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In this video, WatchMojo takes a look at the career of comedian Jim Carrey.

Transcript

The Career of Jim Carrey He made a career out of his insane comedic personality and over the top physical humor. Welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re taking a look at actor Jim Carrey. He was born January 17th, 1962 in New Market Ontario, Canada. Early in life, he moved with his family to Toronto. There he took odd janitorial jobs due to financial pressure. As a result, he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in stand up comedy until they could afford to move to Los Angeles. There he landed a steady gig at a comedy lounge after impressing comedian Rodney Dangerfield with his celebrity impersonations. Yet the hyperactive comedian wanted to avoid being pigeon hold in stand up and so he sought work in television and film. Carrey’s first film role was in the 1983 made for TV movie introducing Janet which was later renamed rubber face as a result of the actor’s breakout success. In 1984, he landed his first television gig in the role of a young animation producer in the Duck Factory. Despite the show’s failure, he had gained the confidence necessary to take on the male lead in the following year’s vampire comedy Once Bitten. However, his career would get a huge boost when noticed by co-star Damon Wayans on the set of Earth Girls are Easy. Soon after, Carrey was cast as a regular on Wayans comedy sketch show in Living Color. There Carrey made a name for himself as an outrageous comedian before being cast in the breakout role of Ace Ventura Pet Detective. The film was not only a major box office success and spun a sequel but made him the most sought after comedian in Hollywood with the salary above the million dollar mark. Immediately, Carrey appeared in the odd ball superhero hit The Mask and as Lloyd in the hilarious buddy comedy Dumb and Dumber. Next, he won out over a fellow comedy star Robin Williams to play The Riddler in 1995’s Batman Forever. And saw his salary jumped to 20 million dollars in the disturbing black comedy The Cable Guy. Though the film failed commercially and critically, Carrey returned to the public eye in the lighter comedy, Liar Liar. In 1998, Carrey accepted a pay cut to land a dramatic part in the critically acclaimed science fiction film the Truman Show and in the process, earned his first golden globe. He received a second award the following year for his iconic portrayal of Andy Coffman in Man on the Moon. At the turn of the millennium, Carrey thrilled audiences in the heart warming holiday film adaptation of the Dr Zeus’, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Before staring in the family friendly comedy Bruce Almighty, he also earned high praise for his part in 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Next, he played the villain as count Olaf in Lemony Snicket’s, a series of Unfortunate Events, went crazy in Fun with Dick and Jane defied expectations with the psychological thriller, the number 23 and starred in the inspirational comedy Yes Man. The performer also found himself in animated roles such as Horton’s Hears a Who and Robert Simacase’s motion capture film A Christmas Carol. In 2010, Carrey start in the comedy drama I Love You Philip Morris, a film based on the real life events of a con-artist. He also donned a stripe shirt to bring children’s book character Waldo to life in Where is Waldo. Carrey fans can also look forward to him chasing the abnormal as famous American cartoonist and amateur anthropologist Robert Ripley in Ripley’s Believe it or Not.