Over the course of his career, Jim Carrey has become known for playing slightly out-of-the-box characters. However, in recent years, it seems as if the actor's bizarre behavior has begun to leak into the real world, too. Back in September, the 56-year-old caught some flack after making strange statements during New York Fashion Week. When asked by an interviewer at the event about whether he believes icons such as himself have the ability to change the world, he replied, "I don't believe in icons," before launching into a strange existential monologue about personalities: "I don't believe in personalities. I believe that peace lies beyond personalities, beyond invention and disguise, beyond the red 'S' you wear on your chest that makes bullets bounce off. I believe that it's deeper than that, I believe we're a field of energy dancing for itself, and err... I don't care." And now it seems he's gone one step further by claiming that he, himself, does not actually exist. In an interview with The Talks, the 56-year-old actor riffed on what it was like to really live as another person. He referenced his 1999 role in Man on the Moon, in which he did not break character during the entire production process. "I realized that I could lose myself in a character. I could live in a character. It was a choice," he explained. But then he went on to say that, after being someone else for so long, it took a while to re-adjust to the person he considered to be himself. "I took a month to remember who I was. 'What do I believe? What are my politics? What do I like and dislike?' It took me a while and I was depressed going back into my concerns and my politics," he said. "But there was a shift that had already happened. And the shift was, 'Wait a second. If I can put Jim Carrey aside for four months, who is Jim Carrey? Who the hell is that?'" And this is where it got sort of weird. "I know now he [meaning himself] does not really exist. He’s ideas," Carrey said. The actor is then prompted to explain exactly what he means by that statement. He elaborates: "If you want to talk scientifically, break it down to a cluster of tetrahedrons that somehow believe they are a thing. But they’re ideas — just ideas. "Jim Carrey was an idea my parents gave me. Irish-Scottish-French was an idea I was given. Canadian was an idea that I was given. I had a hockey team and a religion and all of these things that cobble together into this kind of Frankenstein monster, this representation. "It’s like an avatar. These are all the things I am. You are not an actor, or a lawyer. No one is a lawyer. There are lawyers, law is practiced, but no one is a lawyer. There is no one, in fact, there." In a final statement on the discussion, Carrey said, "I think you pretty much play your part as best as you can — but no, I don’t believe this is real." Whether this is just part of some ongoing crisis of Carrey's, or a new outlook he has decided to adopt, or simply his way of messing with semantics in a manner that makes him seem more like the artist he now wants to portray himself as, it's still kinda wild. But, hey, seeing as Jim Carrey isn't real, he can't exactly be insulted by that.

Imagine you're working on the red carpet for a big event. Celebrities, models, and industry giants are walking around you, and you've got to catch them as they pass by for a quick interview. There's probably a list of questions you cycle through, making some minor changes depending on who it is you're talking to. But when the person on the red carpet is Jim Carrey, you can throw all that planning out of the window. Carrey turned up at a red carpet event for New York Fashion Week a few days ago, and one of these interviewers approached him to ask a few questions. He's not the sort of actor you would expect to find at this kind of event, but E! News' Catty Sadler ran with it, not put off by the fact the interview began with him spinning around and circling her. I mean, you expect at least a little weirdness from Carrey after all. The event was the Harper's Bazaar Party, which this year was meant to be celebrating icons. Sadler starts off by asking what was going on, or whether he needed a date to the event. He responds cordially enough, insisting that he's fine, but then things take a surprising turn. "There's no meaning to any of this," he says out of the blue, and things only get stranger from there... Carrey has had fame and fortune from his stand-up, impressions, and movie roles. His films have shown his talents in comedy and drama, but have always leaned towards the sillier, zanier side of things. But this interview is a whole new kind of weird, the kind that suggests Carrey may have reached the parts of a celebrity's career when they become increasingly outspoken and odd. "There's no meaning to any of this. I wanted to find the most meaningless thing that I could come to and join and here I am. You've got to admit it's pretty meaningless?" Likely reeling from an unexpected response, she tells him that the purpose of the event is to celebrate icons, which sets him off on a new one: "Celebrating icons, boy! That is just the absolute lowest-aiming possibility that we could come up with. Icons... do you believe in icons? I don't believe in personalities. I don't believe that you exist, but there is a wonderful fragrance to the air." When she asks him whether he thinks icons have the ability to change the world or otherwise inspire others – pointing out he has a similar role as an artist – he briefly launches into some strange impressions, including what sounded like his famous Elvis impersonation. "I don't believe in icons. I don't believe in personalities. I believe that peace lies beyond personalities, beyond invention and disguise, beyond the red 'S' you wear on your chest that makes bullets bounce off. I believe that it's deeper than that, I believe we're a field of energy dancing for itself, and err... I don't care." Many commenters on this debate seem to think this is a much-needed takedown of the fashion industry, but to me it looks like he turned up at whatever glamorous event was scheduled that night. He signs off by saying, "We don't matter – there's the good news," and disappears off camera. If you want to get a better idea of the mindset that Carrey is in at the moment, as well as the work he's been doing outside of Hollywood, you should check out the stunning artwork he is creating.

