Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey had relatively little trouble finding a comfortable place in the world of sketch and standup comedy when compared with the difficulty he’s had finding a suitable Hollywood home. Described as “rubber-faced,” his impersonations are the stuff of legend, but his talents as a mimic caused many to overlook his ability to carry off a genuine screen role. While he had many large parts in films, the characters themselves were almost like set pieces.

After success on “In Living Color,” the controversial and hilarious sketch comedy show, Jim Carrey struck comic gold with the 1994 successes Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask. The slapstick in these films made them huge blockbusters, the latter effectively launching Cameron Diaz’s career in mainstream films. While the contortions of voice, body and face that make these movies hilarious reveal an unparalleled skill with physical comedy, it would be in later films such as Liar, Liar; The Truman Show and Man on the Moon that critics would find dramatic capability.

Carrey’s film career prior to “In Living Color” had already shown him to be a versatile actor character of playing low-key parts. Once Bitten is an underrated 1985 film that shows the young Carrey playing a teenager bitten by a vampire while simultaneously carousing through the town with his friend in search of sex. Amidst this chaos, Carrey must lend credulity to his character’s secret anxiety about turning into a vampire while also keeping the film keyed to its comic elements—the result is a cult success.

Carrey commands a massive salary and as such has his pick of projects. He has been a director’s catch in kid-friendly set-piece pictures such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. But he has shown himself capable of humanity and pathos in the consciousness-questioning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and more subtle brands of humor than his trademark in Fun with Dick and Jane.

Born January 17, 1962, Jim Carrey has one child, is a naturalized Canadian import, and, as always, has a project on the horizon.