Jim Carrey’s 10 Best Unscripted Movie Moments

Jim Carrey is a king of comedy. Before launching his Hollywood career, Carrey did stand-up in both Canada and America, performing celebrity impressions. He eventually landed a spot in In Living Color, a sketch comedy television series. His performance there earned him his breakthrough role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. And from there, the rest is history.

Carrey dominated Hollywood comedy during the 1990s and early 2000s. He's made audiences across the world double over with laughter, thanks to his slapstick humor, energetic, over-the-top performances, and of course, his improvisations. Carrey is known for working off the cuff, reading a situation and then inventing comedy gold right there on the spot. Some of the best moments from his movies, in fact, are completely improvised. Here are ten of Jim Carrey's best unscripted moments that had us howling with laughter.

10 "Hello, Clarice." - The Cable Guy (1996)

What happens when you blend Jim Carrey comedy with a psychological thriller? You get The Cable Guy. Directed by another comedy legend, Ben Stiller, The Cable Guy is about an eccentric cable installer named Chip (Carrey), who becomes obsessed with and stalks his customer Steven (Matthew Broderick).

Why It's So Great

The Cable Guy isn't Jim Carrey's best movie, though it has gained a cult following since its release. But it does feature one of his best unscripted moments. While the two friends are dining at Medieval Times, Chip asks Kevin for the skin of his chicken. He then proceeds to cover his face with chicken skin and says, "Hello, Clarice", referencing Anthony Hopkins' iconic Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Even Matthew Broderick cracks with laughter at this improvisation. Also, fun fact: Hannibal Lecter never actually says that line in the movie.

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9 "Big Gulps, Huh?" - Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Dumb and Dumber

Release Date

December 16, 1994

Director

Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly

Cast

Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Mike Starr, Karen Duffy, Charles Rocket

Rating

PG-13

Main Genre

Comedy

Dumb and Dumber is one of Jim Carrey's best comedies, and as such, it has a handful of unscripted moments on this list. In fact, according to director Peter Farrelly, an impressive 15% of Dumb and Dumber was improvised. The movie kicks off when Lloyd (Jim Carrey) convinces his best bud Harry (Jeff Daniels) to journey with him to Aspen, so they can return a lost briefcase to his crush.

Why It's So Great

There's a hilarious but brief scene where Lloyd exits a 7-Eleven and sees a group of men outside, sipping on Big Gulps. "Hey guys!" he says cheerfully to the strangers. "Wow, gig gulps, huh? Alright. Well, see ya later!" He then walks away without another word. This entire conversation (if you can even call it that) was improvised by Carrey. Even better, the Big Gulpers weren't paid extras. They were just everyday people hanging out, watching the shoot, when Carrey decided to spring this ridiculous line on them.

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8 Drawing with Soap - The Truman Show (1998)

The Truman Show

Release Date

June 4, 1998

Director

Peter Weir

Cast

Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Brian Delate

Rating

PG

Main Genre

Drama

Not all of Jim Carrey's best unscripted moments come from his comedies. The Truman Show is the comedian's best dramatic film according to Rotten Tomatoes and showcases his acting chops. Truman Burbank (Carrey) is the unwilling and unaware star of his own reality show, which has attracted billions of viewers around the world. Things start to unravel, however, when Truman begins to suspect that his reality may not be what it seems.

Why It's So Great

While in the bathroom, Truman uses a bar of soap to draw on the mirror and turn himself into an astronaut, exploring a planet that he dubs Trumania. "That one's for free," he says afterward, speaking directly to the billions of viewers watching him. Carrey improvised this moment. He also did another take, where he instead drew long curly hair and a dress. But it was the Trumania take that made the final cut, a good decision that better fit Truman's character.

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7 "Mama!" - Liar, Liar (1997)

Liar, Liar is one of Jim Carrey's funniest movies. Thanks to a magical birthday wish from his son, hotshot lawyer and professional liar Fletcher Reede (Carrey) finds that he suddenly can't tell a lie. This issue places Fletcher in some ridiculous and funny situations, including an awkward interaction with a large-breasted woman.

Why It's So Great

Because he can't tell a lie, Fletcher is constantly spilling the truth to people, even when they don't ask for it. While in an elevator with a large-breasted woman, Fletcher anxiously jumps from one remark about her breasts to the next, unable to stop himself. This interaction ends with an improvisation from Jim Carrey, where he says, "Mama!" and makes sucking noises with his mouth. This scene would never fly today, but back in 1997, it was pretty funny.

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6 Sneezing on the Tribe - Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Release Date

November 10, 1995

Director

Steve Oedekerk

Cast

Jim Carrey, Ian McNeice, Simon Callow, Maynard Eziashi, Bob Gunton, Sophie Okonedo

Rating

PG-13

Main Genre

Comedy

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is the highly anticipated sequel to the first movie. It brings Jim Carrey back as everyone's favorite pet detective. This time, his investigation bring him into the heart of Africa, where he must find a missing rare bat -- the one animal that Ace is actually afraid of.

