Jim Carrey biography, net worth, age, wife, family, young, height 2025

Jim Carrey's biography

Jim Carrey (full name James Eugene Carrey) is a Canadian-American comedian, as well as screenwriter and producer. He's best known for blockbuster hits like "The Mask," "Ace Ventura," "Dumb and Dumber," "Liar Liar," "Bruce Almighty," "The Truman Show," "Man on the Moon," and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." He's a two-time Golden Globe winner, multiple MTV Movie Award winner, and BAFTA nominee. His animated physical comedy and magnetic charisma have won over audiences worldwide. Net worth: $180 million.

Childhood

Jim Carrey was born on January 17, 1962, in the Canadian city of Newmarket. The family struggled financially: his mother Kathleen Carrey (née Oram) had been a singer in her youth before becoming a housewife, while his father Percy Carrey abandoned his dreams of a saxophone career to work as an accountant and support the family.

His parents raised Jim, his elder sisters Pat and Rita, and his brother John as Roman Catholics. Jim was in school when his father was fired, and the family had to move to the town of Scarborough, where Percy found a job as a security guard at a factory that produced automobile wheels. In the evenings after school, all four children worked at the same factory as cleaners.

Life was tough, and eventually the Carrey family decided to quit - even though it meant losing their home and living in a trailer for a while.

Jim Carrey before becoming a famous comedian

Eventually, his father landed a job at the Dofasco steel mill in Hamilton, Ontario. The family settled in the neighboring town of Burlington, and prosperous times began. Jim lived here for 8 years, graduated from Aldershot High School, organized the «Spoons» music band, and went to work at the same factory after school. But young Jim had bigger dreams of becoming an actor - he loved goofing around, entertaining classmates, and doing impressions of famous personalities. When he was 10, he boldly wrote to "The Carol Burnett Show" claiming he was a "master of parody" and deserved a spot on the show. He got back a standard rejection letter, but the ambitious kid was thrilled anyway.

The beginning of the comedian's career

His father was completely behind Jim's dream of becoming a professional comedian. Unable to help him financially, he brought 15-year-old Jim to the comedy club Yuk Yuk's in Toronto and even helped him write his material. The young man's first performance was a complete disaster, but in 1979 he stepped on the same stage and this time managed to win over the audience.

Jim Carrey's stand-up

By 1981, Jim had gone from amateur open mic performances to regular paid gigs - he became the headliner at several clubs simultaneously. After conquering Toronto, the young comedian moved to Los Angeles, where local stages eagerly welcomed him too. There, popular comedian Rodney Dangerfield spotted him and invited him to open for his shows during a tour. But when the tour ended, Dangerfield settled in Las Vegas while Jim Carrey decided to move to Hollywood.

In 1981 the comedian was quite famous in his native Canada

Jim got a job at «The Comedy Store» club in Hollywood. In 1982 he first appeared on television in the «An Evening at the Improv» stand-up show, and in 1983, he appeared in «The Tonight Show» entertainment show. The young man wasn't satisfied with his stand-up career and dreamed of regular TV work and film roles.

He made his film debut in 1983 with «RubberFace», and starred in «All in good taste» and «Copper Mountain» that same year. In 1984, he landed the lead role in the children's series «The Duck Factory», and went on to star in «Once Bitten» (1985), «Peggy Sue Got Married» (1986, directed by Francis Coppola), «Earth Girls Are Easy» (1988), «The Dead Pool» (1988), «Pink Cadillac» (1989), «High Strung» (1991), and «Doing Time on Maple Drive» (1992).

Jim Carrey and Lauren Hutton («Once Bitten»)

From 1990 to 1994, he played in the «In Living Color» comedy TV series on Fox, and his own show «Jim Carrey: The Un-Natural Act» was released in 1991, which he dedicated to his mother, who had just passed away.

The heyday of acting career

According to Zoomboola.com, in 1994, Jim Carrey's career exploded: three blockbuster hits launched him into stardom: «Ace Ventura: Pet Detective» (earned $107 million worldwide), «The Mask» ($351 million, launching Cameron Diaz's career) and «Dumb and Dumber» ($247 million).

Eccentric detective Ace Ventura - Jim Carrey's breakthrough role

As a result, the actor was nominated for the «Golden Globe» and won the «MTV Movie Award» as Best Comedian, though critics were divided on his over-the-top physical comedy style, and he also earned a Golden Raspberry nomination for «Worst New Star».

Jim became especially popular among young people, and audiences went wild for all three comedies: «It feels like we're back to when movies were actually allowed to be funny», «This is one of the funniest films in the modern comedy», «Funny every second!», «I wish I could watch this for the first time again and laugh until it hurts! Brilliant movie»

Jim has two elder sisters and an elder brother

The following year, the actor was invited to play Riddler in the «Batman Forever» (1995) superhero action film, where his partners were Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman and Drew Barrymore. Despite critics dismissing it as «crassly commercial,» the film raked in over $336 million worldwide and proved Jim Carrey could hold his own in an ensemble cast, not just carry a film solo. He was nominated for an «MTV Movie Award» in the category of «Best screen villain» for that job.

