Esquire on Jim Carrey

Post Reply New Topic

It's almost a shame that Carrey is pretty good as straight actor because of what happened to Robin Williams and Steve Martin when they started to go serious. It would be just too awful to lose Carrey too. Or does this always happen to comic actors in Hollywood ?

I saw a youtube of him at an awards/lifetime ceremony for Meryl Streep , and he was so wonderful in exaggerated mimic mode.

Why does he have to be anything apart from funny?

That movie "The Number 23" was atrocious. I think it's gotta be hard for Mr. Carrey to find the right roles for him, and maybe out of boredom or necessity, chooses roles that can't capitalize on his wiry tension. If he's gonna play a dramatic role, he's gotta have the right security blanket i.e. the right director, script, and vision. I guess every troubled, strange, or weird actor needs that security blanket.

Steve Carrell doesn't really bother me that much. He's like a Jim Carrey on serous anti-depressants. I can recognize the quirks, but they're really subdued--and maybe that's his niche.

Heh, I'd like to see a movie with Jim Carrey and Robin Williams together. Funnier (or maybe not) if it'd be like Heat where Pacino and Deniro only meet face to face for one, all-too brief but quite tasty, scene in the movie.

Its interesting how some comedians can adapt to dramatic roles, like Tom Hanks. Who is more versitle than Tom?
I think its this- The comedic actor can do the "twilight zone" stories and chick flicks.
The stories that are too strange for the seriuos leading guys.
Since the comedic actor is already a diverse character, he/she [and there aren't enough shes, come on Tina Fey, make a movie already!] and can survive a couple unsuccessful releases.

The problem is that for many comic actors, they often can't completely depart from the character they built thier careers on. Although some are trying cause they need to re-invent themselves to be marketable.

take Will Ferrell, this has to be the most versitle comedy actor who isnt getting many seriuos roles. I think Will could have done Castaway. Ferrell, like Jim Carey getting The Truman Show, (wich was the first film I liked Carrey in), got Stranger Than Fiction, (the first film I liked Ferrell in), wich was a "Twilight Zone" film that he plays straight but has opportunities to subtly include his comedic skills in effectively. Something Brad Pitt could not do as well.

The worst thing that could happen to a comedic actor is to get cast as Batman.

DC