Perhaps one of the most distinguishable and well-known actors in Hollywood, Jim Carrey has had his fair share of leading roles throughout his career.

Although, despite his starring as the wildly popular Ace Ventura or his beloved performance as Truman Burbank in The Truman Show (1998), the actor himself has never actually been nominated for an Academy Award.

Carrey’s role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) turned him into an overnight sensation and, from there, he started to see offers rolling in.

The actor appeared to suit the funny-guy role and stuck to what he knew for a while, with roles like The Mask (1994) and Dumb and Dumber (1994).

So when Carrey took the leading part in The Truman Show in 1998, Hollywood noticed.

Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy

Carrey’s performance showed a new side to him. Even though the role was satirical, it was more serious and less goofy than his previous parts.

The critically adored movie could have been Carrey’s closest shot at an Oscar nomination, but he missed out, with the movie nominated for Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Ed Harris as Truman's "creator", Christof) instead.

To this day, fans think this may have been one of the biggest Oscar snubs.

Carrey did however receive recognition for the part, earning a Golden Globe nomination and subsequent win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, in 1999.

The snubs continued for Carrey the following year when he led the cast of Man on the Moon (1999) as Andy Kaufman and won another Golden Globe, this time for Best Performance in a Comedy or Musical.

But still no Oscar nomination in sight.

Could Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) be the one to change things for Carrey?

Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

The movie was a 2005 Academy Award winner for Best Writing and lead actress Kate Winslet also bagged herself a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

However, once again Carrey received no Oscar nomination.

When asked how he felt about never receiving an Oscar nomination, Carrey told Vanity Fair in 2019: “The only time I've ever felt a twinge of something about an award or not getting nominated is whenever people tell me I should be.

“Like, really? Should I be disgruntled? I had a wonderful time and I met a bunch of people…isn’t that enough?”

There are a collection of names that, like Carrey, have also never been nominated for an Oscar.

Stars such as Cameron Diaz, Bruce Willis, Hollywood nice-guy Keanu Reeves, and the late Alan Rickman, have never received recognition either.

Carrey also told Vanity Fair how he believes there is “a lot of monkey business that goes on around awards.”

“If you don’t show up to a certain dinner, you screw your chances and all those things. I’ve never been real good at playing that game,” the actor admitted.

Despite his Oscar snubs, Carrey is still a hugely talented actor who has won 53 other awards in the industry, such as Golden Globes and People's Choice Awards, and

