Jim Carrey names the “stupidest” thing he’s ever done
If one person could summarise comedy in the 1990s, it would be Jim Carrey, the eclectic live wire who acted like a cattle prod to the world of cinema during the final decade of the 20th century. While Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt were working to elevate their Hollywood star persona, Carrey was focusing on creating some of the most memorable and beloved movies of the era.
While he was very much active in the 1980s, working with such acclaimed filmmakers as Francis Ford Coppola and Richard Lester, his industry reign would be truly sparked in the 1990s, putting dynamite under the world of comedy in 1994 in particular. Releasing a trio of classic comedy flicks, Carrey unleashed The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective onto the world, becoming a bonafide star in the process.
Despite starting strong in the new millennium, releasing such films as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Carrey famously found it hard to find his feet, suffering from a number of mental challenges that largely came around as a result of his high-profile persona.
As the 2010s neared, Carrey was struggling to find form but did have a few nuggets of success along the way, including Yes Man, which produced respectable critical and commercial acclaim.
In the movie, he plays a man who is tired of saying “no” to each and every opportunity that comes his way in life. In an effort to combat this, he decides to do the exact opposite and agrees to take on anything that comes his way, whether it’s an offer to go bungee jumping or to go on a date with a potential lover. Remarkably, the film is based on the memoir of the same name by Danny Wallace, who also makes a brief cameo in the movie.
While promoting the movie, Carrey was asked by MTV what the stupidest thing he’s ever said “yes” to, with the actor giving an answer straight from outside the box.
“It was the Sea Cadets for me,” the actor revealed, “I was, like, 11 years old and I joined the Sea Cadets, which is like a military version of Boy Scouts. They shave your head, they humiliate you, they yell at you, and they parade you around in front of the rest of the people you know in town with this uniform on. But, you know what? If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t know that I’m a useless maggot. So I’m glad. ‘Yes’ always leads to something good”.
Take a look at the trailer for the fun-loving comedy below.
