Few comedic actors have the global stardom and success that Jim Carrey does. Peaking in the 90s, Carrey starred in a number of comedies such as Ace Venture: Pet Detective, The Mask, Liar Liar, and more, achieving great commercial and critical acclaim for his trademark, over-the-top mannerisms.
Carrey has spent the last few years exploring his dramatic side and has also taken up painting. He has also been extremely vocal about his disillusionment with Hollywood and showbiz. The actor announced that he was going to retire early last year, and with that decision has done something no Hollywood star has ever done before.
Also read: Jim Carrey’s Big Gamble With His Hit Movie ‘Yes Man’ Earned Him $30 Million
Jim Carrey’s Forty-Year-Long Career
Jim Carrey has been an irreplaceable part of pop culture for his incredible contributions to the world of cinema. His distinct over-the-top style has defined an era in comedy, but no one has been able to recreate it with his signature charm and wackiness. He began his career as a stand-up comic before trying his luck on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.
Carrey was rejected by SNL in favor of Charles Rocket, but the actor would return years later as a successful Hollywood star to host the sketch comedy show. He moved to Hollywood and restarted his comedic career, being known in the circuits for his impressions of stars such as Clint Eastwood, Elvis Pressley, and more.
The actor made his film debut in the horror comedy Once Bitten, which was a modest hit, and also had a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s Peggy Sue Got Married. Carrey then joined the sketch comedy show In Living Color and rose to fame with the show, whose alumni include Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Lope.
Carrey got his breakthrough in the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which started a string of box-office hits that included its sequel Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and more. He moved to dramatic roles in the late 90s, winning the Golden Globe Award for his film The Truman Show as well as for Man on the Moon.
Jim Carrey Announces His Retirement From Acting
Jim Carrey has tried to move away from his comedic persona in the 2000s by appearing in films such as The Number 23 and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He became the subject of two documentaries, one on his artistic endeavors as he gravitated towards paintings and his total immersion as noted comedian Andy Kaufman in the film Man on the Moon.
The actor has also starred in blockbusters such as Kick-Ass 2 and the Sonic the Hedgehog series. However, the actor recently revealed that he was considering retirement after Sonic the Hedgehog 2, citing that he was doing so because of something no one in Hollywood has ever done. He said to Access Hollywood,
“Well, I’m retiring…I’m being fairly serious, yeah…I really like my quiet life and love putting paint on canvas and I love my spiritual life…and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists, I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”
Jim Carrey was responding to a question from the interviewee about singer Dolly Parton wanting Carrey to play her musical partner Porter Wagoner in her biopic. While the actor says that he would consider coming back if there was a script that was ‘written in golden ink’, he would be taking a break for a while.
