Why Hollywood Won't Cast Jim Carrey Anymore

He's too much of a risk

One big problem with Carrey: it's hard to tell whether audiences will love or hate him. The comedian's over-the-top antics work in some roles, but in others, they can fail spectacularly. Comments on the website The Top Tens, which ranks Carrey as the 47th worst actor or actress of all time, range from "Can't stand this guy" to "Don't know why he's on this list, he's hilarious!" Studios may not want to take the risk on an actor who has such an unpredictably polarizing effect on filmgoers.

He's not as much of a box office draw as he used to be

Back in the day, Carrey-starring films like Dumb and Dumber, Liar Liar and The Truman Show were surefire box office hits, but his more recent films have been less of a guarantee. While Dumb and Dumber To did well at the box office, earning $169 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, other non-franchise films like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and I Love You Phillip Morris have not been as successful, with Wonderstone earning $27 million on a $30 million budget and Phillip Morris bringing in $20.7 million against a $13 million budget. Studios want a bankable star before betting on a big-budget film, and Carrey no longer fits the bill.

He hasn't been nominated for any major awards recently

Carrey was a hit with critics in the late 1990s and early 2000s, earning four Golden Globe nominations and two wins in just ten years. However, the actor hasn't been nominated for a major award since his appearance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2005. (Although there was some critical buzz for I Love You Philip Morris, he missed out on all the major ceremonies.)

In fact, since Eternal Sunshine, Carrey's biggest awards recognition—aside from People's Choice Awards and the like—was a Razzie nomination for worst actor in The Number 23. Not exactly what casting directors are looking for.

He's been working behind the camera

Carrey has been spending more time behind the camera in recent years, working as the creator and executive producer of the upcoming Showtime series I'm Dying Up Here. The series draws from Carrey's experiences as a stand-up comic, starring Melissa Leo as the owner of a comedy club in the 1970s. Carrey doesn't act in the show, which is set to premiere on June 4, but he's been actively promoting the project and working on it behind the scenes.

And he's happy that way

Carrey seems like he's pretty happy with life behind the camera, saying during a press panel at the Television Critics Association that he's "in the process of shedding layers of persona at this time in my life. … I'm very happy to [be] here for these guys and watch these guys enter this world and create these characters who are looking to create a cadence and a persona and something that will draw people's attention to them."

He reiterated that in an appearance at Pasadena's Icehouse Comedy Club, saying on stage, "I have nothing to say! I'm not hungry anymore. I've done it all!"

He's busy mentoring the next generation of actors

Apparently, in his spare time, Carrey has been giving life-changing, Vanity Fair-cover feature worthy advice to none other than Chris Pratt, who says he idolized the comedian growing up. "There's very few people in the world who I can expect to understand exactly what I'm going through," Pratt told the magazine. "Jim Carrey is one of them."

He later added that, when he asked Carrey for advice on what his next career move should be, the actor said, "There's going to be a point in life where you're going to have to prove that your family is more important to you than show business," leading to Pratt taking a self-imposed hiatus from the industry.

He's been dealing with some personal issues

Carrey is currently fighting against wrongful death suits from the mother and ex-husband of his ex-girlfriend Cathriona White, who died of an intentional drug overdose last year. White's mother alleges that Carrey knowingly gave her daughter "three sexually transmitted diseases" and then lied to her, threatened her and broke up with her to protect his public image. Carrey has said the allegations were "irrelevant, false and improper," calling them a "shameless shakedown for money."

Her ex-husband's suit reiterates the STD claim, and also alleges that Carrey gave White the drugs on which she overdosed. Carrey responded by saying in a statement, "I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved."

He's gone public with some pretty controversial beliefs

Carrey has been vocal about his stance on some controversial political issues, most notably vaccine policy. The actor has called vaccines poison and referred to California governor Jerry Brown as a "corporate fascist" who "must be stopped" after the politician put a law in place banning personal exemptions from required vaccinations. While personal beliefs are personal beliefs, it can be risky for a studio to go with an actor who could alienate audiences with his political comments—especially those relating to public health.

How he can turn his career around

For Carrey, the secret to turning his career around could lie in returning to the small screen. The actor may not have the box-office bang required to sell a blockbuster anymore, but if he decided to move into a smaller market, he could be a big fish in a (somewhat) smaller pond. Carrey would easily be able to land his own TV show on a major network or cable channel if he chose, and doing so could help revitalize his career—and maybe even lead him back to movie roles in the future.