Paramount Pictures
There are plenty of reasons to get all worked up over Jim Carrey’s recent confirmation of Dumb and Dumber To. The sequel to the 1994 hit comedy from the Farrelly Brothers is officially in the works and they’ve already nabbed a huge cameo appearance in Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence. As Carrey prepares to revisit (and reinvent) one of his seminal slapstick roles, we can’t help but think of all the movies he’s starred in that aren’t necessarily the first films people associate with his extensive career. Lloyd Christmas, Ace Ventura, and The Cable Guy were great, but here are a few amazing characters whom you might have forgotten.
Truman Burbank, The Truman Show
Easily one of the best films of the ’90s, The Truman Show was like a brilliant critique on reality television before reality television even took over the world. And Carrey’s performance of Truman Burbank – a man who unknowingly starred in his own show for his whole life – was one of his best. Naïve, desperate, laughable, and lovable, Carrey’s Truman Burbank was simultaneously the everyman next door and one in a million.
Andy Kaufman, Man On The Moon
Carrey took on iconic ’70s comedian Andy Kaufman and wowed audiences everywhere as he brought to life Kaufman as Kaufman and Kaufman as his beloved characters Tony Clifton and Latka Gravas from Taxi. Like any good biopic, the resemblance between the actor and the subject became a little bit uncanny, and Carrey was so good at being Kaufman, it was almost uncomfortable to watch at times. For this, Carrey took home the 2000 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy/Musical.
The Grinch, Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas
When director Ron Howard brought a childhood classic to the big screen, he knew casting the lead role would be everything. Carrey’s rendition of The Grinch was brilliant in that it paid homage to the strange, sad green monster in Dr. Seuss’s original tale, even as it inspired a very contemporary feel in the would-be villain of Whoville.
Joel, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Teaming up with Kate Winslet (who also gave one of the best performances of her career), Carey played another everyman-type character, of an especially awkward nature. After falling in love with Clementine and then watching the relationship turn sour he attempts to have her erased from his memory altogether. Most of the movie takes place in the actual mind of Joel, and his fight to save the memories of the love of his life turned Carrey the comedian into Carrey, the romantic indie heartthrob…well, sort of and if only for a moment.
Carl, Yes Man
Before Zooey Deschanel was the New Girl she was riding on the back of a motorcycle with Jim Carrey in the 2008 film Yes Man. Another romantic comedy made more interesting with Carrey’s performance, Yes Man tells the story of an average guy who becomes extraordinary when he learns to just say yes. Believe it or not, this film was based on a true story, as detailed in British comedian Danny Wallace’s book of the same name.
More:
Jennifer Lawrence Shoots Cameo For ‘Dumb and Dumber To’
How ‘Dumb and Dumber’ Changed Our Lives
10 Funniest Jim Carrey Movie Moments
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