In the world of physical comedy, few performers in recent memory have stood taller than Jim Carrey, who has dazzled audiences for years with his high-energy hijinks and uproarious facial expressions. Of course, the witty one-liners the actor has quipped in some of his best movies and TV shows should not go unnoticed either. In fact, we have more than plenty hilarious Jim Carrey quotes to share below.
“Allllllllrighty Then!” – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
The top catchphrase from the iconic ‘90s movie classic, Ace Venture: Pet Detective, may be the ultimate Jim Carrey quote, and not just because of its recognizable quality. It demonstrates the actor’s ability to turn a simple and common word combination into guaranteed laughs with such a bombastic delivery.
“So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance” – Dumb And Dumber
When Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) asks Mary (Lauren Holly) what sort of chances he might have of dating her, she says it would be about “one out of a million.” Technically, his interpretation of this is not wrong, but his failure to pick up on its negative implications makes for one of Dumb and Dumber’s smartest moments.
“I’ve Caught Fire So Many Times, I Can’t Even Feel It Anymore” – In Living Color
Before Jim Carrey became a movie star, his big break came when he joined the In Living Color cast from 1990-1994. One of his most popular characters was Fire Marshall Bill, who is not very good at his job, as this quote seems to imply, though that is far from the only clue provided in his many appearances on the classic sketch comedy series.
“That’s A Spicy Meatball!” – The Mask
As his titular, magical alter ego, The Mask, Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) saves Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz in her acting debut) by swallowing whole an explosive device just seconds before it goes off. His quippy reaction to the incendiary snack has since become a fun way to let others know your meal is a challenge to the taste buds.
“Was That Over The Top? I Can Never Tell” – Batman Forever
In Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, Jim Carrey’s Riddler asks Val Kilmer’s Dark Knight this question after uttering, “For if knowledge is power, then a god am… I!” with an extensive, larger-than-life growl on the last word. Considering Carrey’s reputation for being frequently over-the-top, this introspective line makes for one of the funniest moments in one of the funniest live-action Batman movies.
“Well, It Was Nice To Meet You, God. Thank You For The Grand Canyon, And Good Luck With The Apocalypse” – Bruce Almighty
If it not for the cynical outlook on life that Jim Carrey’s titular character in 2003’s Bruce Almighty adopts by this point, this might seem like a genuine bid of appreciation for God, played by Morgan Freeman. Of course, he clarifies his true feelings toward the Alpha and Omega in the next, more overtly blasphemous line.
“4:00, Wallow In Self Pity; 4:30, Stare Into The Abyss; 5:00, Solve World Hunger — Tell No One; 5:30, Jazzercize; 6:30, Dinner With Me — I Can’t Cancel That Again; 7:00, Wrestle With My Self-Loathing…” – How The Grinch Stole Christmas
We catch a deeper glimpse into the life of Jim Carrey’s other most popular green character when he recites his daily schedule to see if he can squeeze in the Whobelation. It’s these more darkly funny moments that make Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas one of the best Dr. Seuss movies.
“Hi, I’m Looking For Ray Finkle… And A Clean Pair Of Shorts” – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
At the childhood home of his prime dolphin kidnapping suspect, Ray Finkle, Ace Ventura is greeted by the disgraced football player’s father in a way that would understandably cause anyone to ruin their undergarments on the spot. Thus, the line is already funny in concept, but it’s Jim Carrey’s delivery that makes it a classic.
“I Gotta Get Back Pretty Soon Or They’ll Worry. People Disappear In The Finger Lakes.” – The Office
Out of the many hilarious celebrity cameos in The Office’s Season 7 finale, one of the funniest is easily Jim Carrey as an applicant for the new manager of Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton branch. He explains that he told his family he was going for a hike and slipped out to go to the interview.
“Tell Auntie Em To let Old Yeller Out” – The Mask
After getting shot by one of Dorian’s (Peter Greene) goons, Stanley Ipkiss — basically immortal while wearing the titular Mask — fakes his incoming death with an Oscar-worthy performance that includes several classic movie callbacks. Perhaps the funniest is the one that combines two different pop culture references in one, with mention of Auntie Em from The Wizard of Oz and the dog from Old Yeller.
