6 Surprising Facts About Jim Carrey

Actor and stand-up comic, Jim Carrey has been described by many as Hollywood's most impressive special effect. He has fascinated audiences by perfectly balancing comedy-loaded movies like The Mask with a more serious drama like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Recently, he has been featured on Showtime's Kidding, inspired his fans with his role in Sonic the Hedgehog, and shares some of his paintings on social media.

Let’s take a look at six fascinating facts about Jim Carrey’s fascinating life.

1. His dad, Percy, motivated him to become a stand-up comedian

When Jim Carrey's father, Percy, discovered early that his son had a talent for humor, he immediately began motivating Jim to choose stand-up comedy as a career. He believed that beyond performing for the family, the young boy should look for avenues to put his creative energy to greater use.

At school, Carrey's teachers were also supportive. They often pleaded with him to remain quiet during classes and offered him 15 minutes of uninterrupted comedy at the end of each class. All these encouragements helped Jim improve his skills so that by his 21st birthday, he was already performing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

2. Crowds often attacked Jim Carrey at comedy clubs

Early in his career, most of Carrey’s performances focused on imitating celebrities like Jimmy Stewart and Clint Eastwood. This drew massive crowds to his shows and made him an instant star. Nevertheless, he felt that constantly creating humor by mimicking others would leave the impression that those people were better than him. This made Carrey change his style, and begin experimenting with some original content.

However, it didn't go down well with most of his audience. Their reactions were unfavorable and often violent. They shouted at him to do some of his old set and some even attacked him physically. Yet, instead of dissuading him, Carrey grew more comfortable with his new-found creativity and ended up discovering his signature comedy style.

3. Jim Carrey’s first film, Rubberface, was made for television

The actor was part of the cast of the 1981 television film titled Introducing ...Janet. In the movie, which aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), 19-year-old Carrey played the part of an upcoming comedian, Tony Maroni, who was friends with Adah Glasdbourg, a lady who struggled with insecurity.

Carrey initially struggled with the role because, as an experienced comedian, it was difficult for him to play the role of a not-so-good comic artist. The movie was released on home video in 1995 under the title Rubberface, an attempt to draw attention to Carrey's growing fame.

4. Most of his colleagues had little faith in Ace Ventura

After successfully featuring in The Duck Factory, Once Bitten, and Peggy Sue Got Married, all in the mid-’80s, Carrey landed a role in the Fox sketch comedy series, In Living Colour. This also led to a successful opportunity in the 1994 movie, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Carrey didn't have a great time during the production as his co-stars often mocked him. They mostly scoffed at him and tried to dampen his spirit. Yet, in the end, Carrey emerged with incredible success, scoring three massive hits for Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. In the case of the former, the actor raked in an impressive $7 million, immediately silencing his antagonists.

5. While making Batman Forever, Jim Carrey had a hard time relating with Tommy Lee Jones

After the success of Ace Ventura: The Pet Detective in 1994, Carrey played the Riddler in Batman Forever in 1995, and Tommy Lee Jones was his co-star, acting as Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent.

In public, Lee was optimistic about Carrey’s personality, going as far as describing him as down-to-earth, inspiring, and bold. Yet, privately, Jones wasn't quite as reassuring. He talked down on Carrey during production, which prompted the latter to painfully realize that often, someone we admire could unexpectedly get in our guts.

6. Jim Carrey once appeared on Canadian postage stamps

In 2014, the Canadian Post offered limited editions of some unique postage stamps that featured the images of some comedians. Fortunately, Jim Carrey was part of the list of celebrities that included Mike Meyers, Catherine O'Hara, Oliver Guimond, and Martin Short.

The first edition of these special postage stamps was released in 2006 and featured the late comic actor, John Candy. Jim Phillips, the director of stamp services, described this gesture as part of the country's commitment to honor Canadian heroes which interestingly, includes comedians. We can only wonder what interesting feat Carrey achieves next!