Jim Carrey is one of the most recognizable actors in the history of cinema, headlining hits such as The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and The Truman Show. But before conquering Hollywood, he was a young Canadian comedian trying to build a career after an adolescence marked by financial hardship. It was during that period that he decided to write himself a million-dollar check, as if the success he dreamed of had already become a reality.
A $10 Million Check and a Promise to Himself
In the early 1990s, Carrey had formed a habit. In the evenings he would drive up Mulholland Drive, on the hills above Los Angeles, and imagine his future: renowned directors eager to work with him, major roles, and star-worthy pay.
One evening he decided to make that dream even more tangible. He took a check, filled in his own name as the recipient, and wrote an astronomical amount: $10 million. In the memo line he specified that it was compensation for his future work as an actor, noting Thanksgiving Day in 1995 as the due date.
Then he folded the check and kept it in his wallet, carrying it with him as he continued to pursue his dream.
From The Mask to Dumb and Dumber: When the Dream Becomes Reality
In 1994, Jim Carrey’s career changed completely. Within a few months, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber hit the theaters. Three comedies destined to become cult classics, capable of grossing more than $700 million worldwide.
Hollywood had found its new star, and the actor’s earnings began to rise dramatically.
In 1995 Carrey returned to the screen with Batman Forever and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, while shortly thereafter came a contract that would go down in history: $20 million to play Dumb and Dumber, the dark comedy directed by Ben Stiller and released in 1996.
A figure twice as large as the amount he had written on the check. In just a few years, that young comedian who had pictured his success on the hills of Los Angeles had become one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors.
What Happened to the Check? Jim Carrey’s Gesture for His Father
The most moving detail of this story, however, concerns the fate of that check.
The actor’s father, Percy Carrey, had been one of his biggest supporters. A devotee of comedy, he had given up his own artistic ambitions to seek stable work and support the family. He had been the one who accompanied Jim to his early performances and encouraged him to pursue his talent.
In 1994, just as his son was breaking into Hollywood, Percy died.
During the funeral, Jim Carrey decided to place the $10 million check in his father’s coffin—a keepsake he had kept for years in his wallet.
All of it had begun as a promise made to himself, but in the end it also became a way to bid farewell to the man who had believed in his talent when success still seemed distant.
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