After watching Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber in 1994, fans of the film industry were convinced that Jim Carrey was the hottest new comedy genius in town. The actor is singlehandedly responsible for some of the most hilarious memories from a lot of people’s childhoods. It’s safe to say his personality, both on-screen and off-screen, revolutionized the comedy genre.
However, lately, things haven’t been looking too good for Jim Carrey. After 2016, the actor has only been a part of three movies, courtesy of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. There was a time when he wanted to be just like Tom Hanks, who has managed to adapt so well with the ever-changing times in the film industry. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out like he had imagined they would.
Jim Carrey Wanted to Follow Tom Hanks’ Footsteps
In a 2001 interview with FilmThreat, Jim Carrey opened up about the inevitable phenomenon of aging in Hollywood. He hoped to be “brave and dignified” about the whole process and to stay true to himself.
“I hope I can be brave about ageing and dignified about it because so much of this business is trying to hang on to something rather than be who you are.”
Giving the example of yet another Hollywood legend, Tom Hanks, Carrey stated that he would want to follow in his footsteps in terms of doing more mature roles.
“I think Tom Hanks has done that really well. He’s not afraid to take roles that are mature, and I’m not going to be either if people allow me to do it. If they enjoy seeing it, then I’ll do it. I want to do certain things in certain ways. I want the camera to come in and see the wrinkle and see whatever. I want that to be okay. Because if it isn’t, I’ll become a real phoney”.
Despite wanting to adapt as perfectly as the A Man Called Otto actor, Carrey couldn’t keep up with the constantly developing trends of the comedy genre in Hollywood. While the audience absolutely adored Carrey’s comedy style, the emergence of new talent in the genre took the attention away from the actor. Not to mention that Carrey’s dramatic roles were quite limited and didn’t really allow him to venture off into the “mature” side of the film industry like he had hoped to.
How Jim Carrey Approached Comedy
No matter how things worked out for Carrey, there is no denying that his name will go down in History books as one of the finest actors of our time. Simply talking about his work in the comedy genre, the Dumb and Dumber actor knew what worked and what didn’t. Making people laugh is not an easy task but Carrey had cracked the code. He knew just what needed to be done.
In the interview with FilmTheat, Carrey was asked about his approach to comedy and he said,
“I think comedy you have to come at with a smile. You have to come at it with some kind of – it’s like the seed of a joygasm. There is something going on behind the person’s eyes.”
“Joygasm” just might be our favorite word going forward!
Further, Carrey revealed that he usually got inspiration for his comedy style by observing the shenanigans of animals around him.
“I get a lot of my inspiration from animals for some reason. I used to have a cat that was really squirly. He would get this look where his ears would kind of go back and you knew he was going to do something horrible– climb the curtains or something. He would get this squirly look on his face and it hit me. I was looking at it one day and I went, ‘That is the feeling that I want inside when I’m on camera.’ I want the audience to have the feeling that I’m about to climb the curtains. Do something nutty.”
This is why Carrey was unbeatable in his prime! Who else could’ve had the mind to get inspired by a cat trying to climb the curtains?
Carrey’s newest film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be theatrically released on December 20, 2024.
