Jim Carrey Once Shared He Wanted to Destroy Hollywood
There was a point in time when actor Jim Carrey commanded the box office. The 90s in particular saw the comedian headline several commercial hits like The Mask and Liar Liar that stand the test of time. But although Carrey desired leading man success, he didn’t want to be a star to simply join Hollywood. Instead, the actor wanted to destroy it in his own way.
Jim Carrey left Hollywood because he didn’t like where the industry was going
At the peak of his career, Jim Carrey used to be everywhere. He was one of Hollywood’s biggest box-office draws, appearing in a string of commercial hits. But somewhere along the way, Carrey began to fade away a bit from the spotlight. The Dumb and Dumber star asserted that this was intentional. It wasn’t a result of a dramatic breakdown, however, but rather his own disappointment in the industry.
“I just didn’t want to be in the business anymore,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I didn’t like what was happening, the corporations taking over and all that. And maybe it’s because I felt pulled toward a different type of creative outlet and I really liked the control of painting — of not having a committee in the way telling me what the idea must be to appeal to a four-quadrant whatever.”
After a long hiatus, Carrey would later return to the industry. He’d take a leading part in the hit Showtime series Kidding, a role that was written specifically with him in mind. But although Carrey returned to Hollywood, he wasn’t trying to be the Jim Carrey that Hollywood was familiar with.
“I’m not back in the same way,” he confided. “I don’t feel I’m little Jim trying to hang on to a place in the stratosphere anymore — I don’t feel like I’m trying to hold on to anything.”
Jim Carrey wanted to destroy Hollywood
As many know, Carrey spent five seasons on the sketch comedy series In Living Color, where he was a standout. But it was the hit comedy film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective that really made Carrey a bonafide star. The comedian knew he was taking a bit of a risk with the film, but he trusted his instincts. Which later served him well.
“I knew this movie was going to either be something that people really went for, or it was going to ruin me completely,” Carrey told the LA Times. “From the beginning of my involvement, I said that the character had to be rock ‘n’ roll. He had to be the 007 of pet detectives. I wanted to be unstoppably ridiculous, and they let me go wild.”
Because of this, Carrey was allowed to cut loose and lean into his comedic sensibilities to bring out the best of his film.
“For me, it was a complete ego trip to become Ace,” he continued. “He’s got all the fast, funny answers to every situation. He can fight. He can make love. He’s the best. He’s completely happy with his lot in life and just wants to keep his pets well-fed.”
Carrey’s goofy yet lovable and capable pet detective helped Ace Ventura become a commercial hit. It not only spawned a franchise, but it launched Carrey’s career, turning him into a leading man. But Carry would later reveal he wanted more than to become a superstar. He wanted to change Hollywood’s image of what a leading man was or could be.
“My plan was not to join Hollywood, it was to destroy it. Like, take a gigantic sledgehammer to the leading man and to all the seriousness,” he said in the same interview with Hollywood Reporter.
Given his popularity during the peak of his career, it’s arguable that Carrey achieved just that.
Jim Carrey is fairly certain he’s retiring from acting
Carrey has experienced a slight career resurgence with his inclusion in the Sonic franchise. But it’s not a resurgence the superstar plans on maintaining for long. This is because, in an interview with Access, he shared that he was pretty sure he was done with acting.
“Well, I’m retiring,” Carrey said. “It depends if the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s gonna be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road. But I’m taking a break, yeah. I really like my quiet life, I really like putting paint in the canvass. I really love my spiritual life, but I feel like, and this is something you might never hear a celebrity say as long as time exists, I have enough.”
