Jim Carrey's Biography

Synopsis

Comedian and actor Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, on January 17, 1962. Carrey relocated to Los Angeles to pursue comedy, eventually landing a spot on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. He went on to huge box office success in comedies, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, and delivered acclaimed dramatic performances inThe Truman Show and Man on the Moon.

Early Life and Career

Actor and comedian James Eugene Carrey was born on January 17, 1962, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Carrey got his start with a spot doing stand-up at a Toronto comedy club when he was just 15 years old. By 1979, he had left the factory job as a janitor he had taken in 1978 to help support his family and was making his living as the opening act for successful comics Buddy Hackett and Rodney Dangerfield.

In 1983, Carrey headed west to Hollywood where he starred in a made-for-television movie called Introducing...Janet. Carrey's appearances on TV in programs such as The Duck Factory and Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act (1991) led to a regular role on the hit comedy In Living Color.

Big Break

Carrey's big screen debut came with 1984's Finders Keepers, but he didn't find success until he played the titular role in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. From there, Carrey's expressive face, expert mimicry skills and physical brand of comedy kept the hits coming. He followed with The Mask(1994), Dumb andDumber (1994), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995),Batman Forever (1995), The Cable Guy (1996) and Liar Liar (1997).

Comercial Success

Carrey took a successful dramatic turn as Truman Burbank in Peter Weir'sThe Truman Show (1998), for which he won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor. He teamed up with legendary director Milos Forman for the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999), co-starring Courtney Love. For his dead-on portrayal of Kaufman, Carrey took home his second Golden Globe. Despite his Golden Globe success, Carrey has never been nominated for an Academy Award, perhaps due to the Academy's traditional lack of recognition for comedic actors. Carrey has become one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, with an reported asking price of $20 million.

In the summer of 2000, Carrey portrayed a character with two dueling personalities (both in love with the same woman) in the comedy Me, Myself and Irene. That fall, wearing pounds of green fur and makeup, he starred as the titular curmudgeon in the long-awaited big budget film version of Dr. Seuss' holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Ron Howard. In 2003, the actor starred as a man endowed with God-like powers in Bruce Almighty with Jennifer Aniston. The following year, Carrey starred opposite Kate Winslet in Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. His other projects include two remakes: Steven Spielberg's version of the 1947 comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and the 1977 flick Fun with Dick and Jane.

Personal Life

Carrey has a daughter, Jane, from his marriage to Melissa Womer (from 1987 to 1995). He was married briefly to Dumb & Dumber co-star Lauren Holly before entering a yearlong romance with his Me, Myself and Irene leading lady, Renee Zellweger. His most recent relationship with actress/model Jenny McCarthy, ended in April 2010.

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