Jim Carey Thanks His 'Sublime Companion' Min Ah as jim carey Accepts Lifetime Honor at France's César Awards
jim carey accepted an honorary lifetime award at the 51st edition of France’s César Awards and delivered an emotional speech entirely in French. He used the moment to thank his family, acknowledge a French ancestor and offer a rare personal confirmation of his relationship.
Honor and standing ovation
The actor, best known for roles in The Mask and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, received the honorary César that is traditionally given to an international star, named in past years for performers such as Julia Roberts. At the 51st edition of the César Awards on Feb. 26, 2026, he brought the room to its feet and spoke to the assembled French cinema community in French.
Introduced by Michel Gondry
He was introduced onstage by Michel Gondry, who directed him in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 22 years ago. In his remarks, jim carey spoke in French with a thick American accent and reflected on acting: he compared each character to clay in the sculptor’s hands that an actor shapes to the heart’s desire, and said he had been fortunate to share the art with many people who opened their hearts to him.
Ancestry and the 'carré' circle
jim carey revealed that about 300 years ago his great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather, Marc-François Carré, was born in France in Saint Malo and later emigrated to Canada. He noted the play on his family name, saying that with the honor the square — carré in French — had come full circle.
Family, Min Ah and Mina
Onstage he thanked his family by name. He said, in part: “Thank you to my wonderful family, my daughter Jane, and my grandson Jackson. I love you now and forever. ” He gave a direct shoutout to a companion identified in reports with two spellings — Min Ah and Mina — calling her his “sublime companion” and saying, “I love you, Min Ah” and “I love you, Mina. ” He also thanked his father by name, saying, “thank you to the funniest man I have ever known: my father, Percy Joseph Carrey, who taught me the value of love, generosity, and laughter. ”
Private life and confirmation
The ceremony marked a rare personal update: jim carey confirmed his relationship status publicly by thanking his companion. He attended the ceremony with his daughter Jane Erin Carrey and her teenage son Jackson, and was described as 64 years old in coverage of the event.
Closing lines and humor in French
He closed with a playful check on his language skills, asking, “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. ” That final self-deprecating line drew laughs and applause as the honor concluded.
Career and relationships recalled
The appearance and speech prompted summaries of his personal history included in the public record. jim carey was born in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada as the youngest of four children. In seventh grade a teacher offered him 15 minutes at the end of class if he would let his classmates work in peace; he used spare time to develop material and later said he was already “ruffling feathers. ”
His father Percy helped him begin a comedy career by driving him to Toronto's Yuk Yuk club for his debut, where he wore a yellow suit made by his mother and bombed. As his stand-up improved, Rodney Dangerfield hired him to open for him on tour, which took him to Las Vegas. After meeting aspiring actress Melissa Wormer at the Comedy Store, they married in 1987 and their daughter Jane Erin Carrey was born later that year.
His later relationships noted in coverage include a brief marriage to Lauren Holly; dating Renée Zellweger and Jenny McCarthy in the 2000s; dating Jenny McCarthy specifically from 2005 to 2010; and relationships during the 2010s with makeup artist Cathriona White — who died in 2015 at age 30 from a prescription drug overdose — and with actress Ginger Gonzaga. He once dated singer Linda Ronstadt for eight months in the early 1980s.
Views on marriage and past remarks
jim carey has been private about his love life and has expressed lack of interest in remarrying after two failed marriages, saying, “I just don't see it as necessary. ” Speaking about future possibilities, he has said he could not make hard, fast rules and could not predict how he would feel if he met someone who “knocks my head off. ” In a later interview he said he did not have certain things but appreciated the people who had come through his life for the good they gave him.
At the César ceremony, the combination of personal thanks, ancestry notes and an all-French address gave the moment both intimacy and showmanship as he accepted the honorary award.
