Jim Carrey Net Worth: Every Box Office Bonus And Salary

Jim Carrey's Net Worth and First Earnings

Jim Carrey has been one of a handful of Hollywood stars to ever make it to the top in one single role. In fact, his first hit, Cable Guy, earned him an instant $20 million when it first came out in 1996, which was said to be a first for any actor in the history of film, period. He went on to make 15% for every dollar made at the box office on that movie alone, which brought him up to a whopping $35 million as a good head start. That being said, he rose to fame instantly, thus enjoying an eventual net worth of $180 million today, and that includes every box office bonus and salary he has ever made.

The Early Life of Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey was born as James Eugene Carrey on January 17, 1962 in Ontario, Canada. His early life consisted of the struggles of a lower middle class family who tried to make ends meet. His father was an accountant with a passion for music as a hobby. He was able to provide a steady income for his family until he lost his job only a few years later when Jim was just a teenager.

It wasn't too long before the entire Carrey family faced eviction and foreclosure that Jim and his family soon faced life on the streets. They were eventually forced to live out of the family van while Jim was still in high school. Soon, he quit school and took on a cleaning job just to help them out of the mess they were in, but things still continued to challenge them financially.

Humor Me, Humor You

Times were hard for young Carrey and his family, and Jim began to sense that their situation was taking its toll on him. He felt a lot of frustration and anger, which was understandable for anyone who grew up with the exact same financial challenges he did. He eventually began his stand-up routines at a very early age in 1979 when he started performing for friends and in clubs near his region. It was then that he was discovered while performing for Rodney Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett, and just a few years later, in 1983, he moved to Los Angeles and started his new life as an entertainer.

Los Angeles: A Fresh Start

Jim Carrey soon began to make a name for himself when he moved to Los Angeles. His first big break came in 1991, when he was offered a spot on the stand-up comedy series In Living Color. It was there that his name became most widely known, and he soon was able to land jobs in major movies such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar, Liar, The Mask, and the indomitable Bruce Almighty with Morgan Freeman.

It wasn't long after his success that Jim would face a tragedy in his life, the death of both of his parents, with his mother dying of natural causes in 1991, followed by his father three years later. By his own account, his father had been the inspiration behind Jim Carrey's success and career.

Enjoying a Short Lived Marriage

Prior to making his big splash, Jim Carrey enjoyed a speedy and short-lived marriage to Melissa Womer in 1987. Womer had been a server at the Comedy Store and an aspiring actress. Together, they share one daughter, Jane Erin, who was born that same year. Not much is known about his family other than that. They divorced a few years later.