Jim Carrey

Born

1962 · Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Roots

Canadian; French-Canadian and Scottish descent

Family

Working class

His accountant father — a saxophonist who chose the safe job and was fired anyway at 51 — moved the family into a VW camper when the money ran out.

Education

Dropped out at 16 while working eight-hour janitorial shifts after school

Started with

A $10M check

Wrote it to himself for 'acting services rendered,' postdated 1995, and kept it in his wallet while broke; he earned the sum before the date and placed the check in his father's casket.

Affiliations & societies

None documented.

Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1. 1977 · age 15
   Bombing at Yuk Yuk's

   First stand-up set, in an outfit his mother chose; he leaves the stage to silence.

2. 1979 · age 17
   Factory years end

   The family had worked as janitors and security at the Titan Wheels plant; he returns to comedy full-time.

3. 1983 · age 21
   Los Angeles

   Opens for Rodney Dangerfield at the Comedy Store.

4. 1990 · age 28
   In Living Color

   The sketch show makes his rubber-faced persona national.

5. 1994 · age 32
   Three hits in one year$20M

   Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber; two years later The Cable Guy makes him the first $20M actor.

6. 1998 · age 36
   The Truman Show

   The dramatic turn; he later speaks openly about lifelong depression and turns to painting.