Having had little success in television movies and several low-budget films, Carrey was cast as the title character in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective which premiered in February, 1994, making more than $72 million domestically despite receiving mixed critical reception. The film spawned a sequel, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), in which he reprised the role of Ventura. High profile roles followed when he was cast as Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask (1994) for which he gained a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and as Lloyd Christmas in the comedy film Dumb and Dumber (1994).
Between 1996 and 1999, Carrey continued his success after earning lead roles in several highly popular films including The Cable Guy (1996), Liar Liar (1997), in which he was nominated for another Golden Globe Award and in the critically acclaimed films
Early life
Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, the son of Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant. He has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita. He was raised Roman Catholic. His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent and his father was of French Canadian ancestry (the family's original surname was Carré). After his family moved to Scarborough, Ontario, when Carrey was 14 years old, he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic School, in North York, for two years, enrolled at Agincourt Collegiate Institute for another year, then briefly attended Northview Heights Secondary School for the remainder of his high school career (all together, he spent three years in Grade 10).
Personal life
Carrey has been married twice, first to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer on March 28, 1987; the two were divorced in late 1995. Their only child, a daughter named Jane Erin Carrey, was born on September 6, 1987, in Los Angeles County. After his separation from Womer in 1994, Carrey began dating his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly. They were married on September 23, 1996; the marriage lasted less than a year.
In December 2005, Carrey began dating actress and model Jenny McCarthy. They made their relationship public in June 2006. She announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 2, 2008, that the two were then living together, but had no plans to marry; as they do not need a "piece of paper." In April 2010, Carrey and McCarthy ended their near five-year relationship.
In Los Angeles on February 27, 2010, Carrey announced via his Twitter account that he had become a grandfather when his daughter Jane gave birth to her first child with musician husband Alex Santana, who performs in the band Blood Money under the stage name Nitro. He announced that his grandson's name was Jackson Riley Santana.
Career
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, who signed the young comedian to open Dangerfield's tour performances.
Carrey then turned his attention to the film and television industries, auditioning to be a cast member for the 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, and again in January 2011). Joel Schumacher had him audition for a role in D.C. Cab, though in the end, nothing ever came of it. His first lead role on television was Skip Tarkenton, a young animation producer on NBC's short-lived The Duck Factory, airing from April 12, 1984, to July 11, 1984, and offering a behind-the-scenes look at the crew that produced a children's cartoon. Carrey continued working in smaller film and television roles, which led to a friendship with fellow comedian Damon Wayans, who co-starred with Carrey as an extraterrestrial in 1989's Earth Girls Are Easy.
Film Introducing...Janet. Later that year, he won the leading role in Damian Lee's Canadian skiing comedy Copper Mountain, which included his impersonation of Sammy Davis Jr. Since the film had a less than one hour runtime consisting largely of musical performances by Rita Coolidge and Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins, it was not considered a genuine feature film. Two years later, in 1985, Carrey saw his first major starring role in the dark comedy Once Bitten, in the role of Mark Kendall, a teen virgin pursued by a 400-year-old female vampire, played by Lauren Hutton. 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 starring in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which premiered only months before In Living Color ended. Ace Ventura was panned by critics, and earned Carrey a 1995 Golden Raspberry Award nomination as Worst New Star.
Carrey took a slight pay cut to play a more serious role to star in the critically praised science-fiction film The Truman Show (1998), a change of pace that led to forecasts of Academy Award nominations. Although the movie was nominated for three other awards, Carrey did not personally receive a nomination, leading him to joke that "it's an honor just to be nominated...oh no," during his appearance on the Oscar telecast. However, Carrey did win a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama and an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance. That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling's The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling's character. In 1999, Carrey won the role of comedian Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. 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 on its opening weekend and $90 million by the end of its domestic run.
Citizenship
Carrey received U.S. citizenship on October 7, 2004, and now maintains dual citizenship of both the U.S. and his native Canada, where he has had a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto since 1998.
Depression
Carrey discussed his bouts of depression in a November 2004 interview on 60 Minutes. Carrey has also launched public awareness campaigns, by way of internet videos which shed light on the political repression in Burma; especially that of Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, whom he describes as a personal hero.
