Jim Carrey's idiosyncratic comedy has been causing hysterical laughter across the globe since the 80s. He's come a long way from his humble beginnings doing stand-up at a comedy club in Toronto. He was only 15, and he's never stopped since. By the age of 21, he starred in a television film called Introducing...Janet. After that, he started appearing on other TV programs like The Duck Factory and Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act. These projects eventually led him to become a regular on the hit sketch comedy series In Living Color.

Not long after that, he played a role in the 1984 film Finders Keepers. But it wasn't until ten years later that he attained success in films. In 1994 he brought us The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Dumb and Dumber. He was just starting then, yet all three movies became box office smash hits that year. Until now, it's one of the most celebrated achievements in box office history. But Carrey's past behind the scenes hasn't always been as colorful. Behind his wacky acts, it's actually loneliness that fuels him to pursue comedy.

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He Was A Fearful Kid

Jim Carrey grew up constantly fearing that his parents, who were heavy smokers, would die. "I remember locking myself in the bathroom and crying because I thought they were going to die. They banged on the door, telling me to come out. I don't know if I got over that fear at that time; it was just kind of with me," Carrey told The Hollywood Reporter.

It didn't help that his mother would also talk about her poor health during dinner. "I remember being seven years old and my mother at the dinner table saying things like, 'My brain is deteriorating at an incredible rate!' or 'My angina's acting up; I could go at any time!' Things like that would just shake me to the core," the actor recalled.

This fear inspired Carrey not only to take up a career in comedy but also to publish a children's book that deconstructs existentialism. The Bruce Almighty star believes that a lot of serious topics directly affect the consciousness of young people. Pretty dark, right?

"Kids have profound feelings and profound questions that people don't give them credit for," Carrey explained. "They think about life and death and 'What happens when something happens to Mom? What happens when something happens to me?'"

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He Didn't Socialize Much Growing Up

The Liar Liar actor didn't have any interest in socializing with other kids growing up. "Well, I spent most of my time in my room staring at a mirror. I never knew I was supposed to socialize," he told Interview. He admitted to spending hours in front of the mirror, making faces at himself. He described the memory as him just "having a good time."

It must have been heavy to hold a tremendous amount of fear from things going on at home with no friend to confide in. However, the actor admits that not wanting to socialize may have been self-imposed. He's just the type who loves being in his own company and thrives more when he's driving solo. Evidently, that has led him to develop his distinct animated acting at such an early age.

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He Has Suffered From Depression As An Adult

Carrey once said, "I act because I'm broken in a lot of pieces, and acting gives me a chance to reconfigure those pieces into thousand different things that are positive for people who watch." As a kid, the Yes Man star already experienced a lot of things that made him question his existence and the reality he's in. And in the last years, we've seen the actor transform into a more existential and introspective version of himself. That might have been a result of recognizing his past traumas and going through some more pains.

Jim Carrey has opened up about his depression several times before. Based on the interviews, the public's perception of the actor has contributed to his emotional struggles. According to him, people have a hard time reconciling the fact that he's actually a serious guy behind the camera. In a way, it also influenced his view of himself. He never thought of quitting acting, although he did lie low and forayed into doing art for a bit.

He started painting as a form of therapy. "When I really started painting a lot, I had become so obsessed that there was nowhere to move in my home. Paintings were everywhere, they were becoming part of the furniture. I was eating on them," Carrey said. But he continues to act, channeling his experiences and emotions into enjoyable and meaningful comedy for his fans.

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