Jim Carrey doesn’t pop up on red carpets the way he used to, which is part of why his latest outing felt kind of like a jump-scare for fans and conspiracy theorists online. But recent statements seem to quell any rumours that a clone of the iconic Toronto comedian is running around attending awards shows on his behalf.
Last Thursday, the Toronto actor attended the 51st César Awards in France, where he accepted an Honorary César and even gave a speech entirely in French! Language skills aside, photos and clips of the 64-year-old iconic actor quickly began circulating online, with viewers zeroing in on everything from his straighter, shoulder-length dark hair to a noticeably different face and more subdued vibe.
On Sunday, legendary British drag performer/prosthetic make-up artist Alexis Stone added fuel to the controversy, posting a carousel on Instagram with the caption: “Alexis Stone as Jim Carrey in Paris.” The slides included two pics of Carrey at the event, as well as an image showing a mask, teeth and a dark wig resembling Carrey’s new hairdo.
Stone is known for uncanny celeb transformations, so his Insta lit up, with some treating his post as gospel and others demanding receipts.
“The conspiracy theorists have had a FIELD DAY because of you,” one Instagram user said, while another added, “Man no way, I knew it!!! Jim it’s probably laughing out loud now.”
But plenty of commenters are asking for more proof. “Still suspicious,” one user wrote, while others stated, “I need the real Jim Carrey to confirm,” and “I need video evidence immediately.”
Others questioned whether one of the images looked AI-generated, with comments like “The last photo looks like AI” and “The last pic is in fact ai guys.”
Well, the conspiracy theories were becoming so widespread that an official representative of the awards had to issue a statement that confirmed Carrey’s, ahem, authenticity.
As the body-double theories continue to spread, the César Awards’ general delegate, Gregory Caulier, pushed back publicly, calling the controversy a “non-issue.”
In a statement to The Guardian, Caulier said Carrey had been deeply involved in the planning for months and had even worked on the pronunciation of French words for his speech.
“…I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance,” Caulier said.
Carrey, who is undoubtedly one of the funniest people to come out of the Toronto area, hasn’t publicly commented about the appearance change. He attended the awards with his partner, Min Ah, his daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, and his grandson, Jackson.