“Like The Jacket? It Keeps Me Safe When I’m Jogging At Night” – Batman Forever
Say what you want about it, some believe Batman Forever was ahead of the curve for many reasons — including its truly eye-catching costume design, like the light-up sports coat Edward Nygma wears when greeting the captive Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman). It is truly witty one-liners like his comment about the jacket’s brightness that makes Jim Carrey’s performance one of the best Riddler portrayals ever.
“Do NOT Go In there! Pheeww!” – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
While searching for the missing dolphin Snowflake at a party, Ace Ventura ends up coming face-to-face with a different sort of beast: a shark, with which he uses to reenact the opening scene from Jaws. When he reemerges soaking wet with ripped slacks, the goofy sleuth plays it off like a simple
restroom mishap.
“Behind Every Great Man Is A Woman Rolling Her Eyes” – Bruce Almighty
At the center of Bruce Almighty is a turbulent, but ultimately heartwarming love story between Jim Carrey’s title character and Friends cast member Jennifer Aniston as Grace. At the end, after announcing their engagement, he quips this play on the old “Behind every great man is a greater woman” adage that might have replaced it in terms of popularity and even accuracy in modern times.
“We Landed On The Moon!” – Dumb And Dumber
In Dumb and Dumber, a newspaper clipping reporting the NASA moon landing framed at a hotel bar in Aspen appears to be a total shock and source of excitement for Lloyd. It was already clear that Jim Carrey’s character in the 1994 comedy was not a bright bulb, but his complete lack of awareness for a revolutionary moment from a quarter of a century earlier shows just how out of touch with reality he truly is.
“I Definitely Don’t Have Gills” – 30 Rock
One of the most absurd fake movies from 30 Rock is featured in Season 6’s “Leap Day” episode, in which Jim Carrey stars as the title character of Leap Dave Williams, who begins turning into February 29th’s equivalent to Santa Claus. As part of this transformation, he grows gills, which he does not do the best job hiding from his wife (played by Andie McDowell) when she asks him if everything is OK from outside from the bathroom door.
“It’s Party Time. P, A, R, T. Y? Because I Gotta!” – The Mask
When Stanley Ipkiss first puts on “The Mask,” the effects are initially pretty terrifying. However, his spelled-out declaration for debauchery convinces us that the mystical artifact is exactly what the lonely banker needs to bring out his more positive side.
“How’s My Mole?” – Batman Forever
Even as he is secretly conspiring against Bruce Wayne and has become his competitor with his own company, Edward Nygma is still infatuated with Wayne (Val Kilmer) in Batman Forever. This is made clear in the way he tries to resemble the billionaire as closely as possible at a Gotham City gala and goes as far as adding a fake mole to his face, which he asks overlooked Batman movie character, Sugar (Drew Barrymore), to check on for him.
“LOOO-HOOO-ZUH-HER!” – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Never would the world pronounce or be able to hear the word “loser” the same way again after Jim Carrey stretched it past its furthest extent with extra syllables. No matter how many times he says it in the 1994 original and the following year’s Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, it’s still gold.
“Kids Today, So Desensitized By Movies And Television” – How The Grinch Stole Christmas
After failing to scare away young Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) from his mountaintop lair with an uproarious display of erratic behavior, The Grinch breaks the fourth wall to address his belief that she, like other children, has been negatively conditioned by the media. For a pretty goofy movie, this could easily be viewed as a pretty thoughtful commentary that is somewhat ahead of its time.
“I Got Worms” – Dumb And Dumber
In conversation, context is crucial, as demonstrated by this knee-slapper from early on in Dumb and Dumber. Lloyd should have explained to Mary that “I Got Worms” is the name of his planned worm farming business with Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) before uttering the very misleading phrase.
“Did You Feel Bad At All Letting Leo DiCaprio Drown While You Were Safe Floating On The Big Door?” – Bruce Almighty
After learning, live on air, that a coveted anchoring position has been filled by Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), Bruce goes a little mad and sabotages his remote segment on a boat near Niagara Falls and asks a passenger from its maiden voyage a question that likens her to Titanic cast member Kate Winslet’s character. The line has only gotten better with age as the debate surrounding James Cameron’s Best Picture Oscar winner over whether or not Jack could have fit on the door with Rose rages on.
“Somebody Stop Me!” – The Mask
The most recognizable line from The Mask might be “Sssssssmokin’!” but it is this one that really defines Stanley Ipkiss’ alter-ego the best. It indicates how the anti-hero’s over-the-top behavior is clearly grounds for criminal punishment, but also serves as a way of winking at the audience’s reluctance to let it cease.
“Hey, Guys! Oh, Big Gulps, Huh? All Right! Well, See Ya Later” – Dumb And Dumber
Lloyd’s completely one-sided exchange with a couple of gentlemen outside of a 7-Eleven could be viewed as the most random scene in Dumb and Dumber. However, it is essential in developing the goofy character’s more endearing and sociable qualities, if not with a little awkwardness mixed in.
“Oh, No. I’M SPEAKING IN RHYME!” – How The Grinch Stole Christmas
No Dr. Seuss story is complete without rhyming and 2000’s live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas adaptation has plenty of it. However, when Jim Carrey’s titular grouch starts to speak like the Whos (or Anthony Hopkins as the narrator), the realization is treacherous for him.
“Well, I’m IB-Positive. I Be Positive They Ain’t Touching Me With No Needle” – Bruce Almighty
When Grace tells Bruce about the blood drive her school is hosting, he explains his own reluctance to participate by inventing a clever play on her own blood type, AB-positive. We are surprised there are not more Trypanophobic people who quote this moment from Bruce Almighty to indicate their aversion to needles.
“I’m Here For Three Good Reasons: Last Show. Big Ratings. Movie Comin’ Out. Bim. Bam. Boom. Otherwise I’d Be Sitting At Home Watching ‘Nightline'” – The Larry Sanders Show
HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show may be one great sitcom that never made it to 100 episodes, but it went out with a “boom” with a finale featuring a memorable Jim Carrey cameo. After performing a seemingly heartfelt performance for Garry Shandling’s titular late-night host, the actor brutally admits his appearance on his last show is purely for self-promotion. Celebrities were always refreshingly willing to poke fun at themselves on one of the best TV shows on Max, but Carrey really went for the jugular, portraying himself as a hostile egomaniac.
“Take That, You Winged Spawn Of Satan!” – Ace Venture: When Nature Calls
Ace Ventura is the kind of person who loves animals more than people, but we discover in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls the one creature he is not too fond of: bats. That just so happens to be the species of animal he has been assigned to help retrieve in the sequel, in which, at one point, he fearfully throws his coveted medallion in the direction of the White Bat while shouting this insult.
“Was I Chewing Gum Before?” – Yes Man
In Yes Man, a totally plastered Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) misinterprets a woman’s request to cut past him at the bar and starts kissing her. He then spits out a piece of gum that very likely came from that woman’s mouth, leading to, arguably, the funniest line from the 2008 comedy by future Ant-Man movies director, Peyton Reed.
“If Elected, I Promise I Won’t Tweet Once… Because I Don’t Know How” – Saturday Night Live
While Jim Carrey was never officially an SNL cast member, he did serve as Studio 8H’s resident Joe Biden during the 2020 Presidential Election. In one sketch, he promises the American people that he would not indulge in the social media habits of the Commander in Chief before him, but only because his version of the then-78-year-old is just not tech-savvy enough.
“Guess You Didn’t See That Coming” – Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues made a valiant attempt to top the fight scene from the original by packing in a crazy amount of celebrity cameos, including the Canadian-born Jim Carrey as the Great White North’s Scott Riles. The otherwise overly polite reporter puts in one of the battle’s most brutal attacks: plucking someone’s eye out with a hockey stick and putting it up to his own eye before spouting this cruel pun.
“Short, Shriveled, And Always To The Left” – Liar Liar
In 1997’s Liar Liar — a great movie under 90 minutes — Jim Carrey’s Fletcher Reede attempts to reverse a birthday wish from his son Max (Justin Cooper) that prevents him from lying for 24 hours, only to learn his past dishonesty has caused Max to resent him. He returns to the office so dejected that when a colleague “How’s it hangin’?” he sheepishly gives into his curse with a more literal answer than likely intended.
“I’m Tellin’ Ya, You Can’t Float Until You Get Rid Of Those Sinkers” – In Living Color
A classic In Living Color character performed by Jim Carrey is bodybuilder Vera de Milo. This is her funny way of explaining her exercise plan, which is intended to flatten a woman’s upper body.
These quotes are sssssssmoookin’!