The organiser of the César awards has dismissed speculation that Jim Carrey was replaced by a heavily made-up impersonator at last week's ceremony, insisting the actor had spent months preparing for the event.
Gregory Caulier, general delegate of the Césars, told Variety that the controversy was a “non-issue” and testified to Carrey's enthusiasm. He said the actor had worked on his French speech for months, asking for help with pronunciation, and had brought along a large group of family and friends, including his partner, daughter, grandson and publicist, as well as 12 close companions. “I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance,” Caulier added.
The rumours began after Carrey appeared at the awards on 26 February to receive an honorary prize. Viewers noted apparent changes to his appearance, particularly around the eyes, cheeks and nose, leading some to suspect an impersonator. Drag artist Alexis Stone posted images of assorted prosthetics on Instagram, suggesting he had taken Carrey's place, while actor Megan Fox wrote: “i can’t handle any more stress right now i need to know if this is real.”
During his speech, delivered in halting French, Carrey paid tribute to French cinema and traced his ancestry to Marc-François Carré, who was born in St Malo about 300 years ago before emigrating to Canada. The actor, known for films such as The Mask, The Truman Show and Liar Liar, has also earned acclaim for dramatic roles in Man on the Moon and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Carrey's career has been marked by intermittent talk of retirement. In 2022 he told Deadline he was “probably” retiring, saying he had “done enough” and was “enough”, though he added that he might return for a script “written in gold ink”. Two years later he reprised his role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, remarking “I need the money, frankly”, and in December 2024 he said he was not fully retiring but planned to “power rest”.
