Jim Carrey Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Jim Carrey’s net worth and salary?

With a net worth of $180 million, Jim Carrey stands out as a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and producer. For approximately ten years, he was the most renowned actor globally. His involvement in any comedic project guaranteed significant financial success for the studio fortunate enough to cast him in a leading role. Over a span of two decades, he consistently ranked among the highest-paid actors worldwide, earning a base salary exceeding $20 million per film. He made history as the first actor to receive $20 million for a movie and has accrued at least $300 million from film salaries and bonuses to date.

During the late 70s, Jim Carrey was already making a name for himself as a stand-up comedian in Canada when he caught the attention of Rodney Dangerfield. After touring as an opening act for Dangerfield, he relocated to Las Vegas and later to California, all while amassing a dedicated audience with his impressive impressions and quirky humor. By the early 80s, the television and film industries sought him out. Following a series of low-budget movies and a role in the short-lived show “The Duck Factory,” he began landing prominent parts in projects such as “Earth Girls Are Easy,” “Once Bitten,” and “Peggy Sue Got Married.”

In 1990, he joined the cast of “In Living Color,” a sketch comedy series that would significantly broaden his audience and elevate his fame. In 1994, he successfully transitioned his television success into a leading role in the blockbuster film “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Over the following decade, he asserted his dominance in the comedy film sector with a series of successful projects, including “The Mask,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Liar Liar,” and “Bruce Almighty,” along with several films that artfully merged comedy and drama, such as “The Truman Show,” “Man on the Moon,” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Highest Paid Actor

Throughout the late 1990s and into the 2000s, Jim Carrey consistently ranked among the highest-paid entertainers worldwide. Notably, he was the first actor ever to secure $20 million for a single film, achieving this milestone with the 1996 movie “The Cable Guy.” To date, he has earned hundreds of millions from film salaries and backend bonuses throughout his career.

Early Life

Born on January 17, 1962, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, Jim Carrey was raised by a homemaker mother and an accountant father. At age 12, following his father’s job loss, the family faced homelessness. They lived out of a van while working night shifts as janitors and security guards at a nearby factory to survive. After attending school during the day, a teenage Jim often put in a full eight-hour shift at the factory.

Showcasing his natural comedic talent and impersonation skills, traits he inherited from his father, Jim began his professional journey as a stand-up comedian in Toronto clubs at just 15. His father would drive him to performances, and Jim opted to drop out of high school to chase his aspirations. Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles, where he caught the attention of Rodney Dangerfield during a performance at The Comedy Store, leading to his role as an opening act.

Blank Check Come True

According

According to legend, Jim Carrey, who was extremely broke and depressed in 1985, drove his dilapidated Toyota Camry into the Hollywood Hills. While gazing over all of Los Angeles, he wrote himself a check for $10 million “for acting services rendered,” dating it ten years into the future. He kept this check in his wallet, and a spoiler alert: within that decade, his dream was realized. When Jim’s father passed away in 1994, he placed the check into his father’s casket.

Success

In 1990, Carrey had his first taste of fame on the Wayans brothers’ sketch comedy series “In Living Color.” It was here that he captivated audiences with memorable characters like the masochistic and clumsy Fire Marshal Bill. Jim continued with the show until its conclusion in 1995, but just before its end, he made a significant movie debut with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” which quickly became a blockbuster, turning him into a household name overnight. That same year, he also appeared in box-office successes, “The Mask” and “Dumb and Dumber.” For his subsequent film, “The Cable Guy,” he commanded a salary of $20 million, setting a new record.

Other notable comedic films featuring Carrey include “Liar, Liar,” “Bruce Almighty,” “Me, Myself, and Irene,” and “Yes Man.” He has also showcased his acting prowess in various dramas and dramedies, such as “The Truman Show,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “The Majestic,” “Man on the Moon,” and the thriller “The Number 23.” More recently, Jim Carrey took on the role of Dr. Robotnik in “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020) and its sequel, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” (2022). Carrey’s performance in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” marked the highest opening of his career, earning $72 million in its first weekend at the US box office.

Salary Highlights

Jim’s initial significant paycheck was earned from “In Living Color,” where he made $25,000 for each episode, amounting to about $3.2 million from the series’ 127 episodes, which is equivalent to around $6 million today.

In 1994, Jim received $350,000 for the first “Ace Ventura” film. Following its success, grossing $100 million against a $15 million budget, he was quickly compensated with $15 million for the sequel, released in 1996. That same year, Jim earned $540,000 for starring in “The Mask,” which ultimately grossed $350 million. He also made $7 million for his role in “Dumb & Dumber.”

Jim was the first actor ever to surpass the prestigious $20 million base salary threshold, achieving this with “The Cable Guy” in 1996. His $20 million earnings constituted nearly half of the film’s overall budget. It’s worth noting that earning $20 million in the mid-1990s would be comparable to earning roughly $34 million for a movie today.

He continued to receive a base salary of $20 million for the following films:

• The Cable Guy
• Batman Forever
• Liar Liar
• Me, Myself & Irene
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Yes Man

For his role in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Jim also had rights to a portion of merchandise sales. In “Yes Man,” he received 36.2% of profits, resulting in a total payday of $35 million, which ranks among the 30 largest paychecks in film history.

Between 1994 and 2008 alone, Jim amassed an impressive $200 million from his salaries.

Over the coming decade, he amassed at least an additional $100 million, which brings his total film salary earnings to an estimated over $300 million.

Personal Life

Jim Carrey has had two marriages. His first union was with Melissa Womer from 1987 until 1995, and together they have a daughter named Jane Erin Carrey, who appeared as a contestant on American Idol in 2012. In 1996, he tied the knot with his Dumb & Dumber co-star Lauren Holly, but this marriage lasted under a year. From 2005 to 2010, he was in a relationship with model and actress Jenny McCarthy. He then dated makeup artist Cathriona White from 2012 until her tragic drug overdose death in 2015. Lastly, Carrey was in a brief relationship with Ginger Gonzaga in 2019 that lasted less than a year.

Awards

Throughout his career, Jim has garnered over 40 significant awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for The Truman Show in 1999 and for Man on the Moon in 2000. In 2006, he received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. Furthermore, in 2013, he was awarded the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award for his children’s book, “How Roland Rolls.”

Brentwood Estate

Jim possesses several residences across the United States, with his primary residence being a vast estate located in Brentwood, Los Angeles. He acquired the first property of this compound in 1994 for $3.8 million (equivalent to around $6.6 million today). In 2000, he added a one-acre lot next door for $1.7 million. The estate now comprises a large guest house, swimming pool, and tennis court, all secured by approximately 300 feet of fencing and hedges. Spanning two acres, the compound offers 13,000 square feet of living space. In February 2023, Jim placed his Brentwood estate on the market for $28.9 million.

Other Properties:

In 2002, he invested $9.75 million in a beachfront mansion located in Malibu, which he listed for sale in 2011 at $18 million and ultimately sold in 2013 for $13.4 million.

Additionally, Jim owns an apartment in New York City.