A two-time Golden Globe-winner for his roles in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Truman Show,” Jim Carrey is one of the most talented actors and comedians of Hollywood. His leading roles in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Dumb and Dumber” and “Mask” made him one of the highest-paid comedy actors in the history of cinema. His facial expressions, flexible body movements, erratic manner of speaking, and unforgettable catchphrases are his trademarks. He has fans of all ages and all over the world and he still goes on to amaze people wherever he goes. Here is a list of 10 things you will be surprised to hear about Jim Carrey.
1. He emailed his resume to “The Carol Burnett Show” when he was 10
Even as a child, Jim Carrey performed all the time for his family and friends, basically for anyone who would watch. In junior high, he performed stand-up routines for his classmates at the end of each class. He loved acting so much. He was so ambitious that he even mailed his resume to “The Carol Burnett Show” when he was 10. The comedy/variety show was loved by Americans who tuned in every week to watch Carol Burnett and her comedy troupe. Although he only got a form letter reply he was still thrilled and it didn’t stop him from becoming one of the highest-paid comedy actors of all time.
2. He was rejected by Saturday Night Live
Although hired by comedian Rodney Dangerfield to open shows for him, Jim Carrey was one of many celebrities who was rejected by Saturday Night Live. In 2015, "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels told Vanity Fair that one of the show's staff members rejected Jim Carrey and he didn’t see Carrey's audition for the 1980 to 1981 season. Regardless of that rejection, Carrey would become a regular ensemble cast member on the television comedy show “In Living Color” and eventually host the SNL stage. The star has hosted the show three times and he also appeared in the series' 40th anniversary special in 2015.
3. He is a Canadian
Jim Carrey is a Canadian-born U.S. citizen. He was born “James Eugene Carrey” on January 17, 1962, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. He is the youngest of four children of Kathleen Oram, a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, an accountant and jazz musician. At age 15, Carrey started to perform at Yuk Yuks comedy club in Toronto where he was discovered by comedian Rodney Dangerfield. In 2004, Jim Carrey became a U.S. citizen. In the same year, he was honored by the Canada Post office with a postage stamp. He also received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, his name being between household names Pierre Berton and Karen Kain.
4. He was the first actor to receive a $20 million salary
Jim Carrey made headlines when it was found out that he got paid $20 million dollars for featuring in the film “The Cable Guy” (1996). He was the first actor to receive such a large amount of money. This move by the movie’s producer Judd Apatow was accepted as a historic move in Hollywood upping the salary ante and setting the pace for actors’ salaries. Directed by Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey’s depiction of the creepy cable-installer stalker was funny yet lacking the “dumb-guy humor” that was expected by the audience, most likely due to his role in “Dumb and Dumber” (1994).
5. He wrote an imaginary 10,000,000 Dollar check to himself
In an interview with Ophrah Winfrey in 1997, Jim Carrey said that he would often use visualization techniques (or the law of attraction) to get through tough times. In one of the visualizations, he imagined getting a check for $10,000,000 for "acting services rendered” and he placed it in his pocket. Years later, he actually received that $10,000,000 when he was offered to take part in “Dumb and Dumber.” Back then he was 19, had just come to Hollywood, and was trying to make a career like many young actors. It seems like the “law of attraction” just worked out fine for Jim Carrey!
6. He wrote a children’s book
Jim Carrey is a man of many talents. In 2013, he released a children’s book called “How Roland Rolls” which he wrote by himself. The book was about a scared wave called Roland. The book was described by Carrey as a metaphysical children’s story dealing with real struggles in a childish way. The book won the 2013 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award. The book’s illustrations were done by Rob Nason, who won a Golden Reel award for his work as Art Director on the film “Anastasia.”
7. He confessed his love for Emma Stone in a YouTube video
Jim Carrey is undoubtedly one of the funniest actors in Hollywood. He is known to tease the paparazzi regularly or his fans in unexpected situations. He did the same thing when he released a video where he was confessing his love for Emma Stone. When asked if the video was a comedy routine, he said he was serious about what he said. He also tweeted about the video answering his fans’ questions about the video. The video was watched so many times that it crushed the servers of the website JimCarreyTruLife.com.
8. He’s dealt with depression
Despite having monumental success as an actor and comedian, Jim Carrey has dealt with depression for most of his life and has been open about it in many interviews he has given. He admitted that depression can be very tough and that he found freedom when he separated from his ego. He admitted taking Prozac to treat his symptoms but later he stopped using them as the medicine was making him feel hopeless. He even gave up coffee and alcohol because of their effects on the brain.
9. He is against vaccination
In 2009, Jim Carrey wrote to Huffington Post claiming that vaccines and autism are linked. At that time he was dating Jenny McCarthy whose son was diagnosed with autism. Huffington Post later removed the article in the interest of public health. Jim Carrey also used his Twitter platform to call California Governor Jerry Brown a "corporate fascist" after he signed a strict vaccination law. Jim Carrey received a lot of backfire from many celebrities as well as health professionals because of his anti-vaccination thoughts.
10. He didn’t graduate from high school
When the “Bruce Almighty” star was 12, he dropped out of high school the day he turned 16 to help his father who lost his accounting job. The whole family was working as security guards and janitors. They were very poor at that time. Those tough times had a real impact on Jim Carrey. In one of his interviews he gave to Hamilton Spectator in 2007, he said he would probably be working in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill if his career in show business hadn’t been a success