«Batman Forever»: Jim Carrey in the image of riddle

The sequel «Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls» kept the winning streak alive, doubling the box office take of the original. And again not without awards: the actor received the «Kid's Choice Awards» as a «favorite actor», two MTV Movie Awards at once in the «Best actor» and «Best comedy role» categories and a nomination for «MTV Movie Award» for the Best screen kiss (with Sophie Okonedo).

Next, Jim Carrey starred in the black comedy «The Cable Guy» (1996) directed by Ben Stiller, earning an incredible $20 million for the role. Awards followed once again: a «Kid's Choice Award» for «Favorite Actor,» «MTV Movie Awards» for «Best Actor» and «Best Screen Villain,» plus an «MTV Movie Award» nomination for best fight (with Matthew Broderick).

But Jim's incredible rise didn't end there: One of his cult comedies, «Liar Liar,» was released - the story of a successful lawyer who mysteriously loses his ability to lie, which nearly ruins his career but helps him rebuild his relationship with his family.

Liar Liar! Bloopers

Both audiences, who helped the film earn $302 million, and critics who treated Jim more warmly than usual were pleased this time.

Despite the simple plot, «Liar Liar» succeeds incredibly thanks to Jim Carrey's explosive humor. It's an explosion of laughter that makes you fall for him completely.

Despite his outstanding successes, in 1998 he decided to take a break from his comedic roles and took on something more serious in the fantastic tragicomedy «The Truman Show». This is a story about a man whose whole life suddenly turns out to be a cleverly and cruelly planned reality show. Critics praised the film as «a funny and touching movie that surprisingly accurately captures a nation obsessed with prying into the personal lives of celebrities and ordinary people». Jim Carrey's «Golden Globe» for Best Actor in a Drama was among the many prestigious awards the film received.

»The Truman Show» had a huge success among the audience

Another unusual role he played in 1999 was the famous comedian Andy Kaufman in the biographical drama by Miloš Forman «Man on the Moon». The film also featured such famous actors as Courtney Love, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Lloyd. Though the film wasn't a box office hit, Jim Carrey earned another Golden Globe and several other award nominations for his performance.

Real Andy Kaufman and Jim Carrey playing him

In 2000, the actor returned to his favorite comedy genre, starring in «Me, Myself & Irene» (alongside Renee Zellweger) and «How the Grinch Stole Christmas» (with Anthony Hopkins). Both pictures were a great success, and the «Grinch» brought Jim Carrey a new «MTV Movie Award» and a nomination for the «Golden Globe».

Jim Carrey was being made-up 3,5 hours a day for the set of «How the Grinch Stole Christmas»

The lead role in the «Bruce Almighty» (2003) famous comedy was another unforgettable job by the actor, played along with Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman. The film grossed a massive $484 million worldwide, though it was banned in some Muslim countries for depicting God as an ordinary person.

Bruce Almighty - Bruce Nolan I've Got The Power

Particularly notable among these works is the romantic sci-fi drama «Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind» (2003), where Jim Carrey starred in a brilliant acting ensemble with Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, and Elijah Wood. The film explores the stunning beauty and existential horror of memory trapped in a confused mind, and the chosen amnesia of a broken but hopeful heart. The film received a number of prestigious awards, including the Oscar for the best original scenario, and Jim Carey was nominated for the BAFTA and Saturn awards. His performance in this film was called «the best, most mature and focused of his entire career».

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in the «Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind»

In 2007, the actor appeared in the «Number 23» psychological thriller, and his role marked another serious departure from his trademark comedy. Unfortunately, critics tore the film apart, calling it «awkward and uninteresting» and Jim Carrey was nominated for the Golden Raspberry anti-prize.

After that failure, the success of the «Yes Man» (2008) comedy, in which he starred alongside Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper, brought him even greater success. Another MTV Movie Award and several nominations at once for the Teen Choice Awards and the Kid's Choice Awards were the prize. Critics noted: «The «Yes Man» is good as a comedy starring Jim Carrey, but it is even more interesting as a movie about love, which continually makes you laugh.»

Jim Carrey's trump card is his amazing mimic

But Carrey's interest in more serious films was far from over, and in 2009 he played one of the lead roles in the «I Love You Phillip Morris» romantic tragicomedy alongside Ewan McGregor. Before its worldwide release, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later screened at Cannes.

