Jim Carrey would stare at himself in the mirror for hours whilst growing up

Jim Carrey is a veteran in the comedy industry and his eccentric slapstick style didn’t come without a few quirks during his childhood.

Jim Carrey‘s signature grin and zany personality earned him the title of Hollywood‘s king of comedy in the 1990s thanks to the Ace Ventura films. To this day, the actor, 62, is everyone’s favorite Christmas pessimist: The Grinch. He’s known for diving deep into his roles, even off-screen as he tormented the staff of Man On The Moon (1999) while staying in his Andy Kaufman character. The craziness and wittiness are natural talents, of course, but his favorite childhood pastime also had something to do with it.

Jim Carrey ‘didn’t know’ he needed to make friends as a child

Throughout the years, Carrey hasn’t been afraid to acknowledge his “tough times” during childhood, which occurred after his accountant father lost his job when Jim was 12 years old. Going from a middle-class environment to living in a car as a teen, the family worked together as security guards and janitors to make ends meet.

Working eight-hour shifts after school was an exhausting routine but Carrey was comfortable enough with his own company. “I spent most of my time in my room staring at a mirror. I never knew I was supposed to socialize,” he told Interview Magazine. “I just spent hours making faces at myself, having a good time.” The very same faces that became his signature trait on stage.

Living in a Volkswagon camper and pitching tents around Ontario, Canada wasn’t the smoothest way to grow up, but the Batman Forever actor noted it was “a lot of fun” and better than his father staying at his hated accountant job.

“I’m thinking back on all these old memories. Lots of people say if you dredge too much stuff up, you’ll go crazy – ‘you’ll go insane!’ But for a comedian, insanity is not a problem. It’s a goal,” he said.

His parents died within five years of each other

Carrey’s Hollywood career was taking off in the early 1990s but his life off-screen was hit by struck by tragedy. His mother, Kathleen, died in 1989, followed by his father in 1994. They were aged 61 and 67, respectively.

In an interview with People, the actor revealed Kathleen was addicted to pain medication when he was a child, noting that although she was present and supportive of his comedy career, he felt “abandoned” due to her struggles.

Kathleen Carrey’s cause of death was not publically released. Both parents are buried together in Ontario, Canada.

Reinaldo Massengill

Update: 2024-06-28

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