Jim Carrey said he had to leave retirement and go back to work because he needed the money. The comedy actor, who rose to fame with films such as “The Mask” and “Ace Ventura,” announced his retirement after the release of the film “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” in which he played the villain Dr. Robotnik. Now, he has decided to return to reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”, film that will hit theaters on December 25.
In an interview with Access Hollywood in April 2022, Carrey explained what his retirement would be like and the conditions for returning to performance. “If the angels bring some kind of script written in gold ink, tell me that it will be very important for people to see it, I could continue down this path, but I will take a break”. Despite his statements, his retirement (so to speak) was short, very short. Less than two years later, the actor confirmed that he would participate in the third installment of the Sonic franchisewhere he will play Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik.
During the London premiere of “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” Carrey humbly and honestly revealed the reasons why he had to leave retirement and return to work. “I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. And simply, I bought a lot of things and I need the moneyfrankly”.
Lack of money and selling your house
Although no one knows how much money Carrey has earned with the first two Sonic movies, nor what he will earn with the third installment, the truth is that the movie has been a box office success. As explained from Business Insiderthe first film grossed 319 million dollars, while the second managed to exceed that figure, reaching 405 million at the box office.
Outside of the movie saga and without knowing if you are decisions have been due to economic problemsthe truth is that the actor put for sale one of his most iconic properties, this being a mansion in Los Angeles which had been his home for 30 years. This home would apparently be valued at 29 million dollars (about 28 million euros), but in the end it has dropped, leaving it in the 19.75 million after spending almost two years on the market, which may suggest that the actor is not going through a good economic time.
Hugh Grant or Nicolas Cage also left retirement to earn money
Jim Carrey has not been the only actor who has had financial problems having to postpone his retirement. Hugh Grant, Nicolas Cage and Al Pacino have publicly acknowledged having accepted roles to earn money due to financial problems. In his memoirs, Pacino wrote: “I looked up and I didn’t have any money. I had about ninety thousand dollars saved in the fund, and that was it”.
Hugh Grant, Nicolas Cage, Amanda Seyfried and Harrison Ford They are A-list celebrities who have said they accepted roles for financial reasons.
In his memoir “Sonny Boy,” published in October, Al Pacino wrote that he stopped acting in films in the mid-1980s because he felt “creatively exhausted,” but returned to the industry after running out of money.
The actor also reported that in 2011 he once again faced debts, loans and financial problems due to excessive spending. “There is almost nothing worse for a famous person: being dead and bankrupt“, he confessed, adding that he sold properties, participated in advertising and accepted a role in “Jack and Jill” to be able to recover economically.