10 of the Best Jim Carrey Performances
If you were mad at my SNL list, you have Jim and friends to blame for that. I don't even feel bad for watching In Living Color instead of SNL growing up. The Wayans, Jim, Tommy, David and Jamie were the goods!
I already fawned over Jamie Foxx so it's time to give the Canadian, who hung with the brothers Wayans, his due!
Role/Rank:
#10- As The Riddler/Edward Nygma in... Batman Forever (1995)
Why, Though:
Not only is this a good Jim performance but I will never back down when it comes to my assertion that Batman Forever isn't a bad movie. It accomplishes what it wants to and it has Jim Carrey playing the RIDDLER! It seems like haters like to be selective when they respect the 66 Batman. Why do I think that? because Jim is clearly doing a Frank Gorshin riff. Miss me with that "he's too cartoonish" talk!
Role/Rank:
#9- As Ace Ventura in... Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
Why, Though:
The fact that the same character appears on this list twice speaks to how much of an impact Ace had on my life. I was let down by the lack of returning characters, but there was still Jim Carrey keeping the Ace jokes alive and Tommy Davidson makes an appearance as well.
Role/Rank:
#8- As Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask in... The Mask (1994)
Why, Though:
I was really looking forward to The Mask and it certainly did not disappoint. The only reason it doesn't appear higher on this list is because there is only so far the physical comedy of Jim Carrey can get him when we're talking about the best of the best performances. It's great, but like Robin Williams, there needs to be another layer. Let's see what else we've got here.
Role/Rank:
#7- As Ernie "Chip" Douglas/The Cable Guy in... The Cable Guy (1996)
Why, Though:
Yes, Jim played The Riddler before The Cable Guy, but this was the first insidious Jim Carrey villain. He still made me laugh, but I did worry that he might take things too far and I did worry that adult Simba may not, in fact, be safe. Yet and still, I didn't want Chip to be alone! It was a real roller coaster of a performance if you ask me!
Role/Rank:
#6- As Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Why, Though:
There was a real sense of pride I felt while watching funny man Jim Carrey get even more dramatic than past performances in this Michel Gondry joint! It also helped that the actual concept and execution of the film was mind bending and great to watch. While I acknowledge how well Jim did in this movie, I generally think of the visuals and how the story made me feel more than I think of Jim's performance when I look back fondly on this film.
Role/Rank:
#5- Count Olaf in... Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Why, Though:
There must be something about the Count Olaf character because I'm not even mad at Neil Patrick Harris taking over this role for the not great but pretty good Netflix show. Jim is the O.G. for me though. This performance gave Mr. Carrey the opportunity to play many different characters all while anchoring them with his initial Olaf character. Forget what you think about the movie as a whole, it is undoubtedly great watching Jim go to work in this movie. Plus Meryl's in it. Meryl can do no wrong... unless it's Julie and Julia!
Role/Rank:
#4- As Lloyd Christmas in... Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Why, Though:
I loved everything to do with Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. Everything he said seemed like it was instantly a classic quotable. The true secret to this performance, though, is how much, as a kid, I believed that Lloyd was in love. When he dreams about what life would be like with Mary, when he sees Harry on the date with Mary, you name it, I bought it! Now let's never talk about the sequel and just enjoy this classic!
Role/Rank:
#3- Ace Ventura in... Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
Why, Though:
I remember yanking on my mom's coat to show her that Fire Marshall Bill had his own movie when I saw this poster for the first time. Ace Ventura did not disappoint. It was just as funny as I wanted it to be when I finally saw it, and most of the sex/transphobia stuff was lost on me so I was able to just enjoy a funny movie about a guy who loves animals and gets paid to find them. Seriously though, this movie did not age well if you're talking about inclusivity.
Role/Rank:
#2- Truman Burbank in... The Truman Show (1998)
Why, Though:
The first "serious" Jim Carrey movie anyone really wanted to talk about. I still found it to be funny and the idea that maybe everyone my life was a paid actor too was very appealing to me. But it's not just about the funny performance or cool concept. it's about those final moments where Jim Carrey has done such a great job that you really are rooting for him to make it out of that storm so he can walk out that door at the end. And the way he says good bye is the perfect cherry on top. That's right this isn't just about the laughs, I legitimately felt like a fully realized character was on screen, not jus a clown for my amusement.
Role/Rank:
#1- Andy Kaufman in... Man on the Moon (1999)
Why, Though:
First the good news. This movie cannot be praised enough as far as I'm concerned. I didn't grow up with Andy's antics, but Jim Carrey's performance in this movie certainly made me want to go back and see more than just the Taxi episodes I remembered. Jim played a real life person and I didn't think "oh good for him" I just believed I was watching a movie with Andy Kaufman. Unfortunately, there's that documentary that was on Netflix that reveals that Jim was almost impossible to work with and that kind of bums me out. But if he was going to be difficult for a role, I'm glad it turned out like this!
-YG