Movies - TV
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Made A Jim Carrey Dream Come True
By TRAVIS YATES
Although the story of how Jim Carrey came to success might sound a bit like an infomercial psychic telling you to “visualize it, dream it, attain it,” that’s pretty much how the story goes. Carrey had been working in comedy since the 1970s before exploding onto the scene with 1994’s “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” and the whole time Carrey carried his dream in his pocket, literally.
Jim Carrey found success before “Ace Ventura” on the set of the sketch comedy show “In Living Color,” but the actor had big plans. To signify his dreams, Carrey had once written himself a check worth millions for “acting services rendered” and carried it with him until it came true. As it happened, his dream wouldn’t have come true without “In Living Color.”
Jim Carrey and “In Living Color” writer Steve Oedekerk began writing “Ace Ventura” while on the “In Living Color” set. The movie, of course, went on to be a huge hit, and gave Carrey the leverage to negotiate his salary for “Dumb and Dumber” up from $350,000 to a whopping $7 million, meaning that the actor could finally cash in the check he had written to himself.