Jim Carrey Announces His Likely Retirement From Acting During Interview

Mason Joseph Zimmer
Jim Carrey taking a bow in The Truman Show
youtube | Paramount Home Entertainment

For so many of us, some of our fondest childhood memories involved taking in a Jim Carrey movie and delighting in his energetic, unpredictable style and uncanny knack for physical comedy.

But of course, Carrey has proven over the years that he's not a man to be pigeonholed. Not only was this clear from his work in more cerebral films like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but also in his wide variety of other pursuits. In recent years, we've witnessed him explore his passions for drawing and painting and seen him co-write an ambitious semi-autobiographical novel called Memoirs and Misinformation.

And while his disillusionment with Hollywood that has tempted him to quit acting before appears as strong as ever, it seems there are other personal reasons why he's largely decided to retire after about 30 years in the spotlight.

On March 31, Access Hollywood uploaded an interview between Kit Hoover and Carrey that was largely intended to promote the latest installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise.

Jim Carrey drinking coffee as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog
youtube | Paramount Pictures

But after a few minutes of discussing his character Dr. Robotnik and his experiences playing the original video games with his grandson, Carrey casually mentioned that he's soon to retire from acting.

And he confirmed that he's serious about this, but also said that it depends on what roles could potentially be available to him in the future.

In Carrey's words, "If the angels bring some sort of script that's written in gold ink, that says to me that it's going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road. But I'm taking a break."

Jim Carrey smiling with beard
twitter | @JimCarrey

And his reasons largely seem to boil down to his interest in other pursuits and the fact that his preferred lifestyle often doesn't mesh with the hustle and bustle of the entertainment industry.

As he put it, "I really like my quiet life, and I really love putting paint on canvas, and I really love my spiritual life."

He's also maintained that he's satisfied with what he's accomplished as an actor, saying, "And I feel like — and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists – I have enough. I've done enough. I am enough."

That said, Hoover did mention a potentially attractive role for Carrey as she had recently interviewed Dolly Parton and learned that Parton wanted him to play her music partner in an upcoming biopic.

Still, that was the opportunity Carrey took to mention his retirement, so it remains to be seen if even Parton could convince him to make her project his final one.

Jim Carrey taking a bow in The Truman Show
youtube | Paramount Home Entertainment

But regardless, Carrey made a point of mentioning that his decision isn't so all-encompassing that he's planning to become a recluse.

As he said, "I'm going to continue to be in the world, no matter what. We have more of an effect on the world than we know. We don't have to be multi-hyphenates to affect the world."

h/t: YouTube | Access