If you’re fairly online, like we are, you probably heard about the viral rumor that Jim Carrey, or, more specifically, the Jim Carrey who recently accepted an honorary award at the Cesar Awards in Paris, was a clone. However, the festival’s general delegate, Gregory Caulier, is setting the record straight by revealing that The Mask, Liar Liar, and The Truman Show star underwent months of planning ahead of his appearance at the ceremony.
Jim Carrey's Speech Translated from French To English...Where is the Real Jim Carrey? pic.twitter.com/8ogBOCcswx
— Melanie King (@realmelanieking) February 28, 2026
“Jim Carrey’s visit has been planned since this summer. From the outset, he was extremely touched by the Academy’s invitation,” Caulier told Variety, noting how much went into Carrey’s speech spoken entirely in French. “Eight months of ongoing, constructive discussions. He worked on his speech in French for months, asking me about the exact pronunciation of certain words.”
He added, “[Carrey] came with his partner, his daughter, his grandson and 12 close friends and family members. His longtime publicist accompanied him. His old friend Michel Gondry, who has made a film and two series with him, was there, and they were delighted to see each other again.” Gondry directed the 2004 heartbreaker Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, widely regarded as one of Carrey’s best films, and presented the actor with his award.
Finally, the delegate noted that the rumor is neither here nor there. “For me, it’s a non-issue,” Caulier’s statement concluded. “I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance.”
While attending the Cesar Awards on February 26, Carrey’s appearance struck fans as off, and that led to the rumor — but that viral gossip became amplified when drag artist Alexis Stone shared a post on Instagram that insinuated that she had impersonated Carrey at the awards ceremony using prosthetics, a wig, and a mask that she included a photo of. That said, the image Stone shared of the accessories allegedly used does look a bit AI-generated, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if it was just a joke post.
Plus, one outlet even contacted a prosthetics expert for their opinion, which ended up in Carrey’s favor. "He is absolutely not wearing a mask,” makeup and effects expert David Malinowski told LADBible following the awards appearance. “In my expert, professional opinion, that’s 100% Jim Carrey, and Jim Carrey is not wearing any prosthetics either.”
And most recently, Carrey's publicist, Marleah Leslie, told TMZ: “Jim Carrey attended the César Awards, where he accepted his Honorary César Award.” That's that, then.
Honestly, it’s easy to chalk up the public’s puzzling response to Carrey’s appearance to the fact that he’s basically semi-retired from acting at this point — so we simply don’t see him very often these days. His main job over the last few years has been portraying Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog films, but he has yet to officially be cast in the fourth installment despite being “open” to the prospect.
In 2022, the 64-year-old Hollywood legend said he was considering retiring after starring in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. “Well, I’m retiring,” he said. “Yeah, probably. I’m being fairly serious. It depends. If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break.”
“I really like my quiet life and I really like putting paint on canvas,” he added. “I really love my spiritual life and I feel like — and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists — I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”
Explaining his decision to return for Sonic 3, Carrey said he bought a load of stuff and simply needs the money. "I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch," Carrey said. "And, you know, it’s just… I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly."
However, in October, Jim Carrey was reported to be in talks to star in Warner Bros.’ live-action movie adaptation of the 1960s animated TV series The Jetsons, which Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow is in line to direct. The animated sitcom followed George Jetson (the role Carrey will play), an employee at Spacely's Space Sprockets who resides in Orbit City with his wife Jane, kids Judy and Elroy, dog Astro, and their sarcastic robot maid Rosie.
Photo by Aurore Marechal/Getty Images.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
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