Reports of comedy legend Jim Carrey retiring were premature: he’s back as the nefarious Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Carrey not only reprised his iconic role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, but also stepped into the shoes of a second character—Robotnik’s grandfather.
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This seems like an awful lot of dedication from the 62-year-old actor since he declared just two years ago that he was done with the franchise.
“Well, I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being fairly serious,” Carrey told Access Hollywood back in 2022 when Sonic 2 dropped. “It depends. If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break.”
“I really like my quiet life, and I really like putting paint on canvas, and I really love my spiritual life, and I feel like—and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists—I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough,” The Truman Show star added.
However, it seems a practical (and relatable) reason brought Carrey back for more.
He needed the money.
Calling his declaration of retirement “hyperbole,” the actor explained why he returned to the Sonic well.
“You know, I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius. Which is a bit of a stretch,” Carrey recently told the Associated Press. “And, you know, it’s just I bought a lot of stuff, and I need the money, frankly.”
Why Jim Carrey’s Comments Should Be Taken with a Grain of Salt
Of course, it seems likely that the prolific funnyman is having a laugh when he says he needs money. According to Celebrity Net Worth, his wealth hovers at around $180 million.
During his prime in the ’90s making hits like Dumb and Dumber, he was raking in the dough. He was even family the first actor to demand $20 million for a film, which he first scored for 1996’s The Cable Guy.
While those major paydays are over, Carrey has always been in demand.
In 2020, the first Sonic movie marked Jim Carrey’s return to major studio films after a six-year hiatus. During that time, he appeared in indie projects like The Bad Batch and Dark Crimes. He also starred in Showtime’s comedy series Kidding.
Now that Carrey seems to be open to returning to big franchises, maybe he’ll give another one of his iconic characters another go. Could a belated return to the Grinch be in the cards?