Jim Carrey became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the 90s. After appearing on the sketch show In Living Color, Carrey became recognized for his roles in films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Heading into the 2000s, Carrey had cemented himself as a comedy icon.
Since 2020, Carrey has made a comeback to the big and small screens. He is set to reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik in the upcoming sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog. He also had a brief, acclaimed turn as Joe Biden during the 2020 election on SNL. However, these ten film roles may be some of his lesser-known acting achievements.
10 Doing Time On Maple Drive
In 1992, Jim Carrey was mostly known for being a wacky sketch comedy star. However, he got to flex his dramatic chops for the first time in Doing Time on Maple Drive, a made-for-TV movie that premiered on Fox. Though one of Carrey's lesser-known roles, the film won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.
In the film, Carrey plays one of three siblings in a dysfunctional family. Tim, Carrey's character, is an alcoholic who works in his father's restaurant. The film was praised for its inclusivity of gay characters, and despite Carrey's role being merely a supporting character, it's a visually stunning and emotionally gripping story.
9 The Cable Guy
One thing Jim Carrey knows how to do best is to play characters who are as eccentric as they are dark. That certainly describes his character from the 1996 comedy The Cable Guy. Directed by Ben Stiller, the film finds Carrey as an obsessive cable repairman who invades the life of a client played by Matthew Broderick.
The Cable Guy is perhaps one of the best roles in Carrey's career in terms of fitting the actor's comedic stylings. The television-obsessed cable guy is an enigma to both Broderick's Steven and audiences. Carrey even reprised the role over twenty years later in a commercial for Verizon 5G during the 2022 Super Bowl.
8 The Truman Show
The Truman Show was released in 1998 and is often seen as one of Jim Carrey's best roles. In the film, Carrey plays the titular Truman Burbank, a man who discovers that he's unknowingly grown up on the set of a TV show starring himself. Realizing everyone in his life is an actor, Truman seeks to break free of his simulated confines.
What's so brilliant about Carrey's performance in this film is his ability to alternate between heart-wrenching drama and wily comedy. Viewers truly get a sense that Truman feels like he's going insane. However, it all climaxes in a very satisfying ending between Carrey and co-star Ed Harris.
7 Man On The Moon
Jim Carrey actually won a Golden Globe for his performance in this 1999 biopic. The film finds Carrey portraying real-life entertainer Andy Kaufman, whose career on stage and TV in the 70s and 80s confounded audiences. Carrey stars alongside many of Kaufman's former co-stars, such as Danny Devito and Jerry Lawler.
The movie traces Kaufman's life from childhood, to Taxi, all the way to his death (or, depending on who you ask, his faked death). This is a must-watch for any fan of comedy who may not be familiar with Kaufman's work. The film recreates many of Kaufman's greatest publicity stunts, questioning what was real and what was fake.
6 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Charlie Kaufman's films are usually mind-bending, and Eternal Sunshine is no exception. Jim Carrey stars as Joel Barish, a man who undergoes a procedure to erase his girlfriend Clementine, played by Kate Winslet, from his memory. In true Kaufman fashion, Joel is forced to relive his entire relationship with Clementine.
The film garnered a lot of praise upon release, even netting Winslet an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Carrey also received award nominations and acclaim for being cast against type, portraying an introverted loner rather than his usual, crazy everyman.
5 Horton Hears A Who!
One of Carrey's most recognizable roles was in the live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In 2008, Carrey got to enter the world of Seuss for the second time in the animated film Horton Hears a Who! Carrey plays the titular Horton, an elephant who discovers a community called Whoville inside a plant.
This film is a far cry from some of Carrey's other roles, which find the actor playing selfish, often morally bankrupt characters, such as Liar Liar or Me, Myself and Irene. However, Horton is a gentle, thoughtful elephant who befriends the Whos. The film also features an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Will Arnett, and Selena Gomez.
4 Yes Man
The 2008 comedy film Yes Man finds Carrey back in familiar territory. Based on a 2005 memoir by Danny Wallace, Carrey plays Carl, a man who attends a motivational seminar encouraging its attendants to say yes to everything. As a result, Carl lives his life by that mantra, making it a goal to say yes as often as he can.
Above all else, this film is a great opportunity to put Carrey in humorous situations as a result of his determination to say yes. Eventually, he even begins to fall in love with Zooey Deschanel's Allison. However, the film's highlight is a scene where Carl talks a man off a ledge by singing Third Eye Blind's "Jumper" to him in front of a crowd.
3 I Love You Phillip Morris
Carrey returned to the biopic genre with the 2009 LGBTQ comedy I Love You Phillip Morris. Carrey stars alongside Ewan McGregor as a con artist who falls in love with a fellow prison inmate. After McGregor's titular character is released, Carrey's Steven Jay Russell becomes determined to escape prison to reunite with his former lover.
The film reunites Carrey with his former The Cable Guy co-star Leslie Mann, who plays Russell's wife, Debbie. It's also the second role Carrey plays that involves a character faking their death, ironically enough. However, most of the film is mainly driven by the chemistry between Carrey and McGregor as co-stars.
2 Mr. Popper's Penguins
Mr. Popper's Penguins is mostly known as a children's book published in 1983 about a man who comes into possession of a family of penguins. In 2011, Jim Carrey starred in an adaptation of the book, however with some key adjustments. Here, Mr. Popper is a wealthy entrepreneur who inherits several penguins from his father.
While many critics found the film inoffensive and bland, it makes for a fun, entertaining watch for children. Additionally, Carrey's performance, along with co-star Carla Gugino, was praised by critics. Overall, it's a delightful movie, albeit one that might not be incredibly memorable for most audience members.
1 Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
In 2017, Jim Carrey starred in a documentary film on Netflix recounting the behind-the-scenes of his performance in Man on the Moon. For those who enjoyed the 1999 film, this is a fascinating follow-up to the story of Kaufman's reality-bending antics. It also, in all fairness, makes Carrey out to be not the best actor to work with.
During the production of the film, Carrey method-acted by staying in the role of Kaufman. This led to conflicts with co-stars like Jerry Lawler and moments where Carrey insisted on dressing up as Tony Clifton for a party at the Playboy Mansion. It's very insightful and philosophical, if sometimes a frustrating watch.