Jim Carrey is known as one of Hollywood’s funniest men. But he’s left the internet divided over his portrait of the former First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump.
Keep scrolling to check it out.
Now, we all know Jim Carrey.
He first rose to fame in gross-out comedy movies such as Dumb & Dumber and Ace Ventura.
Where his seemingly elastic face and never-ending supply of energy gained much fan acclaim.
Carrey has starred in films across a wide range of genres, including a range of excellent romcoms like Bruce Almighty.
He’s a true chameleon.
He gained a lot of critical praise for his role in dystopian reality television satire, The Truman Show. He also played the romantic straight-man lead in artsy classic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
He’s a mega star!
Particularly in the ’90s, Carrey was one of the most recognizable faces in the celebrity world. His hugely successful film roles led to a legion of loyal fans.
But he has a complex relationship with fame.
But in recent years, he’s become a lot more private and less keen on holding his spot in the public eye. In fact, he’s often quite critical of society’s obsession with fame.
He’s something of a troll.
Here he is in 2008, wearing then-girlfriend Jenny McCarthy’s bathing suit – perhaps as a commentary on how women are treated by the media, or perhaps just to induce a laugh.
But he’s still an awards ceremony mainstay.
If you’re as famous as he is – and attend high-profile celebrity events with such regularity – it makes sense that you’d be pretty used to getting your picture taken.
We see him all the time!
But behind the scenes, it seems we haven’t really known much about Carrey’s life.
There’s so much we don’t know about the star.
The elements of his tragic life have many feeling emotional – particularly when the star is so beloved!
For example, Carrey had a tricky childhood.
He was constantly afraid of his parents dying.
This phobia became something of an obsession that has stayed with Carrey.
“I don’t know if I got over that fear at that time; it was just kind of with me,” he explained.
He was also a highly insular kid.
“I spent most of my time in my room staring at a mirror,” he confessed.
And real tragedy did strike his life.
A bout of homelessness, after his father lost his job.
The family was unhoused for a brief period, living in cazrs.
“But of course, I grew up in Canada and I thought we’d gone camping,” he joked on stage.
Carrey had always dreamed of being an actor.
But his earliest days on the job were anything but easy.
His first stand-up shows were pretty horrendous.
“I finally got offstage to huge applause just because I mentioned I was going to leave the stage.”
And Carrey hated not succeeding.
“I got in the car and I cried all the way home,” he said, “Because I don’t want to make people unhappy.”
Carrey has been open about his mental health throughout his career.
He’s actually been quite vocal about his ongoing struggles with depression.
Which has led him to prioritize joy.
“If you are with me right now, you cannot be unhappy. It’s not possible, just try.”
His love life has been no picnic.
In 2010, Carrey and Jenny McCarthy split, and he turned to creative pursuits to try to get through the tough times.
Why?
“He is someone who desperately needs to be with someone, then just as desperately needs to be alone. But at the same time, he can be a very loving, very compassionate guy.”
He also has a difficult reputation on set.
During the filming of Man on the Moon, he fully immersed himself in the role of Andy Kauffman.
Which led to a total identity crisis!
He found himself asking questions like, “What do I believe? What are my politics? What do I like and dislike?”
It was a tricky time for the star.
“If I can put Jim Carrey aside for 4 months, who is Jim Carrey?” he asked. “Who the hell is that?”
Then tragedy struck.
Back in 2015, his ex-girlfriend Cathriona White tragically took her own life.
And thing got even worse.
The following year, Carrey was sued by her ex-husband for wrongful death.
The lawsuit claimed Carrey was party responsible.
And that he supplied her with the painkillers she used to complete suicide.
But Carrey fought back.
He launched a lawsuit claiming the family was trying to extort him.
Things eventually fell in his favor.
But we can’t imagine this was an easy thing for Carrey to go through!
He’s still not found true peace.
Although he’s made unprecedented amounts of cash in his work.
But it wasn’t long until Carrey divided opinion once again.
This time for his portrait of the former First Lady of the USA, Melania Trump.
