Jim Carrey

Carrey was married to Melissa Womer from 1987 to 1995, and they had one daughter, Jane Carrey. He married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly in 1996, but the marriage ended in 1997. He was also in a relationship with Jenny McCarthy from 2005 to 2010 and was engaged to his Me, Myself & Irene co-star Renée Zellweger from 1999 to 2000.

Carrey has spoken about experiencing depression and previously taking Prozac to manage its symptoms. He became a dual citizen of the United States and Canada in 2004.

James Eugene Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, and grew up in and around Toronto. His family faced severe financial difficulties, at one point living together in a Volkswagen van. As a teenager, Carrey and his brother spent months living in a tent at Charles Daley Park while the family sought greater stability.

At age 15, Carrey made his stand-up debut at Toronto's Yuk Yuk's comedy club. His first performance went badly, but he developed a successful impressionist act and by 1979 was performing regularly for pay. He later opened shows for Rodney Dangerfield and moved to Hollywood at 19, where he performed at The Comedy Store.

Carrey's early screen work included the television film Introducing...Janet, The Duck Factory, Once Bitten, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Earth Girls Are Easy. He became widely known as a cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color, appearing from 1990 to 1994. His performances included the character Fire Marshall Bill and showcased his physical comedy, contortionist movements, and impressions.

His transition to film stardom came in 1994 with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. In The Mask, he starred opposite Cameron Diaz, while Dumb and Dumber reunited him with the Farrelly brothers. Carrey followed those successes with Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and the role of the Riddler in Batman Forever in 1995, then played a darker character in Ben Stiller's The Cable Guy in 1996.

Carrey returned to mainstream comedy with Liar Liar in 1997, playing a lawyer unable to lie for one day. He then shifted toward more serious material in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. His performances as Truman Burbank and Andy Kaufman earned him consecutive Golden Globe Awards.

Carrey continued starring in major comedies including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty, Fun with Dick and Jane, and Yes Man. His performance as Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was among his most critically praised, earning nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe. He also appeared in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Number 23, A Christmas Carol, I Love You Phillip Morris, and Mr. Popper's Penguins.

His later screen work included The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Kick-Ass 2, and Dumb and Dumber To. From 2018 to 2020, he starred in the Showtime series Kidding as a children's television host coping with personal tragedy. Beginning with Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020, Carrey played the villainous Dr. Ivo Robotnik and reprised the role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He also played Robotnik's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, in the third film.

Carrey has worked in writing, music, visual art, and producing. He published the children's book How Roland Rolls in 2013 and the semiautobiographical novel Memoirs and Misinformation with Dana Vachon in 2020. He also appeared as the narrator on the Weeknd's 2022 album Dawn FM.

Carrey began painting in the early 2010s and discussed his creative process in the 2017 short documentary I Needed Color. His political cartoons were exhibited in the 2018 exhibition IndigNation. He received an honorary doctorate from Maharishi University of Management in 2014, was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2004, and received an Honorary César in 2026. During the César ceremony, he delivered his acceptance speech entirely in French and discussed his family's French roots.