|
Born in Newmarket, Ontario
January 17, 1962
Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, the son of Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant.[1][2] He has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita. The family was Catholic[3] and of part French Canadian ancestry (as the original surname was Carré).[4] After the family moved to Scarborough when Carrey was 14, he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic School in North York for two years, before enrolling at Agincourt Collegiate Institute, Scarborough's oldest high school.
Headliner for Yuk Yuks
Feburary 1, 1981
In 1979, under the management of Leatrice Spevack, Carrey started doing stand-up comedy at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, where he rose to become a headliner in February 1981, shortly after his 19th birthday. One reviewer in the Toronto Star raved that Carrey was "a genuine star coming to life."
The Duck Factory
April 12, 1984 - July 11, 1984
His first lead role on television was Skip Tarkenton, a young animation producer on NBC's short-lived The Duck Factory, airing from April 12, 1984, to July 11, 1984, and offering a behind-the-scenes look at the crew that produced a children's cartoon. It was about Skip Tarkenton, a new employee of a low-budget animation company called Buddy Winkler Productions. Skip comes to Hollywood looking for a job, but when he gets there he finds out Buddy Winkler has died. So Skip gets an animation job at The Duck Factory, whose main cartoon is "The Dippy Duck Show."
Once Bitten
November 15, 1985
Carrey saw his first major starring role in the dark comedy Once Bitten, in the role of Mark Kendall, a teen virgin pursued by a 400-year old female vampire (played by Lauren Hutton).
Married Melissa Womer
March 28, 1987 - December 11, 1995
former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, with whom he has a daughter, Jane Erin Carrey (b. September 6, 1987 in the Los Angeles County). They were married on March 28, 1987, and were officially divorced in late 1995.
Daughter Born
September 6, 1987
Jane Erin Carrey was born to Jim and first wife Melissa Womer.
Earth Girls Are Easy
May 13, 1988
Carrey continued working in smaller film and television roles, which led to a friendship with fellow comedian Damon Wayans, who co-starred with Carrey as a fellow extraterrestrial in 1989's Earth Girls Are Easy. An American comedy/musical film directed by Julien Temple, It stars Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Michael McKean, Julie Brown, and hitherto largely unknown comedians Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. The film is marketed with the tagline "An out-of-this-world, down-to-earth comedy adventure". The film's plot is based on the song "Earth Girls Are Easy" from Julie Brown's 1984 mini-album Goddess In Progress.
In Living Color
April 15, 1990
Carrey continued working in smaller film and television roles, which led to a friendship with fellow comedian Damon Wayans, who co-starred with Carrey as a fellow extraterrestrial in 1989's Earth Girls Are Easy. When Wayans' brother Keenen began developing a sketch comedy show for Fox called In Living Color, Carrey was hired as a cast member, whose unusual characters included masochistic safety inspector Fire Marshall Bill (whose dangerous "safety tips" were the target of censors and watchdog groups who saw the character as a dangerous example for naive younger viewers[citation needed]), and masculine female bodybuilder Vera de Milo. His on-screen antics caught the eye of Hollywood.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Feburary 4, 1994
Carrey did not experience true stardom until starring in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The story follows the adventures of Ace Ventura, an eccentric gumshoe who specializes in cases involving pet animals, in his search for "Snowflake", the missing mascot of the Miami Dolphins. Ace is easily identified by not only his loud Hawaiian shirts but also his beat-up blue Chevy which he drives maniacally and his hairdo and sunglasses which were both inspired by the Dirty Harry Callahan character from actor Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies.
This film and Carrey's involvement with the TV comedy show In Living Color are said to have helped Jim Carrey establish himself as one of the highest paid comedic talents in Hollywood. This is the first of three Jim Carrey–Tom Shadyac collaborations; others following it would be Liar, Liar, and Bruce Almighty.
The Mask
July 29, 1994
The Mask is an action comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. The film stars Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss (also known as The Mask), who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role; and Cameron Diaz, in her film debut as Tina Carlyle. The movie received one Oscar nomination, for visual effects.
Edge City bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss is a shy, luckless romantic who is regularly bullied by nearly everyone around him: his boss, landlady, and even car mechanics; his only friends are cocky but good-natured co-worker Charlie and his small but heroic dog Milo. Dorian Tyrell the local gangster runs the exclusive Coco Bongo nightclub, while plotting to overthrow his crimelord boss Niko. Tyrell sends his performer girlfriend Tina Carlyle into Stanley's bank with a hidden camera, in preparation to rob the establishment.
Stanley is smitten by Tina and she seems possibly interested in him, but this is the only good thing to happen during this particularly miserable day; after being ejected from the Coco Bongo, Stanley gets stranded with a broken-down loan car at the city's filthy harbor, where he finds a mysterious wooden mask. When he takes the object home and puts it on, it wraps itself around his head, and personifies the repressed side of his personality: a wackily-suited green-headed exuberant wild man, "The Mask", who cheerfully exacts revenge on some of Stanley's tormentors, along with turning the tables on an unfortunate street gang that attempts to terrorize him.
