Jim Carrey is currently starring in Showtime's dark comedy Kidding, about a children's television icon who tries to retain his sanity as his personal life falls apart. While speaking with The Television Critics Association, he described the show as an exploration 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."
Jim's identity has certainly transformed over the years. Many of us grew up watching the rubber-faced actor in zany comedies like Ace Ventura, The Mask and Liar, Liar. Then he ventured into dramatic roles, getting critical acclaim for The Truman Show, Man on the Moon and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. It seemed like he'd continue bobbing between comedy and drama, but no: He started an entirely new career as a painter, creating vibrant, surprisingly good portraits. In a documentary, Jim explained his life-long passion for art, and how he discovered that color was missing from his life.
However, Jim's political paintings have gotten the most attention. On Twitter, the 56-year-old actor has pumped out portraits at a manic rate, savagely mocking prominent right-wing figures. President Donald Trump is a favorite target. Previously Jim mocked Trump's embarrassing meeting with brutal North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un. He also skewered Trump's obsequious relationship with American president - I mean, Russian president - Vladimir Putin. Now, just in time for Halloween, Jim has unveiled a monstrous painting of Donald Trump.
In Jim's latest creation, Trump is a grotesque cyclops, reaching out to the viewer with clawed hands. Perhaps to snatch away your affordable health care, separate your family at the border, or grab you by the p****? And maybe the single eye symbolizes Trump's monolithic partisan views, which fuel dangerous rhetoric demonizing the other political party? It's open to interpretation! In the caption, Jim writes, "Some people aren’t pretending to be monsters. Happy Halloween."
And yesterday, Jim shared a hellish painting, depicting Trump supporters burning in hell. (And making hell great again?) "The GOP are now completely invested in Trump’s economy of LIES," wrote the artist. "They say they’re gonna give you HEALTHCARE while working to destroy it. They make up lies about refugees while KIDNAPPING INNOCENT CHILDREN! Vote Democrat. Help save the future. DON’T FOLLOW THE RED HAT TO HELL!"
To Jim, the current administration is scarier than any ghost, goblin or zombie. Online, Trump supporters tell him to "stick to acting," while supporting a reality TV show host as president, but it doesn't look like Bruce Almighty will shut up any time soon. Last Friday, he accepted the the Charlie Chaplin Award for Excellence in Comedy from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and took a shot at the Trump administration during his speech: "Almost half of America at this moment believes there is a sinister deep state diabolically plotting ... to what? Give them health care?”