Carrey sets sights on citizenship

Anglea Dawson

Monday, Dec. 24, 2001 | 8:14 a.m.

LOS ANGELES -- Growing up in Canada, Jim Carrey had an affinity for all things American. "I've always felt like America was like a big brother protecting us in the schoolyard," recalls the 39-year-old actor, who was raised in Ontario but makes his home in Southern California.

Carrey's admiration and love for America, where he's found fame and fortune, is the reason he's now seeking U.S. citizenship. "I'm working on it," he says with a broad smile. "Memorizing those state capitals."

Similar to so many Americans, Carrey has been feeling particularly patriotic following the events of Sept. 11. He donated $1 million to families of the World Trade Center disaster victims. He also was among the many celebrities who participated in the recent all-star disaster relief fund-raiser "America: A Tribute to Heroes." He felt compelled to get involved because, "you don't get opportunities very often to let people know you appreciate what they did for you.

"This country defined me," he continues earnestly. "It's allowed my dreams to come true, and I've been treated like I'm one of the gang."

Though best known for his comedic roles in "Dumb & Dumber," "The Mask" and last year's blockbuster "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the rubber-faced Carrey has ventured into drama from time to time with mixed results. His Andy Kaufman biopic "Man on the Moon," "The Truman Show" and "Simon Birch" all performed marginally at the box office. His comedies have enabled him to command $20 million a picture, but he is determined to keep challenging himself as an actor. "I have so much in my life and so many blessings," he acknowledges. "I do what I love to do. I tell stories. I get to work with the best people. It's like a gift that I've been able to go from 'The Grinch' to 'The Truman Show' to 'Me, Myself & Irene' to whatever else."

Though he doesn't feel pigeonholed, Carrey realizes he's watched closely whenever he stretches his talents beyond comedy. "I'm a creative guy, an open guy and I can be directed," he insists. "I'm an intelligent person. Sometimes."

Carrey again flexes his dramatic muscle in "The Majestic," which opened Friday, a McCarthy-era tale designed to evoke the sentimentality of Frank Capra classics such as "Its a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (both of which starred Jimmy Stewart).

Carrey plays Peter Appleton, an up-and-coming screenwriter whose livelihood is suddenly jeopardized when a congressional subcommittee begins investigating him as a suspected communist. The accusations cost him his job and his girlfriend; then an accident leaves him suffering from amnesia and stuck in a small Northern California town. Peter's luck begins to change, however, when the townspeople, still grieving over the young men they lost to World War II, embrace him as one of their own.

Carrey views "The Majestic," which was released before year's end for Oscar consideration, as a "sweet kind of tribute to the movies" of Capra and Stewart. Similar to Capra, both Carrey and "Majestic" director Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile") are immigrants: Capra was from Italy; Darabont is from France.

Carrey says Peter was one of his more challenging recent roles because it was an emotional rather than physical performance. "I come from a world where you're basically not doing anything unless you're risking your life on the set," Carrey says, referring to his signature brand of physical comedy. "This was more about, how does this person make you feel. Frank said to me, 'Don't tell us how it makes you feel; just feel and trust that it's going to be picked up.' "

Too many contemporary films focus on what's wrong with society, Carrey notes, while "The Majestic" celebrates what's good about it. He's quick to add that this is not a propaganda film. On the contrary, he says, it reveals an ugly chapter of American history.

"It was an interesting time, because it was on the heels of the worst tyrant in the world, and under the guise of protecting us from these tyrants another tyrant shows up," he says, referring to Sen. Joseph McCarthy, whose notorious hearings led to the blacklisting of many Hollywood writers during the 1950s.

Carrey describes the film's message as being "basically respect for sacrifice" -- something he finds relevant today. "It is important to have heroes, even if they're not real," he contends. "We need to believe that heroes exist."

As he sits before a group of journalists, Carrey appears uncharacteristically reflective. His brown wavy hair is somewhat mussed and longer than usual. He's dressed sharply in a black linen jacket over a dark blue silk shirt and jeans.

"You know, it's a weird thing I'm going through right now," he says after he's reminded that his 40th birthday looms next month. "It's like the William Holden line in 'Network': "For me, death has become a real thing with definable features." You go there some moments, and other moments you feel like a baby. You feel like a child who's just been born, and you know that's what life is. I can never say I'm happy or I'm sad. I'm always everything."

Carrey seems both happy and amazed by his successful career, noting that he wanted to be a performer as far back as he can remember. The youngest of four children, Carrey was always outgoing. "I was putting on little shows since the age of 5," he recalls. "I didn't know where it was going to go or necessarily that it would manifest itself in the movies. I just knew that I needed a lot of attention from a lot of people, and I needed to prove to the world that I was magic. That was the overriding factor in everything, and it's the underlying reason why I do this."

Carrey has been performing his unique brand of magic professionally for nearly two decades. He started out as a stand-up comedian in Toronto then Los Angeles, which led to guest appearances on television. In 1990 he joined the cast of the sketch comedy series "In Living Color," making a name with outrageous acts, including the psychotic Fire Marshall Bill. He made his starring big-screen debut with the 1994 hit "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and subsequently starred in "The Mask" and "Dumb & Dumber." Other roles have included the villainous Riddler in "Batman Forever" and a stalker in the dark comedy "The Cable Guy."

Carrey, honored twice with Golden Globe awards, has thus far been overlooked by the Motion Picture Academy. He says it doesn't bother him because his life "isn't about awards and money." Clearly, the makers of "The Majestic" think otherwise. They are pushing for various Academy Award nominations, including a best actor for Carrey, who maintains that he simply hopes people who go to the movie will have a good time.