Jim Carrey is truly blessed. After all, how many high school dropouts can you name that went on to make $25 million a paycheck? However, talent is talent whether you have a college degree or not, and there’s no denying that Jim Carrey is one of– if not the most– talented comedians of our time. And with such Oscar-worthy performances in The Truman Show, Man on the Moon and The Majestic, Carrey has proven himself over the years to be more than just another funny face, and well worth the $20 million a movie his presence commands.
But despite winning two Golden Globes for his dramatic turns in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon, audiences weren’t as receptive to Carrey’s serious side as his critics. Fans refused to take the man who once talked out of his a*s for laughs seriously, and kept waiting for him to return to his comedic roots. This resulted in Carrey having to slash his asking price when starring in a more serious picture since his name wasn’t as bankable headlining a drama. But Carrey’s salary ($20 million a picture) recently skyrocketed when he re-teamed with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”/“Liar Liar” director Tom Shadyac and “In Living Color”/“Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” screenwriter Steve Oedekerk to star in this summer’s heavenly comedy “Bruce Almighty,” a movie Universal Pictures is counting on as being one of the year’s biggest hits.
In Bruce Almighty, Carrey plays a role very easy to picture him in, the role of God. Actually, Carrey plays an ordinary, down-on-his-luck guy who gets God’s powers for a week while the Big Guy takes a vacation. But nevertheless, the role– as fictitious as it is– rings close to Carrey’s own life and not just because of the eerie coincidences that have occurred over the years ($10 million paycheck to himself ring a bell?). Right from the opening scene where an angered Bruce complains about how “no one takes him seriously” at the news station he works for, and how for every serious, important story he’s given he’s also given five fluffy, entertainment bits because he’s known as the reporter who can make people laugh, Bruce Almighty sounds like a story Carrey is all too familiar with.
As Carrey walks into the Burton Room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, his boyish charm is hard to ignore. His hair is a bit longer than fans are used to, with his bangs slightly matted (yet more fluffed up than his “Dumb & Dumber” days) across his forehead. He’s wearing a black jacket, unzipped, with a plaid blue flannel on underneath, the top three buttons undone. He’s calm and appears happy, and reacts humbling when Shadyac praises the 41-year-old comic. As the interview progresses, both Carrey and his shirt seem to come undone– Carrey, as he discusses his own faith and the powers that be which landed him on Hollywood’s A-list, and his shirt as it continues to unbutton (unnoticed by Carrey) right down until only two buttons are intact above his navel. Although our time together was limited, Carrey seemed to be comfortable with lying himself out like an open book, leaving few questions unanswered. And as honest and emotional as the interview was at times, somehow Carrey managed to keep a smile on everyone’s face, proving yet again how this Canadian can mix humor and drama seamlessly. As the interview came to an end, only one phrase could truly sum up the experience in its entirety– it was like seeing the powers of Jim Almighty at work first hand.
Get the interview in part two of JIM CARREY COMES UNDONE>>>
