We all know Jim Carrey - he's one of the funniest and goofiest guys in Hollywood. He’s played some iconic roles, but what many people don't know about this famous funnyman is that there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye.

He hasn’t had the easiest life - things were a little rough for him growing up. That didn’t stop him, though. He motivated himself and worked hard to become the successful comedian and actor that he is today. Jim Carrey has had an interesting life, filled with amusing moments and heartbreak. Some of his life experiences have made the news, but there is still a lot that we don’t know about him.

Here are 20 things fans don’t know about Jim Carrey’s private life.

20 Originally Born In Canada

So, what's one of the main things that many people might not realize about Jim Carrey? It's that he wasn’t born in America. In fact, he was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, back in 1962.

Although he makes his living acting in many American movies and television series, he didn’t become an American citizen until 2004.

19 He Wrote A Letter To Carol Burnett When He Was A Child

Jim had a passion for comedy, starting from a very young age. When he was just ten years old, he decided to write a letter to the comedienne, Carol Burnett, asking if he could have a role on The Carol Burnett Show. Of course, they declined his offer, but he was excited that the letter was actually answered!

18 He Wrote Himself A $10 Million Dollar Check Before He Hit It Big

When Jim was just starting out and in the 'struggling actor' category, he decided to set a pretty big goal for himself. He wrote himself a $10 million check and told himself he had to earn that within three years.

He met his goal when he got the role in Dumb & Dumber. He made  $10 million for that movie alone.

17 He Quit School At 15

Growing up, Jim went through a lot. His father lost his job as an accountant, and as a result, the family really started to suffer financially. He was the youngest of four children, and he decided that he needed to help out. As a result, he dropped out of high school at the age of 15.

Related: 20 Movies Jim Carrey Ruined (And 2 He Saved)

16 He Originally Tried Out For SNL

Jim Carrey is so funny that you’d think he’d be on a show like Saturday Night Live. Apparently, Jim thought so too, since he auditioned to be on the 1980-1981 season of the hit show.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the gig...however, he hosted the show three times in 1996, 2011, and 2014.

15 He Released A Children's Book

Jim Carrey is a man of many talents, and in 2013, he decided to put his writing talents to the test, by penning a children’s book. The book, titled How Roland Rolls, is about a scared little wave. The book shows children how to deal with frightening issues. This book was self-published by Jim Carrey.

14 He Was Married Multiple Times

Jim has had quite a few high-profile relationships. He dated plenty of well-known women - his relationship with Jenny McCarthy is probably the most famous of his romances - and he was married twice.

His first marriage was to Melissa Womer, a former actress and Comedy Store waitress. He was also married to actress, Lauren Holly.

13 He Has One Child

Even though he’s been married twice and has been in a multitude of relationships, he only has one child. His first marriage was to Melissa Womer and the two were married from 1987 to 1995. Together, they have one child, Jane, born in 1987. After Jane, Jim never had other children.

12 He Has A Star On Canada's Walk Of Fame

Now that we know that Jim Carrey was actually born in Canada, we can say that Jim is arguably one of the most famous celebrities to come out of Canada. In 2004, Canada recognized all of Jim’s achievements. He received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, along with many other famous Canadian celebs.

11 He Almost Played Captain Jack Sparrow

Over the years, Jim has played many iconic roles. There was a time that he almost played another, but the part slipped away from him. That was the infamous role of Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise.

Due to the fact that he was already obligated to film Bruce Almighty, he had to turn the part down. It went to Johnny Depp instead.

Related: Jim Carrey Crashed Conan During Jeff Daniels Interview

10 He Was The First Actor To Be Paid $20 Million

Jim Carrey hit a milestone when he was filming The Cable Guy. He was the first actor to receive a $20 million salary. We now live in a world where it’s very common for actors and actresses to get millions upon millions of dollars for doing movies, so this doesn’t seem like a crazy amount. However, at the time, it was a huge paycheck.

9 He Used To Write Letters To Tupac In Jail

Perhaps one of the most unlikely friendships you could possibly think of was Jim Carrey's friendship with the infamous rapper, Tupac Shakur. When Tupac was in jail, Jim actually wrote letters to him often. While Tupac was behind bars, Jim wanted to make him laugh...and generally lift his spirits. 

8 He Suffers From Depression

Sometimes, the people you’d least expect to deal with depression actually suffer greatly. Jim (unfortunately) is one of those people. He’s very open about his struggle with depression and talks about it publicly.

He’s been open about trying to find the right medication, as well as what life is like when he doesn't take medication.

7 He Wore Tap Shoes To Sleep As A Child

We now know that Jim had a really tough childhood, and as a result, he was always looking to lighten the mood for everyone in his family. To cheer up his family, he used to wear tap dancing shoes whenever he went to bed. He would perform for his parents in the middle of the night, just to make them smile.

6 He Had A Backup Career In Mind

Have you ever wondered what Jim would be doing for a living if he wasn't a rich star? Well, the truth is that he had the whole thing planned out. If he hadn’t become a successful comedian and actor, he claims he would be working at Dofasco Steel Mill in Ontario.

5 He Was On A Stamp

It’s pretty clear that Canada loves Jim Carrey. He was given a star on the Walk of Fame and the country also decided to honor him in a different way - by putting him on a stamp. In 2014, Canada Post honored him by releasing limited edition stamps with his face on them!

Related: 15 Celebs Who Came From Rough Backgrounds (And 5 Who Were Spoiled)

4 His Ex Committed Suicide

In 2015, Jim Carrey experienced a terrible tragedy. His former girlfriend, Cathriona White, committed suicide. She was found dead due to a prescription drug overdose. Even though the two were no longer together, Jim was devastated over her death. He even served a pallbearer when he attended her funeral.

3 He Was Sued For Wrongful Death

After Cathriona passed away, her estranged husband and mother filed a lawsuit against Jim Carrey, for wrongful death. They claimed that it was Jim who gave her the prescription drugs that she took before she overdosed. He was eventually cleared of those allegations and was not held responsible for her suicide.

2 He Loves To Paint

Another surprising fact about Jim Carrey? He absolutely loves to paint and he’s pretty good at it. He took up the hobby after he broke up with Jenny McCarthy, hoping that it would help him to deal with the heartbreak. He quickly fell in love with it...and painting soon became a huge part of his life.

1 He Was Never Nominated For An Academy Award

With all of the success that Jim Carey has had over the years, you’d expect him to have an abundance of awards for all of his iconic roles. What’s really surprising? He’s never been nominated for an Academy Award. However, some of his hard work paid off, since he did win two Golden Globes.

Next: 20 Actors We Have A Hard Time Watching