Making it in Hollywood is not for the faint of heart, and Carrey realized that. But then along came a film called “Rubberface” and seemed to be the perfect fit at the time. The 1981 film was only under an hour-long, but he would be the lead.
In the film, he portrayed a struggling comedian (sounds about right) who helped an overweight girl gain confidence, and she, in turn, helped him write better jokes. While Carrey’s performances were great, the movie was not very well received.
Getting it Right
It took some time for him to find the rhythm, but when it that happened, he was up, up, and away. As Carrey started to show some promise in the local comedy scene in Toronto, it became evident that he was destined for bigger things.
Soon Carrey would have to head out to Hollywood and make a name for himself.
Coming to America
Things started to look promising, but it wasn't perfect. This was not the local comedy scene in his hometown, and landing the gigs he wanted would obviously prove to be complicated. The first knock was getting rejected from "Saturday Night Live."
Carrey auditioned for the live sketch show for the 1980-81 season. Had he made it, he would have been starring alongside Eddie Murphy. In the end, things didn't work out for him on the show, but he surely would return some forty years later.
The Rest of the 1980s
Following "Rubberface," more low-budget '80s films kept coming. He starred in the sitcom "The Duck Factory" and the horror-comedy "Once Bitten." Of course, the rejection from "Saturday Night Live" was met with quite a lot of disappointment.
Even with a part in a movie, Carrey had profoundly wished for an opportunity to be apart of the SNL cast, but it turns out that his audition tape didn't even make it to Lorne Michaels, the creator, and producer of the show.
The Breakthrough
After twelve years of auditions and a string of mediocre slapstick comedies, things seriously turned around. In the year 1990, Jim Carrey got his first big break (many more would follow) with the American sketch comedy show "In Living Color."
The show was a fantastic stepping stone for the actor who could now show off his comedy chops on a national television show. Other comedians got their foot in the door with that show too, including the Wayans Brothers and Jamie Foxx. The show was a big hit and ran for an entirety of five seasons. Carrey was in them from start to finish.