Featured image credit: United Archives GmbH / Alamy

Jim Carrey was once the highest paid actor in the world, with the star earning a reported $20 million per movie. But in recent times, he has taken a step away from the limelight and seems to have gone quiet. While his zany and often ridiculous approach to comedy won him plenty of plaudits and recognition throughout his career, Carrey has revealed the burden that fame has had on his mental health. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BYvqtxugibp/?hl=en&taken-by=officialcarrey]] Currently in the midst of an ongoing legal battle surrounding the suicide of an ex-girlfriend, Carrey has re-entered the public's gaze with his new documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. Way back in 2000, Carrey won his second Golden Globe for his portrayal of Andy Kaufman in Miloš Forman's Man on the Moon. He stayed in character throughout the entire production process and the new documentary features behind-the-scenes footage from the production. However, despite the critical acclaim and adulation, Carrey has revealed that he has spent his entire career battling some pretty dark demons. Speaking to i-Magazine, the star revealed that he is starting to overcome the illness and that he is "sometimes happy". [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BaDJlpbhycJ/?hl=en&taken-by=officialcarrey]] “At this point, I don’t have depression. There is not an experience of depression. I had that for years, but now, when the rain comes, it rains, but it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay long enough to immerse me and drown me anymore.” Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in the world, the Canadian star says that he is not bothered about the legacy that he'll leave behind once he is gone. “I’m free of the business. I’m not the business. I don’t care what people think of me after I die. All I want is for people to think of me as a good energy here, a nice fragrance that has been left behind.” [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/gRvIg8s0kf/?hl=en&taken-by=officialcarrey]] The actor also says that he has no regrets in regards to his career, which spanned decades and saw him reach the top of the A-list. "I’m perfectly fine with everything that has happened, even the horrible shit you know, in life and in art. There is a lot of satisfaction about looking back at those things.” Despite the fact that he is content with where he currently is, Carrey says that he still has clouds lingering over him, explaining; "What’s happening is really good, but there is some really bad in there too. Some people have come at me in the last couple of years with the intent of breaking off a piece of the Holy Grail for themselves, but the Grail isn’t a thing that you can break off. “So they’re going to learn that the hard way. It’s not pleasant.” [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BbDE5z8h1nV/?hl=en&taken-by=officialcarrey]] The actor has now taken to painting, which he says that he approaches in the same way he used to approach his acting. "Everything I do risks the total destruction of the piece," he explained. "I’m often going, 'God damn it, if this doesn’t work, I’ve put so much effort into this painting.' But if you don’t do it, you’ll never reach some sublime thing, you know something that will really touch someone. Those are always the risks that go to the edge of destroying something you really care about." Well done to Carrey about being open with his ongoing battles with depression, something many of us experience. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is now streaming on Netflix.

Jim Carrey first made his fame and fortune from stand-up and talent for impressions, but he saw true success when he entered the world of movies. Zany comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask made sure the world knew his name, making him the go-to actor for absurd comedic performances. But along the way, he did have a few ventures into other avenues.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BaDJlpbhycJ/?hl=en&taken-by=officialcarrey]]

As his career progressed he did try his turn at a few more serious roles, from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to The Truman Show, before his appearances in films slowed down somewhat. But now he'll be on the big screen once more, in his first leading role in four years, the last being the sequel Dumb and Dumber Too.

In fact, it seems like most of his time at the moment is in a different medium entirely. Taking to painting, he released a mini-documentary about his work last year, but lately, it's all over Twitter. In an unexpected turn, he started using his art to express his anger at the political system - with particular anger for the Trump administration.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/975779543649628160]]

Carrey will next be appearing in the detective thriller Dark Crimes, playing tormented police officer Tadek, who is hunting down a murderer. Based on an article published in The New Yorker in 2008 called 'True Crimes: A Postmodern Murder Mystery', it follows his character as he investigates the death of a businessman, only to find that a popular novel includes an eerily similar crime. From this point, he becomes dangerously obsessed with both the author and his girlfriend.

By this point, we're far more used to seeing Carrey in movies with at least some comedy to them, but this looks to be a grim and dark movie with no room for the actor's usual shenanigans. And when I say dark, I mean dark:

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1PtoPiKn4o]]

While the movie didn't exactly receive great reviews when it premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival last year, critics remarked that his performance was bold and worth seeing.

"Carrey has taken a risk here," Fionnuala Halligan from Screen Daily wrote, adding, "this could be a solid bridge for the 54-year-old former comic actor - almost unrecognisable here - to move into more serious roles".

Kirsty Strouse, from Film Inquiry, said of his performance:

"On paper, the retiring, grumpy cop isn’t exactly innovative. Luckily, he shakes free of the shortcomings of his character, and as things unravel his frustration bubbles to the surface, giving him more room to stretch out.

"Despite any limitations, it’s good to see Carrey being adventurous, and hopefully this sets the pace for some future castings."

The filming for Dark Crimes took place in 2015, but it has taken its time to make it to theaters. In the US, it will be released in May 18, and we'll see exactly how Carrey's risky performance paid off.