Hollywood help: The filmmaker Jim Carrey called his “champion”
Though Jim Carrey is a household name today, even he needed to start somewhere. For actors who are first getting started in the film industry, it can be crucial to have a friend in the industry cheering them on, and it was no different when Jim Carrey was first starting out as an actor and comedian.
Carrey got his start in comedy while he was still very young, performing his first stand-up show at the age of 15. He was inspired by his father who had relinquished his own performing dreams and regretted it. As Carrey later put it: “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
So, he got behind a microphone as soon as he got the chance. However, it wasn’t until he moved to Los Angeles several years later that he began to be cast in comedy films. He realised that in this dog-eat-dog world, failing was an ever-present, and you need a pal to help you out. Thankfully, it was during his time doing impressionist and stand-up routines that Carrey first met the filmmaker that he would go on to call his friend and “champion”.
When asked about working with writer and director Judd Apatow, Carrey shared nothing but positive comments about his friend and fellow comedian. “I need Judd. I love Judd. We practically started out together,” he shared. Apatow was equally uncompromising in his view that comedy should be approached with dreamy integrity, and together, they made a pact to bring this to fruition.
Carrey elaborated: “He was one of the first guys who saw me do the crazy stuff – for years I was an impressionist, and I stopped doing that for a couple of years and I came back as a stand-up, and he was the one running around telling people, ‘This guy, if he doesn’t clear the room with something horrible he says, is one to watch’.” So, he’s been championing him ever since.
Apatow’s career as a writer, director, and producer of comedy films is impressive in its own right, so it’s no surprise that he saw Carrey’s comedic talent early and thought it was primed to bring something fresh and exciting to the big screen. Apatow puts his name to directing credits such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and The King of Staten Island, among others. He also claims an enviable list of writer and producer credits.
Fittingly, Carrey and Apatow have worked together on multiple projects. Apatow served as producer for the 1996 film The Cable Guy and writer for the 2005 remake of Fun with Dick and Jane, both films starring Carrey in the lead roles. Carrey explained: “Practically everything I do I try to get Judd on.” The dynamic duo not only have a creative understanding, but they have each other’s backs in a cut-throat world.
Even if the resulting films didn’t turn out perfectly, with a combination like Apatow and Carrey, they were sure to have been fun to make. In any case, It’s nice to know that some Hollywood friendships really can be supportive and long lasting.