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor played a loving couple

In the same 2009, he played in «A Christmas Carol» - the 3D screening of the story by Charles Dickens, alongside Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright, and other famous actors. The film became a major blockbuster, earning $325 million worldwide. He then appeared in hit comedies «Mr. Popper's Penguins» (2011), «Dumb and Dumber 2» (2014), and several more films. In recent years, Carrey has been actively involved in producing, working on the «Rubble Kings» (2015) documentary film, the «I'm Dying Up Here» (2017) TV series and several other projects.

In 2018 Jim Carrey continues working on television, taking part in the «Kidding» comedy-drama series as the leading actor and producer. In recent years, he's largely stepped away from major films to focus on his longtime passion for painting.

Jim Carrey's personal life

Jim Carrey has been married twice and has had several high-profile relationships throughout his life. He once summed up his approach to love with this telling statement:

I don't believe in fairy tales about eternal love. Ten years with the same person is more than enough.

He first married on March 8, 1987, choosing actress Melissa Womer, who was working as a waitress at the Comedy Store before becoming an actress and producer. Their daughter Jane Erin Carrey was born on September 9th that same year.

Tragedy soon struck the actor's life: his mother died from a serious illness in 1991, followed by his father's death in 1994 – a man Jim was deeply attached to. The loss of parents led the actor to depression, and Melissa was unable to help him. Two opposing forces seemed to battle within him: he could be an exemplary family man, yet time and again he desperately craved solitude.

In 1995, Jim began an affair with his "Dumb and Dumber" co-star Lauren Holly, and after a series of scandals, Melissa decided to divorce him. Jim married Lauren on September 23, 1996, but the marriage lasted only 8 months.

Jim Carrey was married to Lauren Holly less than a year

He then became engaged to Renee Zellweger for a year and a half, a relationship that began while filming the comedy "Me, Myself & Irene." He briefly dated his doctor Tiffany Silver and fashion model Anine Bing.

In 2005 he met model and actress Jenny McCarthy, and their relationship lasted until April 2010. Despite media attempts to uncover why the attractive couple split, neither offered comments except for Jenny, who stated: «We are still good friends with Jim»

The actor still has warm relations with Jenny McCarthy

In 2012, the 53-year-old Jim Carrey dated Russian student Anastasia Vitkina, and after their split, he began a relationship with 28-year-old Irish woman Cathriona White. Soon the couple also broke up, and in 2013 the girl married another man. However, Jim and Cathriona rekindled their romance from May to September 2015, and after their final breakup, the young woman committed suicide by taking a lethal dose of pills. According to her mother, "she felt she had no reason to live after losing the man she madly loved."

Jim Carrey's former girlfriend Cathriona White committed a suicide

He fully paid for Cathriona's funeral, carried the coffin, and looked very depressed. Soon after, Cathriona White's husband filed a lawsuit against Jim Carrey, accusing him of "using his vast wealth and celebrity status to illegally purchase the pills that poisoned his wife," but the actor defended his innocence in court.

After that, he virtually vanished from the public eye, only resurfacing in September 2017 at New York Fashion Week. He'd shaved off his thick beard and looked exhausted, though he still cracked jokes and captivated those around him. He told a journalist trying to interview him: "This isn't our world. All this is unreal. And we have no meaning."

Jim Carrey first appeared in people after his former girlfriend's death

Jim Carrey is a Canadian citizen who also gained US citizenship in 2004. He's a vegetarian and has been vocal against certain vaccination practices, believing some vaccines are toxic and cause autism.

Jim Carrey Now

In recent years, he's largely stepped away from big-budget films to focus on an old passion - painting. His work now focuses primarily on political caricature. For political reasons, he also deleted his Facebook account and sold his shares in the company.

However, in 2020, audiences got to see Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Though the actor doesn't closely resemble the video game character, he slipped perfectly into the role.

On March 30, 2022, "Sonic 2" hit theaters with Carrey reprising his role as Robotnik. In connection with the premiere, Access Hollywood interviewed the actor, during which he announced his retirement:

I could continue in the same vein, but I'm taking a break. I really like my quiet life. I've done enough.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey Says He's «Retiring»

Jim Carrey: latest news and articles

10 Unusual Romantic Comedies That Break Genre Cliches

27 Nov 2024

Lisa Klein

Cool movie with him - Yes man, they are saying good things there, something you can think about.

2021-04-20 14:25:55
Carlos Austin Wood

I remember I saw him for the first time in Dumb & Dumber. I liked this movie in my childhood, I watched all the parts, just the last one was not so good.

2021-04-03 20:44:37
Marilyn Thomas

I adore Jim Carrey since my childhood, he looks genius in every role!

2021-03-29 23:59:43
Paul Black

When I was a child, I liked to watch Ace Ventura. Other movies with Jim are also cool.

2021-03-26 08:45:56
Leonard Rice

Objectively speaking, the coolest comic guy in Hollywood.

2021-03-23 09:40:17

Photos: Jim Carrey