Why It's So Great

After arriving in Africa, Ace meets the native Wachati tribe, who wants to locate the missing bat. His guide, Fulton Greenwall (Ian McNeice) explains, "They have lived in the same state for thousands of years. They did not know about disease until the white man came." In a brilliant unscripted move, Ace sneezes directly on the native Wachati tribe as soon as Greenwall finishes that line, creating one of the most memorable and hilarious moments in the movie.

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5 "We Landed on the Moon!" - Dumb and Dumber (1994)

New Line Cinema

After arriving in Aspen in Dumb and Dumber, best buds Lloyd (Carrey) and Harry (Daniels) accidentally crack open a misplaced briefcase, revealing tons of money inside. In the blink of an eye, they go from being broke jokes to...well, rich jokes. But even all the money in the world won't make these two any less dumb.

Why It's So Great

In the bar where Lloyd is drinking, a newspaper clipping of America's 1969 moon landing is hanging on the wall. On his way out of the bar, Lloyd passes by the clipping and freezes in his tracks. He then proceeds to exit the bar, declaring excitedly for all to hear, "We landed on the moon!" -- as if this monumental event had just happened yesterday. This moment wasn't a part of the script. Carrey spotted the newspaper clipping and saw a comedic opportunity. "We landed on the moon!" has since become one of the movie's most iconic and funniest lines.

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4 The Unplanned Tablecloth Trick - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Release Date

November 17, 2000

Director

Ron Howard

Cast

Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon

Rating

PG

Main Genre

Comedy

In 2000, acclaimed director Ron Howard adapted Dr. Seuss' beloved Christmas story to the big screen. How the Grinch Stole Christmas cast Jim Carrey as the live-action Grinch. And with his extensive make-up and ridiculous personality, he really brought the character to life in a new way. The movie expands upon the classic story, where the Grinch impersonates Santa Claus and steals Christmas from the unsuspecting Who's.

Why It's So Great

Jim Carrey's take on the Grinch has become iconic. There's an amazing scene where the Grinch rips a tablecloth off a set table. But the silverware, glasses, and plates don't move an inch; everything stays exactly where it is. The magical tablecloth trick, it's called. Except it was a total accident. Carrey had never pulled off the tablecloth trick before and didn't intend for that to happen. In an improvised moment, the Grinch storms back to the table and rectifies his mistake, messing up all the neatly arranged silverware and plates. Hilarious moments like this turned How the Grinch Stole Christmas into one of the highest grossing holiday movies ever and an essential holiday viewing.

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3 "S-S-S-S-S-Smokin!!!" - The Mask (1994)

The Mask

Release Date

July 29, 1994

Director

Chuck Russell

Cast

Jim Carrey, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, Orestes Matacena

Rating

PG-13

Main Genre

Comedy

Adapted from the comic book series of the same name, The Mask is unlike any comic book movie you've ever seen. Nice guy Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey) is down on his luck -- until he finds a magical mask that transforms him into a cartoony, green-faced troublemaker with superhuman abilities.

Why It's So Great

The Mask is a significant film in Jim Carrey's catalog. It established him as a bona fide star and served as the film debut for a young Cameron Diaz. The Mask himself is one of Jim Carrey's most iconic characters. His catchphrase, "S-S-S-S-S-Smokin!!!", is the most famous quote from the movie. Oh, and did we mention this line was improvised by Jim Carrey?

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2 The Most Annoying Sound in the World - Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Harry and Lloyd pick up a hitchhiker during their road trip in Dumb and Dumber. Little do they know, this hitchhiker is actually a hitman nicknamed Mental (Mike Starr), who plans to kill them. But little does Mental know, he just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Why It's So Great

At one point during their car ride, Lloyd turns to Mental and giddily asks him, "Hey, want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?" He then delivers what is undoubtedly the most annoying sound in the world, screeching and wailing at the top of his lungs. This was an unscripted moment from Jim Carrey -- and it's very possible that actor Mike Starr's enraged reactions here are unscripted and genuine, too (can you blame him?) This scene has become legendary in cinema and is one of the best, most quoted parts of the film. It's hilarious, unscripted moments like this that made Dumb and Dumber one of Hollywood's greatest comedies.

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1 "Alrighty Then!" - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Release Date

February 4, 1994

Director

Tom Shadyac

Cast

Jim Carrey, Courteney Cox, Sean Young, Tone Loc, Dan Marino, Noble Willingham

Rating

PG-13

Main Genre

Comedy

Ace Venture: Pet Detective is the movie that turned Jim Carrey into a star. The Miami Dolphins' world is thrown into disarray when their dolphin mascot is mysteriously kidnapped. And no one's better equipped, or more hysterical, to tackle this case than zany pet detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey).

Why It's So Great

You don't get more unscripted than this one. Jim Carrey actually came up with many of the iconic elements in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. After several read throughs of the script, Carrey decided that Ventura needed a bit more...flair. He read the lines again -- this time, with the voice of one of his In Living Color characters. He also threw in that same character's catchphrase, "Alrighty then!" This improvisation was a match made in comedy heaven. This voice became the voice of Ace Ventura. And "Alrighty then!" became more than just the character's catchphrase. It became one of Jim Carrey's most iconic lines.

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