Jim Carrey has had an extraordinary career in some of the greatest comedy movies of all time, but he’s equally accomplished in more serious dramatic roles. While many will point to classics like Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask, Carrey has consistently demonstrated his talent for mature, psychologically probing roles across various genres.
Some of Carrey’s career-defining parts come from incredibly serious films, as he’s pushed himself to portray complex characters in everything from acclaimed biopics to forgotten psychological thrillers. It might be true that audiences think of Carrey as a comedian first and foremost, but that’s just one dimension of an acting career that’s never been afraid to take risks.
Dark Crimes (2016)
Jim Carrey – Dark Crimes
With an abysmal 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Jim Carrey truly missed the mark in the little-known crime drama Dark Crimes. Carrey plays a disgraced detective who notices similarities between a cold case and a best-selling novel and begins following clues as he suspects the author of murder.
There’s a foreboding, self-serious atmosphere to Dark Crimes that echoes crime series like True Detective. However, despite Carrey giving it his all, the material he’s been given just isn’t up to scratch, and the film comes across as bleak, depressing, misogynistic, and forgettable. While it’s exciting to see Carrey try new things, his foray into the crime genre didn’t work.
The Number 23 (2007)
Jim Carrey – The Number 23 (2007)
Jim Carrey reunited with Batman Forever director Joel Schumacher for a serious psychological thriller that was miles apart from the campy eccentricities of The Riddler. Telling the story of a man who becomes obsessed with the 23 enigma after reading a book about the number and noticing eerie parallels to his own life story.
The Number 23 gave audiences a glimpse into the darker side of Carrey, which was already hinted at in movies like The Cable Guy. There’s a lot to like about his performance, but the truth is the film is all over the place and with a confusing narrative felt like a style-over-substance, self-serious mess.
The Majestic (2001)
The Majestic (2001)
As the only theatrical release from director Frank Darabont that isn’t based on Stephen King’s work, this Jim Carrey romantic drama did not have nearly the same cultural impact as his other films, such as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Instead, what we got was a forgotten tale of sentimentality and mistaken identity.
Carrey played an amnesia-suffering screenwriter accused of being a communist in the 1950s who is mistaken by a small town community for a World War II soldier believed to be missing in action. With plenty of interesting ideas and a great performance from Carrey, there’s a lot to like about The Majestic, but it doesn’t stand up against his best dramatic work.
The Cable Guy (1996)
Jim Carrey as Chip talking to Matthew Broderick as Steven in The Cable Guy (1996)
The Cable Guy caught audiences by surprise back in 1996. While audiences had grown accustomed to Carrey’s wacky onscreen persona in movies like Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask, this black comedy was much darker and revealed a sinister side to the actor that we hadn’t seen before.
As the stalkerish cable guy Chip, Carrey came across as an annoying but ultimately harmless guy in need of a friend. However, the way that he became hyper-focused on his customer, Steven (Matthew Broderick), became increasingly worrying as the film progressed. Ultimately, this was a fascinating glimpse into Carrey’s dramatic side and opened the doors to more daring roles in later years.
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Based on the real-life story of con artist, impostor, and multiple prison escapee Steven Jay Russell, I Love You, Phillip Morris saw Carrey stretch himself once again with a role that showcased just how truly versatile he is. Although presented as a black comedy, this odd love story delved into serious LGBTQ+ themes and the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s.
With Carrey delivering a top-tier performance opposite Ewan McGregor as his lover Phillip Morris, this true story of men incarcerated and prison escape was wild from start to finish. I Love You Phillip Morris is simultaneously an excellent showcase of Carrey’s comedy genius and one of his best dramatic roles to date.
Man On The Moon (1999)
Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999)
Jim Carrey’s first foray into true stories was playing the ‘anti-comedian’ Andy Kaufman in the incredible biopic Man on the Moon. In a role that not only embodied the totality of Kaufman’s unique persona but also other characters like Tony Clifton and Latka Gravas, there was nobody more suited to tackle this role than Carrey.
Man on the Moon was more than just a movie for Carrey; he took it incredibly seriously, going full method and staying in character as Kaufman on set, as seen in the documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. While the film flopped at the box office, its reputation has grown in stature, and it stands out as one of Carrey’s defining movies.
The Truman Show (1998)
Jim Carrey smiling at the door in a scene from The Truman ShowMelinda Sue Gordon / ©Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Few films have a concept that hooks you in as quickly as The Truman Show, which tells the story of a man whose entire life is a carefully constructed reality TV series. With Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, it was thrilling to watch him slowly discover that everyone around him is a hired actor and that nothing he’s ever experienced was ever truly genuine.
Tackling themes of ethics, media, and identity, The Truman Show was the movie that showed the world Carrey had far more up his sleeve than simply being a wacky comedian. As an existential exploration of the very concept of selfhood, The Truman Show was as thought-provoking as it was hilarious and signaled the path forward for the rest of Carrey’s career.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Jim Carrey had been toying with dramatic roles for years, but it was not until Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that he truly embraced this side of his persona. As a romantic psychological exploration of love, heartache, and memory itself, the role of Joel Barish stands out as one of Carrey’s very best.
Eternal Sunshine told the story of a man who regrets choosing to have the memories of his old relationship erased. With Joel, we go on a journey through his love life and experience the deep anguish and regret he feels as he struggles to let go in what stands as perhaps the greatest break-up movie of all time.
Birthdate
January 17, 1962
Birthplace
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
