Jim Carrey got his first gig as a comedian as a stand up in a Toronto comedy club at the age of 15. Soon he became well known in the circles, and his family moved to Los Angeles, where he was signed by Rodney Dangerfield as an opening act at The Comedy Store after his first performance.
Later, he made it into an astonishing career as he starred in several comedy hits through the 90s to 2010s. Apart from his roles as comic, Jim Carrey is also a credited voice over artist and has provided some good laughs through his animated characters, helping him build an incredible career and a whopping net worth.
How His Career Boomed, Rapidly Increasing His Net Worth
Carrey started young, merely ten years old, when he realized his passion for stand-up at local stage shows in Ontario, Canada guided by his father, who supported his passion. Due to the financial crises of the Carrey household, Jim could not pursue his passion for a long while after his father lost his job, and he had to work after school to provide.
In 1982, while performing at a stage in Hollywood after his family became financially stable, he was signed by Rodney Dangerfield to perform the opening acts at The Comedy Store. The next year, he had a chance to make his debut in The Tonight Show.
Startup as a Stand-up Comedian
Though he was famous as a stand-up act and had made a name out of it, Carrey focused his talents on getting a role in a television series. He started auditioning for Saturday Night Live on NBC, but he failed his audition. He later hosted the show in 1996, 2011, and then in 2014, though.
He was, however, recruited as a regular member of In Living Color, an ensemble comedy series. The series was not very long and only ran for a short while on TV, but it helped Carrey earn the recognition that he needed to land major roles in big-budget films.
Recognition in Hollywood
His first major hit was the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective that grossed at the box office at $72 million in the US and Canada. The film had Jim play a quirky pet detective who helped in finding the lost animals for their owners.
Following Ace Ventura came his all-time favorite movie and a massive hit in Hollywood’s history, The Mask. It grossed at a whopping $351 million worldwide, and he gained recognition as one of the most prominent figures in Hollywood. The movie earned him a Golden Globe nomination and the second position in Quigley’s Top Ten Money-Making Stars Poll.
Another one of his movies released in December of the same year became a massive hit at the box office and grossed at $270 million. The film was Dumb and Dumber and got made into another sequel. It showed Carrey as an amicable and borderline senile friend of another person with similar characteristics. Carrey got paid $10 million for his role in the film.
The sequel Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls also became another box office hit with earnings of $212 million the very next year in 1995. It broke all records and made a total of $40 million in its opening week.
The Journey To Becoming One of The Highest Paid Actor in Hollywood
In 1996, Carrey became the first actor ever to be paid a mammoth amount of $20 million for his movie, The Cable Guy. The film became an instant success with a total of $102 million at the box office despite it having mixed reviews.
Golden Globe Nominations
The next year, in 1997, he starred in another box office hit; Liar Liar that became critically acclaimed and donned as intelligent humor. His character of a lawyer who loses his ability to lie due to his son’s wish earned him a second Golden Globe nomination.
A year later, Truman Burbank again won him critics’ pat on the back, and the rumors of an Oscar nomination roamed around. However, he did get another Golden Globe nomination for the film, and the film was a box office hit, grossing at $264 million.
Massive Hits in the 2000s
Carrey’s 2003 hit Bruce Almighty against Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman became another massive hit on the box office earning $484 million in total. In 2008, Carrey voiced Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who animated yet beloved elephant character that received overwhelming reviews worldwide and earned him good reviews. The movie was another box office hit and earned a total of $290 million all over the world.
The same year, his action-packed movie, Yes Man, became a hit as well and made over $255 million worldwide. He starred opposite Bradley Cooper and Zooey Deschanel for his role. He was praised as comic relief, though the film received mixed reviews.
Career Breakthrough: Dumb and Dumber Returns
In 2012, the talks of reprising Carrey’s role in Dumb and Dumber To, a sequel to his previous box office hit, started. He, however, left saying that the studio is not serious enough about the movie. The sequel was completed and released in 2014, which was again a box office hit.
Throughout his career, he has published several children’s books, one of which, How Ronald Rolls, released in 2013.
In 2020, he published Memoirs and Misinformation: a Novel. The book was delayed from its initial release date. After its release, it was well-received by the fans and readers all everywhere.
Networth 2020
Though he makes everyone around him laugh and their lives a little better, Jim suffers from depression in his life off screen, as claimed by him in a renowned interview. With a massive net worth of $180 million in total, he could easily be crowned as one of the most successful faces in Hollywood and one of the best comedic acts to grace the screens.
Disclaimer:
The following information has been gathered from the following sources:
Wealthy Gorilla
Forbes
I’m Ava Paul, an experienced news website author with a special focus on the entertainment section. Over the past five years, I have worked in various positions of media and communication at World Stock Market. My experience has given me extensive knowledge in writing, editing, researching and reporting on stories related to the entertainment industry.
