Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most beloved comedians, Jim Carrey was a Canadian boy who discovered that his funny faces could get him something far more important than applause: making his mother smile.
The actor was born in 1962 and grew up in a family that went through difficult times. His mother, Kathleen, suffered from health problems and depression, a situation that deeply shaped his childhood.
“My mother was sick all the time. I wanted to help her. She was depressed, so I wanted to make her laugh”, he recalled during an interview with Larry King in 2008.
Carrey said that from a young age, he did impressions and performances to entertain his family. He even thought he wanted to show his mother that she had brought someone special into the world.
Years later, his family faced a severe financial crisis. They ended up living in a van, and the future actor had to work while he was still a teenager.
However, that boy who used humor to cope with sadness never abandoned his talent.
Over time, he starred in films such as The Mask, Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber.
The boy who tried to make his mother smile ended up making millions of people around the world laugh.