Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American actor/comedian best known for his slapstick and manic performances in comedy movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), The Mask (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), and Liar Liar (1997). He is also a critic favorite for his dramatic roles in The Truman Show (1998), Man on the Moon (1999), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

Early life

James Eugene Redmond Carrey was born on January 17, 1962 in Newmarket in Ontario. The Carrey moved to Scarborough, Ontario when he was 14. He was educated at Blessed Trinity Catholic School in North York, Agincourt Collegiate Institute, Northview Heights Secondary School, and attended Aldershot High School. Carrey was an extrovert from day one. He performed constantly and even sent his résumé to The Carol Burnett Show at age 10.

At Scarborough, the Carrey family took janitorial and security jobs in a factory. Jim worked eight hours daily after school let out. When they left the factory, they lived in a Volkswagen camper van before returning to Toronto.

Comedy stints

In 1979, Carrey did stand-up comedy at a Toronto bar. In the early 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles and worked at The Comedy Store. Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was so wowed by his performance that he signed Carrey to do the opening act for his tour performances.

Carrey then pursued a TV career. He auditioned to be a part of the 1980-1981 season of Saturday Night Live but was not selected. His first lead role on TV was Skip Tarkenton on NBC's three-month series, The Duck Factory. Carrey became friends with comedian Damon and Keenen Wayans, which led to his hiring as a cast member for Fox's In Living Color.

Film Career

Carrey's early films include Rubberface (1983), Finders Keepers (1984), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), The Dead Pool (1988), and Pink Cadillac (1989). Carrey's stardom began with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Critics were disappointed, but the film was a huge box office success.

He followed this by the equally successful The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. Carrey was cast as the Riddler in Batman Forever (1995), which earned him multi-million-dollar paychecks. The following year, The Cable Guy (1996) bombed at the box office but Carrey rebounded with Liar in 1997.

Carrey played a more serious role in the critically successful The Truman Show. Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance but the Academy Awards snubbed him and did not give him even a nomination. His next offering, Man on the Moon, was also raved by critics. Again he won a Golden Globe but was not nominated for an Oscar.

In the following years, Carrey made Me, Myself & Irene (2000), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2001), and Bruce Almighty (2003). In 2004, he earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Carrey's other films include Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), The Number 23 (2007), Horton Hears a Who (2008), and Yes Man (2008).