‘Cash-strapped’ Jim Carrey clocks in for work at Sonic 3 premiere after taking job because he ‘needs money’

Jim Carrey cut a dapper figure on Monday while attending the Los Angeles premiere of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

The Ace Ventura: Pet Detective actor, 62, wore a long black coat over a black and white shirt and slacks.

The comedian flashed a beaming smile on the red carpet, following his recent claims that he took the role because he ‘needed money’.

His raven hair was neatly styled with a bit of gel and swept to the side. While on the red carpet, Carrey – who once had an estimated net worth of $300 million – also mingled with his co-star Keanu Reeves, 60.

They later posed with Ben Schwartz, 43, who is the voice of Sonic.

Carrey played the role of mad scientist Ivo Robotnik / Doctor Eggman in all three action-adventure films.

It comes after the Canadian actor backtracked on his money claims, tellingly Comicbook.com‘It’s not really about the money. I joke about the money.”

He also joked about gambling away his fortune.

‘I’m guessing. Flea circuses are my thing,” the actor said with humor.

He also responded to comments that he was ready to retire, after previously stating in 2022 that he was “pretty serious” about quitting acting.

“You can’t be definitive about these things,” he told the publication.

‘I said I’d like to retire, but I think I was talking more about ‘rest in power’. Because as soon as a good idea comes your way, or a group of people you’ve really enjoyed working with and so on, then things tend to change.”

It’s unclear how much he was paid for his latest role, but the iconic actor earned a whopping $20 million in 1996 for films like The Cable Guy.

Carrey enjoyed a legendary run with hits like Liar Liar, The Truman Show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Bruce Almighty, but his star began to dim in the late 2000s.

Despite once having an estimated net worth of $300 million, Carrey still has to make sure the bills get paid – which is why he’s coming out of ‘retirement’.

“I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a little complicated, and it’s just… it’s just… I bought a lot of things and I have the money, honestly ‘, he joked on Monday on the red carpet of the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in London.

But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all about the salary; Carrey quickly added, “At the same time, it had heart, and that’s why I did it the first time. There was something beautiful at the heart of the piece.’

Of course, he couldn’t resist throwing in his signature humor and concluding, “I hope it will bring families together and cure various diseases.”

However, it appears that finances are on Carrey’s mind as he is still waiting for a big payout for his beautiful Los Angeles mansion, which is still on the market after a series of his price cuts, according to Realtor.com.

The five-bedroom, nine-bathroom Brentwood estate was initially listed in February 2023 for a lofty $28.9 million, but has now been reduced to a more palatable $19 million.

Two months after putting the property on the market, he lowered the price to $27 million, and in October 2023, he lowered that number to $24 million.

And in May 2024, the Truman Show actor dropped the price to $21.9 million, bringing the total cut to $7 million.

When he first put his house up for sale in February, he said The New York Post that he was ready for ‘changes’ in his life.

“For thirty years it has been a sanctuary for me, but I don’t spend much time there now and I want someone else to enjoy it as much as I do,” he told the outlet in a statement.

‘Cha cha cha cha… Changes!’ he added while referencing David Bowie’s iconic song.

Despite the price cuts, Carrey is poised to make a significant profit, having purchased the property for just $3.8 million in 1994.

He bought it while rising to fame starring in the hit film Ace Venture: Pet Detective.

The actor also owns real estate in Maui, confirming in 2017 that he is a resident of the island after purchasing a waterfront home in Makena.

Some of his art is even on display at the local Wyland Gallery.

Rumor has it that his collection of luxury cars has also taken a bite out of his fortune.

According to him, the comedian has owned several Mercedes, a Porsche Panamera and a Tesla Supercarblondie.

He has also shared stories of his travels to different corners of the world, from modest jaunts to Buffalo, NY, to lavish getaways in London and awe-inspiring visits to Machu Picchu, Peru.

Carrey’s journey from humble beginnings to Hollywood icon began on the streets of Toronto, where he grew up.

After leaving school in 1978 to help support his family, Carrey worked as a janitor in a factory for two years – away from the spotlight, but not for long.

At the age of 15, he was already performing stand-up comedy in local clubs in Toronto, and by 1979 he was making a living as a comedian.

At the age of 19, Carrey took a leap of faith and moved to Hollywood, where he quickly delved into both television and film. In 2004, he cemented his place in both countries by obtaining dual American and Canadian citizenship.

In 1983, Carrey made his mark on Canadian television with a role in Introducing…Janet.

The following year he appeared on the big screen in his feature film debut, Finders Keepers, before landing a leading role in Once Bitten (1985).

But it was Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), in which Carrey took on the quirky role of Wiploc, an intergalactic alien, that cemented his place in the world of eccentric comedy.

Carrey’s first TV special, Jim Carrey: Unnatural Act (1991), received critical acclaim and opened the door to his breakout role on the sketch comedy series In Living Color, where his wacky, larger-than-life personality became a household name.

Interestingly, in 1985, Carrey made a bold and prescient decision: he wrote himself a check for $10 million for “acting services rendered,” dated it ten years in the future, and kept it in his wallet as a symbol of his ambition.

Remarkably, in November 1995, Carrey learned that he had been cast in Dumb and Dumber for exactly $10 million.

In 2022, he announced his plans to retire from acting once and for all, claiming that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 would be his last film.

“It depends, if the angels bring some kind of script written in gold ink that says to me that it will be very important that people see it, then maybe I’ll continue, but I’m taking a break,” he said. at the time.

At the Sonic 3 premiere, an Associated Press interviewer said to him, “You said in a previous interview that you would come back if you were given a script written in golden ink, written by angels…?”

When Carrey started laughing, he replied, “That may have been an exaggeration, yes.”

The Sonic series has been one of the most lucrative projects of his career, with the first two films grossing a combined $725 million (£568 million) worldwide.

Sonic The Hedgehog is back on the big screen with another hair-raising adventure to unwrap just in time for Christmas.

It sees the return of everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog, along with his trusty sidekicks, Knuckles and Tails, as the dynamic trio embark on their most exciting adventure yet.

There is also Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessey.