Known for his hilariously expressive face and energetic slapstick performances, Jim Carrey is, without a doubt, one of the most beloved actors in the last three decades.
The two-time Golden Globe-winner, whose real name is James Eugene Carrey, was born in Toronto, Canada. He discovered his talent for making impressions at the young age of 8 when he would make faces in front of the mirror. He had his first stand-up comedy experience when he was 15 years old. He started acting when he was 21 and got his first lead role at 22 in the sitcom “The Duck Factory” (1984). He rose to fame at 28 with the American sketch comedy television series “In Living Color” (1990–1994).
Jim Carrey is considered one of the top 50 highest-grossing actors of all time. Thirteen of his films grossed over $250 million at the worldwide box office — with “Bruce Almighty” (2003) as the highest-grossing film of all. His most iconic movies include “The Mask” (1994), “Dumb and Dumber” (1994), “The Cable Guy” (1996), “Liar Liar” (1997), “The Truman Show” (1998), “Man on the Moon” (1999), and “I Love You Phillip Morris” (2009).
Speculations about Jim Carrey’s sexuality have emerged partly due to his portrayal of flamboyant and eccentric characters in movies, as well as his expressive and non-conforming personality. Additionally, his support for LGBTQ+ rights has further fueled discussions and assumptions about his sexual orientation. Now, the million-dollar question is — Is Jim Carrey gay? Let’s find out.
VOTE: What is Jim Carrey’s Sexuality?
On Jim Carrey’s First Ever Gay Role
In his 2009 movie, “I Love You Phillip Morris”, Jim Carrey, whose character in the movie is gay, had a kissing scene with his co-actor, Ewan McGregor.
During his appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” where the host asked him if he was worried about his image as a heterosexual leading man playing a homosexual role, Carrey replied with:
We haven’t grown at all, have we? We’re still children in the schoolyard.”
In another interview with Global Grind, the actor shared how it felt like to kiss another male actor.
It’s like kissing a woman with hair.”
Unlike McGregor, who had already played a gay role before, it was Carrey’s first time to do so. And in an interview with Reuters, the comedy actor admitted that he had initial fears about making the film.
If I were to be really honest, there’s a homophobic voice that rises up inside me and goes ‘Gee this is kind of scary’. First of all, what will people think? And second of all, will I like it? Will I like kissing Ewan?”
Jim Carry shared
But even with the initial fears, the actor said that as soon as he had read the script, he knew right away that he wanted to do the movie. It was a no-brainer for him.
As soon as I read the script, it was like ‘Eternal Sunshine’ and it was like ‘Truman Show.’ It was a no-brainer for me that I had to do it. There were some people in my life that were saying, ‘You really want to do that? You really want to do that scene? I mean, honestly, that’s going to stick in people’s minds.’ And I said, ‘Exactly. I want to do things that stick in people’s minds.'”
the actor said in an interview with Chicago Tribune
When asked about his experience of doing an intimate scene with McGregor, the actor described it as “strangely usual. It’s not terribly much of a big deal.”
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Jim Carrey’s Past Relationships and Failed Marriages
Jim Carrey’s dating history is anything but dull with all the high-profile celebrities that have been romantically linked to him. The actor had been through two marriages, as well.
Here’s a list of the women whom the actor had been in a relationship with in the past.
Jim Carrey dated singer Linda Ronstadt for 8 months in 1983. There was a 15-year age gap between the two as Carrey was just a 21-year-old aspiring comedian at that time, while Ronstadt, at 36 years old, had been in the industry for a decade already.
Linda Ronstadt has a special place in the book because, you know, it may have seemed like some … boy-toy kind of situation to some people looking at it from the outside but she treated me with incredible respect. She loved my talent and respected my talent – we’d hang out and she’d say, ‘You’re going to be where I am. You’re going to deal with all the stuff I’ve dealt with’.”
Carrey shared about his relationship with Ronstadt
Then the actor dated actress Melissa Womer in 1986. They got married in 1987, one year after they started dating. The marriage lasted for 8 years and they got divorced in 1995. They have a daughter together, Jane Erin Carrey, who’s now a 35-year-old actress herself.
Carrey also went out with actress Lauren Holly in 1994. They dated for two years before they got married in 1996. The marriage, however, only lasted for one year as they got divorced in 1997.
Then there’s actress Charlotte Lewis, whom Carrey dated in 1999. The relationship was brief and there weren’t much details about it.
After working together in the movie “Me, Myself & Irene” (1999), Carrey dated his co-star Renee Zellweger. They were together for one year and actually got engaged before they broke up in 2000. The actor then called Zellweger the “great love of my life” in a 2020 interview with Howard Stern.
The actor was also linked to actress Laurie Holden after working together in the movie “The Majestic” (2001). The romance was, however, brief.
Carrey was then rumored to have dated actress January Jones in 2002. The relationship didn’t last long as Carrey found out that the actress was also dating oil heir, Brandon Davis, at the same time.
Then there’s former Russian prima ballerina, Anastasiya Volochkova. Carrey dated her in 2002 but there were little to no details about their relationship.
In 2004, Carrey went out with fashion model Anine Bing and the relationship was said to last for almost 2 years.
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Carrey and actress Jenny McCarthy were also romantically linked in 2005. They were in a relationship for five years before they called it quits in 2010.
The actor was also rumored to have dated model and America’s Next Top Model alumna, Anchal Joseph, in 2011. They sparked dating rumors after being spotted leaving the Broadway theater hand in hand.
In 2012, Jim Carrey also dated a then-NYU student, Anastasia Vitkina, who was now a fashion designer. They were often spotted together and people thought she’d marry the actor. However, the romance didn’t last long.
Carrey was then romantically linked to Irish make-up artist Cathriona White from 2012 until her death in 2015. White died of suicide by prescription drug overdose. White’s ex-husband and mother filed wrongful death lawsuits against Carrey, which were eventually dismissed.
In 2019, Carrey dated comedian Ginger Gonzaga. They worked together on the series “Kidding”. They made their relationship official when they attended the red carpet for the Golden Globe Awards together. The relationship was brief, though. They have reportedly called it quits less than a year since they started dating.
I don’t regret — I don’t have those things. But I do appreciate the people that have come through my life for the good that they gave me … but I don’t pine for anybody. It’s not that kind of situation. It’s just my way of saying, ‘There was a very important thing there,’ and to recognise that.”
Jim Carrey said, pertaining to his past relationships
Is Jim Carrey Gay?
Jim Carrey was gay — in one of his movies, that’s it. But the actor is straight in real life. His long list of ex-wives and past girlfriends is enough proof that he had always been into women. There is absolutely nothing to prove otherwise.