Jim Carrey
“A van, a three-picture year, a bubble, a later sentence about the face.”
In 1994, Carrey exploded as a movie star with three back-to-back hits: Ace Ventura, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. The rubber-faced physical comedy made him one of the decade's biggest box-office draws. Within two years he became the first comic actor paid $20 million for a film.
Canadian Comedy Kid
Born near Toronto in 1962, Carrey endured a tough youth before finding stand-up comedy. American audiences first noticed his elastic faces on the sketch show In Living Color.
1994 Explosion
Three blockbuster comedies in a single year made him a global star. By 1996 he commanded a record $20 million salary for a single film role.
Dramatic Range
Carrey surprised critics with serious roles, winning Golden Globes for The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. Eternal Sunshine later showcased his depth as a dramatic actor.
Career Timeline
- 1962Born in Newmarket, Ontario.
- 1994Three pictures. A climate.
- 1998The Truman Show.
- 2004Eternal Sunshine.
Biggest Hits
- As a struggling comic he wrote himself a $10 million check 'for acting services rendered,' dated for the future.
- Despite Golden Globe wins for The Truman Show and Man on the Moon, he was never Oscar-nominated for either.
Portrait: Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons