Jim Carrey's career is pretty complicated. He's a man who was once viewed by the public almost solely as an over-the-top screwball; someone whose larger-than-life roles were like watching a live-action cartoon. Audiences loved him and Carrey starred in three of the biggest movies of 1994 (Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura and The Mask). However, he then he surprised us by proving that he possessed enormous range.

Movies such as The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Man on the Moon were rightly praised and recently, a behind-the-scenes documentary examined Carrey's intense method acting. Between his candidness regarding his struggles with depression and his far heavier roles, it was clear that Carrey is a complex character.

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However, Carrey's career has taken another unexpected twist of late. The actor has decided to try his hand at being an artist and has shared his work on social media for all to see. The trouble is that recently his art has got topical, political and intensely critical of the Trump administration. On March 17, a caricature of a woman believed to be Sarah Huckabee Sanders went viral on Twitter, captioned: "This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!" Other caricatures Carrey has shared include unflattering portraits of Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. All of them have provoked speculation and scrutiny. 

So what has motivated Carrey to become an amateur artist? What is he hoping to achieve with these paintings? His unofficial website documents his many forays into the world of art and notes that: "Jim Carrey has been drawing and painting since he was a kid. And for several years now, Carrey has been making art that is as expressive and emotive as his work as an actor. When he is not involved in new movie projects much of his time is spent in his New York art studio ... Jim Carrey's art can be viewed at Wyland Galleries Beachwalk - Waikiki, Hawaii and Wyland Galleries Lake Tahoe, California where he is a permanent artist."

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A documentary released in August 2017 and entitled I Needed Colour looked at Carrey's artistic exploits. Carrey revealed that he had got back into art as a form of therapy after the death of his former girlfriend Cathriona White in 2015. Carrey was later implicated in a wrongful death suit, filed by White's husband, who alleged that Carrey had used his "immense wealth and celebrity status" to illegally obtain the medication White had overdosed on. Carrey explains: "Suddenly ... at a time when I was trying to heal a broken heart, I decided 'well maybe I'll paint.' When your heart is in love you're floating weightless. But when you lose that love, you have to re-enter the atmosphere and it can get pretty rough. "

Carrey also revealed that his art became something of an obsession for him in the wake of White's death, stating: "When I started painting a lot, I became so obsessed that there was nowhere to move in my home. The paintings became part of the furniture; I was eating on them. I found myself looking around myself, on a really bleak winter in New York, and it was just so depressing, and I think I needed colour." But even if we see Carrey's art as a way for him to recover after a personal trauma, then that hardly explains why he's been drawing what look like political cartoons for his Twitter followers. That subject matter seems to be less about therapy and more about outrage.

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In the documentary examining his method acting (Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond), Carrey opens up about his own personal philosophy and states: "There's the avatar that you create, and the cadence you come up with that is pleasing to people, and takes them away from their issues, and makes you popular, and at some point you have to peel it away. It's not who you are ... You got to the office and you put a monkey suit on and you act a certain way and you say a certain thing and you lie through your teeth at times and you do whatever you need to do to look like a winner. And then at some point in your life you have to say 'I don't care what it looks like.' I've found the hole in the psyche and I'm going through and I'm going to face the abyss of not knowing whether people will be okay with that."

It seems that Carrey is admitting that he doesn't want to just be a puppet performer, blindly bowing to what the public wants to stay famous and relevant. Here, he seems to be saying that he isn't afraid to challenge the public's image of him by tackling subjects that are seen as too "serious" for the persona that most people associate him with.

Perhaps this is why Carrey's art is often so intentionally so provocative and such a blatant expression of Carrey's political values: it's an outlet for him to be controversial and condemnatory - one that the medium of comedy and big-budget studio films cannot provide without the risk of alienating the public.

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However, Carrey's endeavours have attracted scorn from Twitter users and aficionados alike. Writing for British newspaper The Guardian, art critic Jonathan Jones stated: "If his art helps and heals him, that’s great. He just should not be showing this stuff to anyone and expecting anything except derision ... Please, say it’s a joke. The art Carrey has been filmed making would be turned down if he offered it to a Salvation Army store. It gives amateurs a bad name."

Others have condemned Carrey's cartoons for being lurid, profane, or in the case of the caricature of Huckabee Sanders, anti-Christian. In a piece Carrey entitled "Fifty Shades of Decay" he depicted a naked Donald Trump having censored sexual intercourse with a figure who resembled porn actress Stormy Daniels; who claims to have been paid off to keep quiet about the details of a prior affair.

Maybe some people find Carrey's caricatures offensive, but personally, I don't think he should be excluded from the same freedom of expression and joy of creation that all of us are entitled to; particularly if he finds it psychologically beneficial. OK, so maybe some of Carrey's views sound a little bit new age and spacey, but I don't think he should be written off as crazy or narcissistic for exploring other creative outlets. There's nothing to stop anyone from picking up a brush and bringing something into being, regardless of the end result. Let's celebrate that, instead of being suspicious of it.

We know Jim Carrey best as the rubber-faced actor from farcical comedies like Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber and Liar, Liar. Like other comedic actors, he ventured into drama and impressed critics - especially in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. But who would have ever predicted he'd become a political artist?

After opening up about his love of painting in a viral documentary, Carrey started pumping out brutal satirical portraits. Mostly he roasted public figures from the Trump administration, such as Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, Jared Kushner and The Donald himself. Liberals cheered, while Trump supporters taunted him: "Why don't you stick to acting?!"

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Well, now the 56-year-old star is returning to acting, starring in Showtime's dark comedy Kidding. Carrey plays Mr. Pickles, a celebrated children's TV star whose personal life implodes, forcing him to fight his demons. "I'm not back [to Hollywood] in the same way," Carrey explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "I don't feel I'm little Jim trying to hang on to a place in the stratosphere anymore — I don't feel like I'm trying to hold on to anything."

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In THR's cover story, Carrey reflects on his past, present and future. His decision to go from The Mask to Monet wasn't complicated. He simply saw painting as a new creative outlet.

"I just didn’t want to be in the business anymore. I didn’t like what was happening, the corporations taking over and all that. And maybe it’s because I felt pulled toward a different type of creative outlet and I really liked the control of painting — of not having a committee in the way telling me what the idea must be to appeal to a four-quadrant whatever."

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In the beginning, Carrey was a stand-up with a gift for physical comedy. After stealing the show on Fox's In Living Color, he pursued a movie career. But he didn't want to conform. "My plan was not to join Hollywood, it was to destroy it," said Carrey. "Like, take a gigantic sledgehammer to the leading man and to all the serious­ness."

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On Monday, Carrey spoke to the Television Critics Association about his new show, framing it as an exploration of identity: "I think the idea of identity, the search for identity, what it is, who we are, what’s an authentic person is a theme that’s always been attractive to me. And I think that there’s definitely something in this piece that calls me as far as the idea of being hit by a freight train in life and trying to hang on to the idea of yourself that you had before it happened that’s really attractive."

Carrey certainly was hit with a freight train in life, facing a wrongful death lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend. But the actor sees a silver lining to all the personal turmoil. "After everything I’ve been through, I feel like I can sit down with most people," he said at the TCA panel. "Look them in the eye and say, ‘What is it? What did you go through? ‘Cause here’s what I went through and guess what, it’s still love. It’s still good.’"

Jim Carrey fans have reason to celebrate as reports suggest that the renowned actor is set to return to Universal Pictures for The Grinch 2, reprising his iconic role as the Christmas-hating Grinch.

The news comes 23 years after he originally brought the beloved Dr. Seuss character to life in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Ron Howard.

In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Carrey portrayed the Grinch, a green-furred, ill-tempered creature who despises Christmas and the Whos of Whoville. The film became a holiday classic and a fan favorite.

According to reports from Giant Freaking Robot, a sequel to The Grinch is in the works, and Carrey is slated to return as the infamous Grinch. The news has sparked excitement among fans of both the actor and the beloved holiday story.

While Carrey has not officially confirmed his involvement in The Grinch 2, the report indicates that he would be stepping back into the shoes of Dr. Seuss's most famous and ill-tempered creation. Carrey has not publicly commented on the rumored project, but he has previously shared his perspective on sequels.

In a 2017 interview with CinemaBlend, Carrey expressed his views on sequels, stating, "I find sequels are a function of commerce for the most part. At least the two I've done, they were characters I enjoyed doing, but I did find myself almost parroting myself at that point."

He went on to elaborate, "When you put 10 years between you and the last time you did it, suddenly you're going, 'How did I do that again?'... So, you're imitating your original inspiration."

Carrey's statement reflects his approach to choosing roles and projects, emphasizing the importance of creative inspiration and meaningful storytelling.

This news about Carrey's potential return as the Grinch follows his previous announcement of "retiring" from acting in April of the previous year after the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 2. At that time, he shared his perspective, stating, "I have enough. I've done enough. I am enough."

Carrey's decision to take a break from acting was a personal one, driven by his desire for a quieter life that allows him to focus on other passions, including painting and his spiritual journey.

As fans eagerly await official confirmation of Carrey's return as the Grinch in The Grinch 2, it's clear that his iconic portrayal of the character has left a lasting impact, making the prospect of a sequel an exciting one for both new and longtime fans of the beloved Christmas tale.

Featured image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty