Dark truth behind why Jim Carrey quit Hollywood 10 years ago
Jim Carrey may be a comedic legend and one of the most eccentric actors of his time, but he enjoys remaining out of the spotlight nowadays.
You may remember his many blockbuster film titles in the 90s and 00s, such as The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar and many, many others but the seasoned actor isn't part of many large-scale productions nowadays.
As a matter of fact, Carrey has only starred in Sonic the Hedgehog and its two sequels this decade while largely avoiding scripts that come across his desk for one reason.
Known for his several facial expressions and exaggerated movements in performances, the Canadian-American actor also showcased his skills in the drama genre through the likes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Truman Show.
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While making hundreds of millions of dollars over the years, you'd think the 63-year-old would want to continue raking in the bills with the prestige that his name holds in the industry.
But this wasn't the case at all, telling Access Hollywood in 2022 that he was 'retiring', in a decision which he claimed he was 'being fairly serious' about.
He made the claim while promoting Sonic the Hedgehog 2, adding that if 'angels bring down some sort of script that's written in gold ink' that is important for people to see, he would reconsider it, but he planned to take time away from the screen.
"I really like my quiet life and I really like putting paint on canvas and I really love my spiritual life and I feel like - and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists - I have enough," he claimed, saying he had 'done enough' and that he himself was 'enough'.
In the last ten years, he has only appeared in the Sonic franchise, effectively quitting Hollywood for this reason - though he did explain why he returned to play Dr Robotnik aka Dr Eggman.
Seemingly being the script written in gold, he told the Associated Press in December 2024 that he relished playing 'a genius', which he said was 'a bit of a stretch'.
"And you know, I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly," he candidly admitted.
Speaking more about his return during the 2024 film's Los Angeles premiere, he told E! News that you tend to 'get a new appreciation' for things when you step away for a moment, resulting in a 'different angle on the whole thing'.
Carrey said that he gets 'value' of being out of people's faces, explaining: "I mean, some people just want to be in people's faces all the time, and I don't, so I like to give them a rest."
Sadly, the actor has been dealing with some personal issues in the past decade or so, after his ex-girlfriend Cathriona White took her own life back in 2015.
Carrey continues to turn roles down as a source claimed to The Sun that the actor now resides in Hawaii and avoids most work as 'the industry drained him', taking away his love for acting.
A source claiming to be close to Carrey, who is said to be living a private life in Hawaii, has suggested that he continues to be offered 'three or four movies a year, sometimes for $5 or $6 million, but he turns them all down'.
Topics: Jim Carrey, Celebrity, Film
Joshua Nair