Welcome to the house of fun!: Jim Carrey

James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American A-list film actor and comedian. He is known for his manic, slapstick performances in comedy films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself & Irene, The Cable Guy, Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty. Carrey has also achieved critical success in dramatic roles in films such as The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

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."In the early 1980s, Carrey moved to Los Angeles and started working at The Comedy Store, where he was noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield. Dangerfield liked Carrey's performance so much that he signed Carrey to open Dangerfield's tour performances.

Carrey then turned his attention to the film and television industries, auditioning to be a castmember for 1980–1981 season of NBC's Saturday Night Live. Carrey was not selected for the position (although he did host the show in May 1996). When Wayans' brother Keenen began developing a sketch comedy show for Fox called In Living Color, Carrey was hired as a castmember. His onscreen antics caught the eye of Hollywood in a big way.

After supporting roles in films such as Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Earth Girls are Easy (1988) and The Dead Pool (1988) Carrey did not experience true stardom until being cast to star in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which premiered only months before In Living Color ended its run. The film was panned by critics, and earned Carrey a 1995 Golden Raspberry Award nomination as Worst New Star.However, the film was a huge commercial success, as were his two other starring roles, in The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, both released the same year.

In 1995, Carrey appeared as the Riddler in Batman Forever and reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Both films were successful at the box office and earned Carrey multi-million-dollar paychecks. Carrey made headlines when it was revealed that he earned twenty million dollars for his next film, The Cable Guy (directed by Ben Stiller), a record sum for a comedy actor

In 1999, Carrey won the role of comedian Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. Several actors, including Edward Norton, were interested in the role, but Carrey's audition, including an act with the bongo drums Kaufman used in his performances, helped him to be cast. Despite critical acclaim, he was not nominated for an Academy Award, but again won a Best Actor Golden Globe award for the second consecutive year

In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly Brothers (who had directed him in Dumb and Dumber) in their comedy, Me, Myself & Irene, about a state trooper with multiple personalities who romances a woman played by Renée Zellweger. The film grossed $24 million dollars on its opening weekend and $90 million by the end of its domestic run. Carrey has since continued to appear in successful comedies in addition to more dramatic roles. His performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) earned high praise from critics, who again incorrectly predicted that Carrey would receive an Oscar nomination, although the film did win for Best Original Screenplay, and co-star Kate Winslet received a nomination for her performance. (Carrey was also nominated for a sixth Golden Globe for this performance).

In 2003, Carrey reteamed with Tom Shadyac for the financially successful comedy Bruce Almighty. Earning over $242 million in the U.S. and over $484 million worldwide, this film became the second highest grossing live-action comedy of all time.

Carrey has stated that he finds the prospect of reprising a character to be considerably less enticing than taking on a new role, and fans say he rarely turns down roles because he enjoys trying new things.