Jim Carrey had a field day with his myriad of personalities on the set of surreal new movie Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - as well as those which made it into the dark family drama, there were another 30 he left in his trailer. The movie funnyman used a collection of bizarre characters to portray his evil alter-ego Count Olaf's many incarnations and admits trying on his many personalities was better than therapy in a lot of ways.
He recently confessed on an American news show that he was taking anti-depressants after years of battling secret lows. He only hopes that he doesn't become as bitter and deluded as his comedy hero Peter Sellers - who was also famous for his crazy characters.
How difficult was it to change your appearance so drastically for Count Olaf in Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events?
He turned out looking like my dad actually, which is really freaky. My family is constantly like, 'Man, dude, we're seeing pictures, what are you doing?' The make-up in a movie like this is such a great odyssey because, first of all they're shaving my hair off and you don't know what you're going to get. I did it for Man On The Moon, and it just is never comfortable to do for no good reason. And I had big, long and curly fingernails that I had to walk around with and stuff like that, and I looked really freaky.
What is it about transformation that attracts you?
I love transforming - it's like Christmas morning to me. You get into the make-up trailer and you start playing around with things, and throwing pieces together. At one point we had a Don King wig on backwards, strapped to the back of my head, and I look like a frigging hood ornament from a Chevy, it was weird. But we experimented; we came up with 30 different characters that didn't get into the movie. The whole process is exciting. It's such a fun thing to masquerade, period.
Do you think kids prefer darker stories?
I think that they love there to be a dark element to the story, absolutely. I remember when I was a kid just loving creepy movies that scared me and at the same time were funny. I remember Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with the Childcatcher who was trying to entice kids out with candy and capture them, and kidnap them. There were crazy characters in these movies that were really scary. Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist, that's not a funny movie, but I love those characters. So it was kind of a fine line we were going down here between making them laugh and making them like this character and, at the same time, he's kind of like the funny uncle who gets a little drunk at Christmas time and then turns in the middle of the night. So, I wanted the danger to be real.
I can imagine your teenage daughter has become a good go-to person for roles like this. Have you learned anything from her?
My daughter is so hip, and also so perceptive that you really can't get away with anything but being yourself around her. She's really kind of modest - and kids see. They don't have any of the fear or 'Oh my gosh, am I going to run into this person later on, I might have to be nice to them,' kind of thing; all those things that go through adults' minds, that they think someone might think they're a bad person. Kids - unless they've been completely robbed of their childhoods - are generally pretty sharp and instinctive. Jane is so quick, I just go, 'Whoa, you just cut right through it, didn't you?'
Your character does everything just because of the money. There's an old story that you once signed a cheque to yourself for US million dollars when you were a struggling comic?
Yeah, it was a US million cheque and I made it out to myself years ago, before I was working. I used to go up to Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles and sit on the side of the highway, and look out at the city and do positive affirmations. This was early on when I was doing all the different comedy clubs, doing three comedy clubs a night. I would drive up there, and I had a baby and we were living in a single apartment downtown, with the bed on the floor, and it just made me feel better to visualise those things. It wasn't about the money; it was about where I'd be if I was making that kind of money. So I wrote that cheque and I stuck it in my pocket and it stayed there for four years. It was a check made out to 'Jim Carrey for acting services rendered,' for US million. I passed it on to my father.
You've talked about being on the anti-depressant Prozac, and quitting drugs and alcohol. Do you think you are a casuality of celebrity?
The worst thing about being a celeb is that you can't be yourself all the time. Sometimes you have to toe-the-line and do what you have to do. I like this movie, but there are plenty of times when you have to go out and do this publicity thing when you don't even like the movie. So you just hate yourself afterwards. You're like, 'I just hate myself, and I'm such a liar.' Expectation is a hard thing to deal with.
You recently became a US citizen. When did you decide to make that jump and do you feel different now?
I've wanted to do it for years, elections come and things that I should be involved in because I actually do contribute, so that made me want to be a part of it. I have a daughter who is a Californian girl, so I want to share that with her. And I love this country. I think it's a great country. I think at the very least, the ideal of this country is intact and beautiful. The execution leaves a little bit to be desired right now, but I think it's a beautiful idea, America. And it's a beautiful place with people who know what they like and are confident and give you confidence when you set out on a journey and you say, 'This is what I want to be' and they go, 'OK.' And there's something about the way Americans mythologise themselves and have confidence in themselves that I really love.
Which comedians inspired you growing up?
I definitely was affected by Peter Sellers. I loved Peter Sellers movies growing up. I was crazy about Pink Panther movies. Shot In The Dark is one of my favourite movies of all time. And Peter Sellers, I hear he wasn't a happy guy. Apparently he was incredibly unhappy and really nasty to be around, and didn't have a personality, couldn't find his own personality. I have my own personality. I don't have to be on all the time, so I hope that separates me a little bit from that fate.
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