Jim Carrey was one of the funniest actors of the ’90s and early ’00s. First gaining attention as a cast member on the sketch comedy series In Living Color, which aired from 1990 to 1994, he then went on to star in a long string of comedy films, many of which ranged from totally silly to downright ridiculous.
Sure, Carrey has shown that he is a pretty versatile actor with more dramatic roles like in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as the Riddler in 1995’s Batman Forever, and currently as lead character Jeff Pickles in Showtime comedy-drama Kidding.
But when it comes down to it, comedy is where Carrey really shines. And he’s at his best when he’s playing characters who are total goofballs. So which were his most ridiculous roles? Here they are, ranked.
The Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 2000)
While Carrey played this character beautifully in the 2000 fantasy comedy based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, the character was pretty silly. The oversized green floppy-footed monster with a turned up nose hated Christmas and everything it stood for. So he set out to steal all of the childrens’ presents and ruin the holiday for everyone.
It’s no surprise he delivered such a captivating performance given that he had to undergo hours of make-up every day on set in order to transform into the larger-than-life character.
Truman Burbank (The Truman Show, 1998)
While the character himself was just a regular guy who didn’t know he was a paid actor working on a reality TV show 24/7, the premise allows for some serious ridiculousness.
His catchphrase “In case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!” was the nice guy’s typical line to neighbors after arriving home from a long day at his presumed job of being an insurance salesman. He really had no idea the entire time that he was on a TV show and not living in the real world? Even if the character himself wasn’t as ridiculous as some of Carrey’s many others, the movie’s premise sure was.
Charlie/Hank (Me, Myself & Irene, 2000)
In this dark comedy drama, Carrey is a state trooper from Rhode Island who spends years suppressing his feelings of rage until he finally snaps and suffers a psychotic breakdown. The result? He develops a second personality named Hank.
Carrey plays the dual role of these two personalities. Charlie is his usual, gentle and kind self who people constantly take advantage of, like his cheating wife who, even after giving birth to black triplets, he still refuses to accept her infidelity! And while Hank is violent and rude, the Clint Eastwood character-like persona who helps Charlie deal with uncomfortable confrontations is totally exaggerated.
Steve Gray (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, 2013)
Gray is the villain in this comedy, which also stars Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi as magicians in Las Vegas. As a dangerous street musician, the character was originally supposed to be like a mix between David Blaine and Criss Angel.
But Carrey reportedly wanted to take the character in his own direction and opted for a more Jesus-like persona. Gray would often inflict bodily harm on himself in order to entertain the audience, doing everything from slicing his cheek to reveal a hidden card to eating a thousand pieces of candy. His stage name of The Mind Rapist in and of itself is indicative of how ridiculous this character was.
Fletcher Reede (Liar Liar, 1997)
Another nice guy turned funny, this character is the main one in the 1997 comedy about an attorney who is far too focused on his job and constantly tells lies to everyone, including his young son. But after his son makes a wish at his birthday party that his dad won’t be able to tell a lie for a whole day, it magically comes through.
The rest is sheer hilarity as the fast-talking successful lawyer who built his career on lies finds himself struggling to fight off the urge to tell the truth. The vocal and physical comedy is super funny as Reede so desperately wants to lie but can’t.
Ernie “Chip” Douglas (The Cable Guy, 1996)
In a much darker premise, this 1996 black comedy and psychological-thriller is about a cable installation gone wrong. “Chip” installs cable TV in the home of a man named Steve (played by Matthew Broderick). After they exchange pleasantries, Chip begins to think they are friends and starts stalking Steve.
When Steve finally realizes Chip’s obsessive nature and tells him to get lost, Chip starts to do some terrible things, like get Steve arrested and even fired from his job. It’s not necessarily a funny story but Carrey’s performance and the idea of a cable guy who stalks you is pretty hilarious.
In Living Color (Various)
As noted, Carrey first gained the attention of Hollywood while in the cast of sketch comedy series In Living Color. There is where he introduced some of his funniest, most downright ridiculous characters.
While it would be tough to pick just one, we’d say that Fire Marshal Bill and Vera De Milo are at the top of the list. The former is a buck-teethed fire marshal who ironically can’t seem to stop setting himself, and everything around him, on fire. Meanwhile, the latter was a masculine-looking, pig-tailed woman with a skimpy bikini and signature laugh like a horse as she promised to teach girls how to be big and strong.
Stanley Ipkiss (The Mask, 1994)
The green-faced character in the film is a shy and immature bank teller by day who turns into a confident trickster at night when he puts on a magical wooden mask. The character is human but Carrey brings a cartoon-like flare to it with heavily emphasized speech, spastic movements, and facial expressions you can feel right through the mask.
He’s wild, wacky, and not afraid of anyone or anything. And those catchphrases “Somebody Stop Me!” and “Sssssssmokkin’!” have been repeated over and over since the film came out.
Lloyd Christmas (The Dumb and Dumber Series)
As dumb as this character is in both the original film and its sequel, he still doesn’t top the list. Lloyd is a man child with a bowl cut and the intelligence of a flea. While he has a kind heart, he and his best friend Harry together still don’t have the combined intelligence of a 12-year-old.
They get up to ridiculous schemes especially after completely misunderstanding or misreading situations. The most ridiculous thing Lloyd ever did? Spend 20 years in a mental institution pretending he was traumatized just to prank Harry. And let’s not forget that signature line: “Do you want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?”
Ace Ventura (The Ace Ventura Series)
Allllrighty then! Hands down, Ventura is Carrey’s most ridiculous, silly, caricature-like character ever. With his swooping hair, Hawaiian shirts, overconfidence, and super silly mannerisms and voice, he is like a cartoon character.
He speaks in a ridiculous way, walks in a heavily exaggerated manner, and gets under peoples’ skin. Yet he has a talent when it comes to animals, even if his methods are, er, unconventional. And he is smarter than he seems. People can’t help but be drawn to him, even if they don’t understand why. And viewers felt the same way.
