Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
JIM CARREY (The Grinch) followed his skyrocket to stardom by starring in one of 1999's most critically acclaimed films, Man on the Moon directed by Milos Foreman and 1998's The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir. Both films followed Carrey's success in the Universal Pictures' hit, Liar Liar, which had a record- breaking opening in 1997 and easily surpassed the $100 million mark.
Carrey's last film was a reteaming with writer- directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly in Me, Myself and Irene which was released this summer. The triumvirate combined for the unexpected hit Dumb and Dumber in 1994. Carrey recently signed on to star in Bijou, shooting next year, to be directed by Frank Darabont. Carrey will star as a blacklisted writer who loses his memory after a car accident and finds a new home in a small town where he's mistaken for a soldier who dies.
Carrey began his professional career as a stand- up comedian and found success on television before breaking into motion pictures. The actor's unique combination of improvisation, mimicry and innovation with an outrageous style of physical comedy has captured the attention of film audiences throughout the world.
He has created some of the most popular and entertaining characters in modern film history, and his films AceVentura. Pet Detective, The Mask, based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name, Dumb and Dumber and AceVentura: When Nature Calls have all conquered the global box office, with all four films exceeding the $100 million mark in domestic grosses alone. With the 1996 release of The CableGuy, Carrey's worldwide box office exceeded the $1 billion mark.
Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada and began performing in Toronto comedy clubs at age 15. He moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and soon became a regular performer at the famed Comedy Store. The following year, he won a starring role on the NBC-TV series Duck Factory and moved into film work with his first starring role opposite Lauren Hutton in the vampire comedy OnceBitten. He then starred in Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue GotMarried, followed by Earth Girls Are Easy with Geena Davis. He also appeared as the self destructive rock star in the Clint Eastwood film, The Dead Pool.
His first Showtime Special, titled Jim Carrey's UnnaturalAct, premiered in 1991 to rave reviews. He starred in a television movie-of-the-week for the Fox Broadcasting Company entitled Doing Time onMaple Drive, which was later nominated for several Emmy Awards. His range of abilities and creation of many regular characters made him a favorite performer on the Fox Network's ensemble comedy hit InLiving Color. That weekly showcase of his inimitable comic talents led to his no-holds-barred portrayal of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the early 1994 release that made him an instant sensation.
After the success of Dumb and Dumber in 1994, Carrey was named NATO/ShoWest Comedy Star of the Year, and Dumb and Dumber was voted Favorite Film by The People's Choice Awards. Carrey was also nominated for the People's Choice Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy Motion Picture for Dumb and Dumber. He won a People's Choice Award the year before in that same category for Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. For his role in AceVentura: When Nature Calls, Carrey also had the distinction of being honored with four MTV Movie Award nominations, winning in the Best Male Performance and Best Comedic Performance categories. At the 1996 Movie Awards, he was nominated in three categories for his work on The Cable Guy, and in 1997, he was again honored in the category of Best Comedic Performance for Liar Liar. In 1999, he won an MTV Award for Best Male Performance for The Truman Show.
Carrey was nominated in 1998 for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Liar Liar, the same category in which he was nominated in 1995 for The Mask. In 1999 he was the recipient of a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for his performance in Peter Weir's The Truman Show. This year he won the Golden Globe in the same category for his portrayal of Andy Kaufman in the film Man on the Moon.
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