Friendship with Eckhart Tolle
Carrey is a great admirer and friend of author Eckhart Tolle, and in June 2009, Carrey gave an introduction for Tolle when together they headlined the first conference of the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment.
Beliefs
Carrey has been a critic of the scientific consensus that no evidence links the childhood MMR vaccination to the development of autism, and wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination and vaccine research for the Huffington Post. With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a "Green Our Vaccines" march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of toxins from children's vaccines, out of a belief that children had received "too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic".
Filmography
The Sex and Violence Family Hour 1980 Various roles
All in Good Taste 1981 Ralph Parker
Copper Mountain 1983 Bobby Todd
Finders Keepers 1984 Lane Bidlekoff
Once Bitten 1985 Mark Kendall
Peggy Sue Got Married 1986 Walter Getz
The Dead Pool 1988 Johnny Squares
Pink Cadillac 1989 Comedian
Earth Girls Are Easy 1989 Wiploc
High Strung 1991 Death
Doing Time on Maple Drive 1992 Tim Carter
The Itsy Bitsy Spider 1992 The Exterminator Voice role
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 1994 Ace Ventura Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Comedy, On Video
Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Male Newcomer, On Video
Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
London Critics Circle Film Award for Newcomer of the Year (also for The Mask)
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
The Mask 1994 The Mask / Stanley Ipkiss London Critics Circle Film Award for Newcomer of the Year (also for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence (shared with Cameron Diaz)
Dumb and Dumber 1994 Lloyd Christmas MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Lauren Holly)
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Jeff Daniels)
Batman Forever 1995 Riddler / Edward Nygma Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls 1995 Ace Ventura Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
People's Choice Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy Movie
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Sophie Okonedo)
Nominated - American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role)
The Cable Guy 1996 Ernie "Chip" Douglas Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Matthew Broderick)
Liar Liar 1997 Fletcher Reede Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Comedy
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
The Truman Show 1998 Truman Burbank Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
MovieGuide Award: Grace Award
Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Actor
Nominated - American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role)
Nominated - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Drama
Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Simon Birch 1998 Adult Joe Wenteworth
Man on the Moon 1999 Andy Kaufman / Tony Clifton Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy Film
Nominated - American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role)
Nominated - Canadian Comedy Award for Film - Male Performance
Nominated - London Critics Circle Film Award for Actor of the Year (also for How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Me, Myself & Irene 2000 Officer Charlie Baileygates/Hank Teen Choice Award for Wipeout Scene of the Summer
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Comedy/Romance
How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 The Grinch MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
People's Choice Award for Favorite Star in a Motion Picture Comedy
Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Teen Choice Award for Choice Hissy Fit
Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Comedy
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Canadian Comedy Award for Film - Pretty Funny Male Performance
Nominated - Empire Award for Best Actor
Nominated - London Critics Circle Film Award for Actor of the Year (also for Man on the Moon)
The Majestic 2001 Peter Appleton
Pecan Pie 2003 The driver 2-minute short film
Bruce Almighty 2003 Bruce Nolan Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Comedy
MTV Movie Award, Mexico, for Most Divine Miracle in a Movie
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Jennifer Aniston)
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Morgan Freeman)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004 Joel Barish San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Actor
Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite Leading Man
Nominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (shared with Kate Winslet)
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy Film
Nominated - Empire Award for Best Actor
Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events 2004 Count Olaf Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Bad Guy
People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star
Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure/Thriller
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liar
Fun with Dick and Jane 2005 Dick Harper Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Actor: Comedy
The Number 23 2007 Walter Sparrow / Fingerling Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Horror/ Thriller
Nominated - Razzie Award for Worst Actor
Horton Hears a Who! 2008 Horton Voice role
Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
Yes Man 2008 Carl Allen MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star
Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy Fit
Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rockstar Moment
I Love You Phillip Morris 2009 Steven Jay Russell
A Christmas Carol 2009 Ebenezer Scrooge
Ghost of Christmas Past
Ghost of Christmas Present
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
Mr. Popper's Penguins 2011 Tom Popper
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