Name: James Eugene Carrey
Nickname: Jim Carrey
Birth Date: January 17, 1962
Occupation: Actor, Comedian, Writer, Producer, Painter, Cartoonist
Net worth: $180 million
Age: 58
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Last Updated: 2020
What Will I Learn?
Introduction
This man made us laugh until we cried, over and over again, with his eccentric over-the-top characters, while still managing to connect to the audience with his warmth and charm.
At Success Titan, we admire Jim’s vision, energy, and perseverance, which got him fame, recognition, and an astounding fortune of over $180 million.
Early Life
James Eugene Carrey, famously known as Jim Carrey, was born on the 17th of January 1962 in New Market, Ontario, Canada. His parents, Percy and Kathleen Carrey, lived with their four children, of which Jim Carrey was the youngest.
Jim Carrey’s struggle started very early in life as his family was not financially stable. Because of that he had to work eight-hours shifts after school as a janitor during his teenage years.
Career & Hustle
At the mere age of 10, Jim Carrey was already doing impressions of famous celebrities and over 150 comic voices. He even sent a letter requesting a job as a regular in Carol Burnett’s TV Show.
He eventually got a letter back from the show, although it said that they didn’t hire children in it, so asked Jim Carrey to stay in school and work hard.
In his early performances as an impressionist and stand-up comedian, he was often criticized by the audience, which made him doubt his own abilities as an entertainer.
However, instead of quitting, he decided to work on his impressions and content. After that he returned to the stage and started getting booked for regular paid shows. He was only 17 at the time.
The Turning Point
Although his popularity as a stand-up comedian was soaring, Jim Carrey was not satisfied because he wanted to get into the television and film industry.
He moved to Hollywood at 19 years old and auditioned to be a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Although he was not accepted, he got his first big break in Once Bitten in 1985, being only 23.
He went on to create his first TV Special, Jim Carrey: Unnatural Act in 1991, which landed him a cast-spot on the TV sketch comedy series In Living Color. Anyway, it was his 1994 film Ace Ventura: The Pet Detective that shot him into the global limelight.
Success Knocks on Jim Carrey’s Door
Jim Carrey became an overnight superstar with the release of Ace Ventura. His work in “The Mask” even earned him a golden globe nomination for Best Actor.
He went on to cash in $20 Million for his 1995 hit the Cable Guy, which is an extremely huge paycheck for actors even in modern standards.
He later went on to act in many comic and serious roles and amassed more Golden Globe nominations.
In 1998, Jim Carrey received the Golden Globe award for Best Actor for his performance in “The Truman Show”, as well as an academy award nomination.
After that he went on to play in some iconic roles such as the Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind in 2004 and earned overwhelming critical acclaim for the work.
CNN Reviewer Paul Clinton even called his performance in the movie “best and most mature performance ever”.
Struggles with Depression
Although Jim Carrey made a career out of making people laugh, he says that his humor was born out of desperation amidst growing up with an unemployed father and an ailing mother.
Even since his early years working as a Janitor, Carrey constantly carried the weight of his family’s financial struggles on his shoulders, which took a toll on his own mental health.
Depression was a constant battle for Carrey, and he has been on medication (Prozac) on and off for decades.
To further strengthen his mental health, Carrey quit alcohol, drugs, and even coffee, which he thought made it difficult for him to sleep.
Carrey says that the most effective help he has ever received was from himself when he started looking inwards, spiritually. Carrey practices transcendental meditation and strongly advocates for its benefits.
3 Lessons We Can Learn from Jim Carrey’s Story
1. Have a Dream
At the age of 10, Carrey had already learned how to make 150 impressions. He dreamt of performing and making people laugh at a very young age.
Even when working as a Janitor while he was at school, he wanted to pursue his dream. As a believer in the ‘law of attraction’ Carrey once had a powerful vision of receiving a $10 Million for a movie in 1991.
In 1995 he got his $20 Million paychecks. He had big dreams, and never let go of them.
2. Never Give Up
Jim Carrey faced rejection at every stage of his life. His first one came at the age of 10 when his letter from Carol Burnette said that they weren’t hiring. He was heartbroken to read that letter.
When he tried to perform his material in the local open-mic and comedy clubs in Canada, the audience consistently rejected him.
Even after being a comedian who was regularly booked, he was rejected from the Saturday Night Live show. But no matter what, he never gave up. His persistence drove him to success time and time again.
3. Always self-reflect and stay humble
Even though he reached the heights of success, Jim Carrey battled depression throughout his life. He knew that despite the money and fame, no one could escape something like depression.
He learned that as much care as we take care of our bodies, our jobs, and our relationships, we also need to take care of our minds. He started meditating, painting and even sculpting recently to get to his peace of mind.
5 Success Tips from Jim Carrey
1. Reflect on your work
After receiving criticism in his early works, Carrey could easily have blamed the audience for not understanding his jokes.
However, instead of sticking to his original content, he took up the challenge to satisfy the same audience that once rejected him.
He looked back on his material and worked hard to make it so that everyone loved it, no matter where they came from or what their background was.
2. Know your own abilities
He was doing well in the stand-up scene at a very young age, making enough money to take care of his family.
Carrey could have easily been satisfied with what he was doing and live a modest life. But he knew what he was capable of, believing in his own abilities.
He entered the TV industry and faced plenty of struggles. Despite that, his self confidence drove him all the way through to where he is today.
3. Perseverance is Key
Our ability to endure through the hardest of times in life is a testament to our real ability to succeed. Jim Carrey is a physical manifestation of perseverance. Jim Carrey’s reputation as an actor who could only do cheap physical humor was growing in the early-2000s.
Even though he had already made it big by then, there were many who criticized him for playing similar roles. Jim never took the criticism personally.
Instead he persevered, even at the peak of his career, internalized the criticism.
That brought him to receive critical acclaim for his role in the Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, a role which did not fit his usual genre of acting. He grew more and turned into a more refined versatile actor.
4. Listen to what people say, but know when to ignore
As Carrey’s interests evolved later in life, he moved away from the camera and put his mind towards painting and sculpting. Many people claimed that his depression had taken a toll on him.
However, it was not the case. No matter what people said, Carrey accepted his changing interest and did not stop the pursuit of it. This helped him stay focused, find out a purpose in life to lead a more meaningful one.
5. Stand up for yourself
In 2016, Jim Carrey was blamed for the suicide of his ex-girlfriend Cathriona white by her then-husband Mark Burton.
They were claiming that Carrey used his wealth and status to illegally obtain and distribute the drugs that led to her death.
Although Carrey could have easily settled the matter with lawyers, he went on to make this public statement:
What a terrible shame. It would be easy for me to get in a back room with this man’s lawyer and make this go away, but there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honor against the evil in this world.
I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit the woman I loved or me.
Cat’s troubles were born long before I met her, and sadly her tragic end was beyond anyone’s control. I really hope that someday soon, people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace.
Your Take-Away for Today
The story of Jim Carrey is one with a roller-coaster ride in life. His story tells us of hard work, dream, persistence, and perseverance. There is much to learn from him and apply it in our own lives.
One of the things that have fascinated me about him is how well he has managed to understand himself by choosing a spiritual path.
Although it can be difficult to apply, I think that we, too, should make an effort to understand ourselves better and focus on self-care as much as Carrey did. After all, only if the mind is sound will the body function at it’s best.
Did you get inspired by his story as well? Let us know how in the comment section below.
- Jim Carrey’s Net Worth - February 26, 2020