Jim Carrey has brought his unique charisma to dozens of memorable comedies, but even Jim Carrey himself thinks there are levels he can’t reach in his best movies. Specifically, he doesn’t reckon he’ll ever match up to his hero – one of the best actors of all time.
Carrey told Film Threat that one of his earliest big screen idols from childhood cinema trips remained a key figure in his career: Hollywod’s favorite everyman, James Stewart.
Stewart was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars during the middle portion of the 20th century, appearing in some all-time classic movies including It’s a Wonderful Life, Vertigo, Rear Window, and The Philadelphia Story. All of this clearly made an impression on the young Carrey.
“Ever since I was a kid I have loved Jimmy Stewart movies. I loved Jimmy Stewart movies from the word go. Movies are just this amazing place to escape and you know if anybody needs escape it’s people hanging out up in the cold,” said Carrey, referencing his Canadian upbringing.
As for any notion that Carrey himself might have matched up to Stewart with the best comedy movies and the best drama movies of his career, he’s not sure it’s even possible.
He added: “I don’t try to compare myself to other people. Jimmy Stewart is an unreachable star to me. He was his thing and no one can ever be that again. I’m lucky to be in the same town and working in the same business that he was. I don’t try to concentrate on that. I just try to make it as real and as interesting as possible when I’m doing it. Then when they say cut, I sit around and beg for compliments.”
It’s no surprise that Carrey is a big fan of Stewart, given that he was very much seen as the ideal image of a movie star during Carrey’s formative years. And look, when you’re faced with a record of monster hits as strong as Stewart’s, there are worse people to idolize as an actor.
For more on Carrey, find out why Jim Carrey thinks every actor is afraid of this Hollywood legend and learn about how The Truman Show was originally much darker.