Dumb and Dumber
December 16, 1994
Dumb and Dumber is a prime example of a classic "road movie" and includes slapstick comedy and gross-out humor. Dumb and Dumber contributed to the launch of a successful career for Jim Carrey and set the foundation for many Farrelly Brothers movies to come. It has a devoted cult following.
When best friends Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne both get fired, Lloyd convinces Harry to travel to Colorado to search for his dream woman, Mary Swanson. Little does Lloyd know that Mary's in Aspen trying to find her kidnapped husband. Soon the two have gotten mixed up in the crime, and their wacky exploits are leading the FBI straight to the crooks..
Golden Raspberry Award
March 26, 1995
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, was panned by critics, and earned Carrey a 1995 Golden Raspberry Award nomination as Worst New Star.
Batman Forever
June 16, 1995
Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey), a researcher at Wayne Enterprises, has developed a device to beam television directly to a person's brain. Bruce Wayne, convinced that mind manipulation would raise too many questions, turns the idea down, but Nygma continues to work on it after hours. When Fred Stickley, the head of the research department, discovers Nygma's clandestine overtime, Nygma knocks out Stickley then uses him to test his device, discovering that he can use it to absorb people's knowledge. Realizing Wayne was right about it being mind manipulation, Stickley fires Nygma, but Nygma murders Stickley, doctors the security tapes to make Stickley's death look like a suicide, and then resigns from Wayne Enterprises.
Nygma creates his own alter-ego in the form of The Riddler, a master of puzzles and quizzes. He perfects his brain-manipulation device into a system which beams signals to and from the human brain in order to simulate an immersive television viewing experience. This has the side effect of allowing the Riddler to read viewers' minds, as well as augmenting his own intelligence. Making a deal to use his brain-manipulation device to discover Batman's true identity, he becomes partner-in-crime with Two-Face in order to fund mass-production of the device.
The Cable Guy
June 14, 1996
A TV-obsessed cable installer, who gives his name as Ernie "Chip" Douglas (despite it not being his real name, as the character is credited as "The Cable Guy"[1]) (Jim Carrey), installs Steven Kovacs's (Matthew Broderick) cable television service after Steven moves out of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend Robin (Leslie Mann). After he illegally gives Steven free pay channels, Chip believes he and Steven have struck up a friendship. Although Chip behaves in an off-putting manner, Steven comes to like his new pal. Chip shows his affection in odd ways such as arranging a duel between the two, giving his new pal a massive entertainment system, and paying a gorgeous prostitute to have sex with Steven. But not long passes before Chip's bizarre behavior exhausts Steven's patience, leading him to forcefully break off their friendship. Chip snaps, and resorts to stalking Steven and his girlfriend to get the attention he feels he deserves.
Carrey earned twenty million dollars for his next film, The Cable Guy (directed by Ben Stiller), a record sum for a comedy actor. The attention drawn to the paycheck, coupled with some negative reviews, and the film's dark sensibility, all contributed to the film's mediocre earnings.
Married Lauren Holly
September 23, 1996 - July 29, 1997
After his separation from Womer in 1994, Carrey began dating his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly. They were married on September 23, 1996; the marriage lasted less than a year.
Liar Liar
March 21, 1997
Fletcher Reede (Carrey) is a particularly career-focused lawyer and divorced father. He has a habit of giving precedence to his job, breaking promises to his young son Max and then lying to both Max and his ex-wife Audrey about the real reason he missed the get-together. Fletcher lets Max down once too often, missing his birthday party, and has to deal with the consequences of a wish Max makes while blowing out the candles on his cake that actually comes true. The wish is that Fletcher cannot tell a lie for an entire day. The plot is reminiscent of The Twilight Zone episode "The Whole Truth," which involves a used car salesman being forced into uninhibited honesty by a haunted car.
The Truman Show
June 5, 1998
Carrey took a chance to play a more serious role (and a slight pay cut) to star in The Truman Show (1998), a change of pace that led to forecasts of Academy Award nominations. Although the movie was nominated for three other awards, Carrey did not personally receive a nomination, leading him to joke that "it's an honor just to be nominated...oh no," during his appearance on the Oscar telecast.
Man on the Moon
December 22, 1999
Man on the Moon is a 1999 film based on the unusual life and career of Andy Kaufman.
The movie, starring Jim Carrey and directed by Miloš Forman, begins at Kaufman's childhood, where he is seen performing imaginary television programs for stuffed animals. The story traces Kaufman's steps through the numerous comedy clubs, and television appearances that made him famous, including his memorable appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Fridays, and his role as the lovable "Latka Gravas" on the television sitcom Taxi. The film pays particular attention to the various inside jokes, scams, put-ons and happenings for which Kaufman was famous, most significantly his long-running "feud" with wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and his portrayal of the bawdy lounge singer Tony Clifton.
Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance - his second win in a row after receiving an award for The Truman Show previously. He was nominated in the Musical/Comedy category for Man on the Moon, and remarked in his acceptance speech that he thought the film was a drama at heart, an opinion shared by others, but also a reference to how Kaufman saw himself as a musician.
Me, Myself & Irene
June 15, 2000
The film follows Charlie Baileygates, a Rhode Island State Police trooper who has been taken advantage of by people throughout his life; even after marriage, his wife cheats on him with a black dwarf limo driver, who eventually steals his wife and leaves Charlie to raise their three highly intelligent but profanity-spewing mixed-race sons. After some time, his anger builds up and Charlie develops a rude and violent split personality named Hank. Believing that Charlie needs a vacation, the force tells him to escort a beautiful girl named Irene to Upstate New York. When some hitmen come after Irene's life, Charlie (and Hank) are called on to save the day.
Me, Myself & Irene
June 15, 2000
The film follows Charlie Baileygates, a Rhode Island State Police trooper who has been taken advantage of by people throughout his life; even after marriage, his wife cheats on him with a black dwarf limo driver, who eventually steals his wife and leaves Charlie to raise their three highly intelligent but profanity-spewing mixed-race sons. After some time, his anger builds up and Charlie develops a rude and violent split personality named Hank. Believing that Charlie needs a vacation, the force tells him to escort a beautiful girl named Irene to Upstate New York. When some hitmen come after Irene's life, Charlie (and Hank) are called on to save the day.
Bruce Almighty
May 23, 2003
Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a TV news reporter at Eyewitness News Channel 7 in Buffalo, New York (WKBW-TV) who fails to get a job as an anchorman and, after a series of other bad luck incidents, complains to God that he is both treating him unfairly and is doing a poor job as supreme deity. Bruce is then contacted by God (Morgan Freeman) who grants Bruce all of his supreme power to see if he can prove that he can do a better job. Bruce quickly uses his new-found powers for personal gain. He sabotages the colleague that screwed him over so that he can get a better job, transforms his car from a Datsun 240Z to a Saleen S7, allows his favorite hockey team, the Buffalo Sabres, to get over a slump and move to the Stanley Cup, and enhances his girlfriend's breasts and sex drive. He is then reminded that he also has to take care of other people's problems. Meanwhile, Bruce endangers his relationship with his girlfriend, Grace Connelly (Jennifer Aniston), through his self-centered behavior. In the end, Bruce realizes that God's powers are best left for God to handle and graciously asks for God to take control of his life.
When the film was released in American theaters in late May 2003, it took the #1 spot at the box office, grossing $85.89 million, higher than the release of Pearl Harbor, making it the highest-rated Memorial Day weekend opening of any film in motion picture history until the release of X-Men: The Last Stand over Memorial Day 2006. The movie surprised media analysts when it beat The Matrix Reloaded after its first week of release. By the time it left theaters in December 2003, it took in a United States domestic total of over $242 million and $484,572,835 worldwide, breaking records as the highest-grossing live action comedy ever.
Becomes U.S. Citizen
October 7, 2004
Carrey received U.S. citizenship on October 7, 2004, and now maintains dual citizenship of the U.S. and his native Canada.
60 Minutes Interview - Bouts of Depression
November 21, 2004
Jim Carrey tells 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft how desperation was the real source for his comedy. In a rare one-on-one interview with Correspondent Steve Kroft, Carrey speaks frankly about his life, his bouts with depression and his spirituality.
Interview can be viewed at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=656862n
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
December 17, 2004
The film is narrated by Lemony Snicket (Jude Law), who occasionally appears in silhouette, writing the story on a typewriter in what appears to be the interior of a clock tower. Inventive Violet Baudelaire (Emily Browning), her intelligent younger brother Klaus (Liam Aiken), and their sharp-toothed, precocious baby sister Sunny (Kara and Shelby Hoffman) are orphaned when a mysterious fire destroys their parents' mansion. They are placed in the care of bank manager Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall), who entrusts them to their "closest relative". However, misinterpreting the phrase, Mr. Poe chooses the relative who lives the shortest distance away, the obnoxious Count Olaf (Jim Carrey). Olaf promises to take care of the orphans "as if they were actually wanted" but in fact is only interested in the huge fortune that Violet will inherit when she turns the age of 18. In the meantime, he treats them like slaves.
Jenny McCarthy
December 1, 2005 - Now
In December 2005, Carrey began dating actress/model Jenny McCarthy. The pair have since denied engagement rumors.
Fun with Dick and Jane
December 21, 2005
Carrey starred in a remake of Fun with Dick and Jane, playing Dick, a husband who loses his job after his company goes bankrupt.
Fun with Dick and Jane
December 21, 2005
Carrey starred in a remake of Fun with Dick and Jane, playing Dick, a husband who loses his job after his company goes bankrupt.
