In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jim Carrey has revealed the reasons behind his temporary departure from the film industry. "I just didn't want to be in the business anymore,” he told Lacey Rose. "I didn't like what was happening, the corporations taking over and all that." Carrey's disenchantment with the corporate aspects of the industry also coincided with his budding interest in painting as a creative outlet.
It wasn't until Jim was optioned the script for Kidding that he decided to TV was worth a shot. After experiencing a profound level of loss in the form of his girlfriend's passing, then to have her family present him with a wrongful death lawsuit, it all culminated in him resetting his priorities.
The acting role of Mr. Pickles in Kidding really spoke to his breadth of experience. His character experiences a tragic downfall after building an multi million-dollar branding empire from scratch. The Showtime series will be directed by Michel Gondry, his director on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
There was a brief enclosure where Jim Carrey could do no wrong, but life was passing him by at a breakneck speed. The days where he commanded $20 million a pop per big screen performance may be long behind, but the demand is still incredibly high. At this point of his career Jim isn't concerned about money, nor does he require it to survive.
Check out the rest of the interview here.