Jim Carrey Looks Unrecognizable and Delivers French Speech at 51st César Film Awards
At the 51st César Film Awards, jim carrey received an honorary award and delivered an emotional speech in French, even as images of him at the ceremony went viral. The combination of a heartfelt, French-language address and a wave of social posts has kept the moment at the center of conversation.
Images from the ceremony and social posts that followed
Photographs credited to Francois Durand and Stephane Cardinale circulated alongside social posts that questioned the appearance and bearing of the actor at the 51st César Film Awards. On February 27, 2026, one user writing as @idropFbombs posted: "Jim Carrey doesn't look, sound or behave like Jim Carrey. Actors playing actors. 💯" The same date saw a post by @ForeverScept that read: "Apparently this is Jim Carrey at the French film awards. This is some Truman show stuff. " Another post by @idropFbombs on February 27, 2026 said: "Jim Carrey: Cloned & replaced ✅️Because who the hell is that guy?! 👇" Those posts and the photographs together pushed the images into viral circulation.
Jim Carrey's honorary award and the French-language speech
Onstage at the event, Jim Carrey accepted the ceremony's honorary award given this year to an international star. He delivered his speech entirely in French, speaking with a thick American accent. Earlier in the program he had been introduced by Michel Gondry, who directed him in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 22 years ago. The honorary prize is traditionally given to an international star, with last year's recipient noted as Julia Roberts.
What he said onstage about craft and ancestry
In French, Carrey framed acting as a hands-on craft: he told the audience that each character is like clay in a sculptor's hands, shaped to the heart's desire. He also spoke about his family history, saying that "about 300 years ago" his great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather, Marc-François Carré, was born in Saint Malo in France and later emigrated to Canada. Carrey observed that, with the honor he was receiving, the "square (carré in French) has come full circle. "
Family acknowledgments and personal thanks
Carrey attended the ceremony with his daughter Jane, his grandson Jackson and his girlfriend Mina. Onstage he thanked "my wonderful family, my daughter Jane, and my grandson Jackson. I love you now and forever. " He addressed Mina as "my sublime companion, Mina. I love you, Mina. " He also thanked his father, Percy Joseph Carrey, saying his father taught him the value of love, generosity and laughter.
Closing lines, reception and an unrelated industry note
At the end of his speech Carrey asked the audience, "So, how was my French? Almost mediocre, right? Forgive me, I didn’t speak French, but I’m just learning it. My tongue is tired. " The combination of that closing line and the images shared on February 27, 2026 amplified discussion online about his appearance and performance that night. Separately from the ceremony coverage, a corporate update noted that, after paying Netflix to end its acquisition deal, Paramount Skydance is now officially buying Warner Bros. Discovery.
