Cadillac (Van Horn) (as Lounge entertainer) (credited as James Carrey); Earth Girls Are Easy (Temple) (as Wiploc); Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All (Nicolella—for TV) (as Brad Peters)

1991

High Strung (Nygard) (as Death [uncredited])

1992

Doing Time on Maple Drive (Olin—for TV) (as Tim)

1994

Dumb and Dumber (Farrelly) (as Lloyd Christmas); The Mask (Russell) (as Stanley Ipkiss and The Mask); Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Shadyac) (as Ace Ventura, + co-sc)

1995

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (Oedekerk) (as Ace Ventura); Batman Forever, (Schumacher) (as The Riddler/Edward Nygma)

1996

The Cable Guy (Stiller) (as Chip Douglas)

1997

Liar Liar (Shadyac) (as Fletcher Reede)

1998

Simon Birch (Johnson) (as Adult Joe Wentworth); The Truman Show (Weir) (as Truman Burbank)

1999

Man on the Moon (Forman) (as Andy Kaufman)

2000

Me, Myself and Irene (Farrelly and Farrelly) (as Charlie Baileygates and Hank); How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Howard) (as The Grinch)

Publications

On CARREY: articles—

Corliss, Richard, "World's Only Living Toon," in Time, 8 August 1994.

McGregor, A., "Carrey on Laughing," in Time Out (London), no. 1250, 3 August 1994.

Zarebski, Konrad J., "Nasi najdrozsi," in Kino (Warsaw), vol. 29, no. 333, March 1995.

Schruers, Fred, "Jim Carrey," in Rolling Stone, 13–27 July 1995.

Everschor, Franz, "Jim Carrey: Superstar," in Film Dienst (Cologne), vol. 48, no. 16, 1 August 1995.

Salminen, Kari, "Sopimattomasti somaatinen," in Filmihullu (Helsinki), no. 4–5, 1997.

Grobel, L., "The True Man: Jim Carrey," in Movieline (Escondido), May 1998.

Corliss, Richard, "Smile! Your Life's On TV," in Time, 1 June 1998.

Smith, C., "Do Not Adjust Your Set," in New York Magazine, vol. 31, 1 June 1998.

Maslin, Janet, "Exploring the Outer Limits of an Odd Comedic Universe," in New York Times, 22 December 1999.

Ansen, David, "Man on the Moon," in Newsweek, 16 December 1999.

Schickel, Richard, "A Paean to a Pop Postmodernist," in Time, 31 December 1999.

Jim Carrey combined the rubber-faced rubber-boned antics of a Jerry Lewis with the zany improvisational style of a Robin Williams (with a heavy dash of Williams's acting ability thrown in) to make some of the most successful and entertaining comedies of the 1990s and to launch him into the superstar stratosphere—Carrey becoming the first actor to break the $20-million-per-film wage barrier.

His beginnings could not have been humbler. His father, a professional musician, sold his saxophone to pay his wife's hospital bills, and at various points the family lived in a Volkswagen camper and in a tent. After years as the resident white guy on television's enormously popular In Living Color, he took on the serious role of a son with a drinking problem in the television movie Doing Time on Maple Street (1992). But what launched him into superstar status were the three comedies he made in 1994: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb & Dumber, with a combined global box office draw of $550 million. In Ace Ventura, Carrey cuts loose as the bizarre pet detective designed to make outrageous fun of leading men. In The Mask he plays an average guy given superhuman powers by an ancient Norse mask, and although the (literally) eye-popping special effects based on classic Tex Avery cartoons were supplied by Industrial Light & Magic, as Richard Corliss in Time said "Carrey doesn't need any cybernetics or silicon to rubberize his limbs. He is his own best special effect, the first star who is a live-action toon." Dumb & Dumber was an over-the-top slob comedy in the same vein as the Farrelly brother's subsequent There's Something about Mary. But even in Dumb & Dumber, there's a scene where his character stares out a window and says, "You know what I'm sick and tired of? I'm sick and tired of having to eke my way through life," and the audience really feels for the guy.

After Batman Forever and the Ace Ventura sequel (both 1995), Carrey became the $20 million man with The Cable Guy (1996), where his performance was evidently a little too dark for most audiences. The movie's failure caused Hollywood to question actors' soaring salaries, but not before Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and other superstars demanded higher pay (Carrey has subsequently agreed to work for less). Liar Liar (1997) put Carrey back on top with one of his best performances, as an attorney forced to tell the truth for 24 hours because of a birthday wish his son made. Carrey's performance is reminiscent of Steve Martin's in All of Me, except instead of fighting Lily Tomlin's soul occupying half his body, he's fighting this birthday wish, making the wish seem completely tangible in the process. The movie finds clever variations on a potentially repetitive theme (a la Groundhog Day), with his backed-into-a-corner lawyer finally forced to win a case by actually using his brain instead of his usual bag of knee-jerk, lawyerly tricks. And Carrey's a good enough actor to make you believe the "I love my son" ending.

The Truman Show (1998) was considered by most to be Carrey's breakthrough performance. In it, he plays Truman Burbank, the unwitting star of a 24-hour-a-day real-life drama unfolding on the world's largest movie set. As an "everyman," Carrey acts without his manic side, in what Corliss called "a performance of profound charm, innocence, vulnerability and pain." Many predicted Carrey would win an Oscar for his performance, but the award eluded him. Similar predictions for an Oscar returned when critics saw Carrey's uncanny performance of Andy Kaufman in Milos Forman's Man on the Moon (1999). Many felt he was again snubbed when Carrey did not win the Oscar. Kaufman, the groundbreaking comedian/performance artist who died in 1984, was one of Carrey's inspirations, and in the film Carrey throws himself into each of Kaufman's diverse personae—the wide-eyed Foreign Man, the sneering wrestler of women, the obnoxious Tony Clifton—with such conviction that those who actually knew Kaufman were completely spooked. Janet Maslin in the New York Times called Carrey's performance "an electrifying homage," while Newsweek claimed, "Jim Carrey may be a better Andy Kaufman than Andy Kaufman was," and Time said it was very possibly the best work Carrey had ever done. Should Academy members ever finally realize that great comedic talent is as rare as great dramatic talent, perhaps Carrey will one day get his due, but in the meantime at least he should be happy with the compensation.

—Bob Sullivan