Jim Carrey Thanks 'Sublime Companion' Mina as He Accepts Honor at 51st César Awards
jim carrey received an honorary César Award at the 51st edition of France’s ceremony and delivered an emotional address in French that brought the room to its feet. The moment resonated this year because he combined personal gratitude, a family revelation and a self-deprecating final line: "My tongue is tired. "
51st César Awards Reception
The actor was honored with this year’s honorary César, an accolade traditionally presented to an international star and most recently bestowed on Julia Roberts last year. The appearance drew what the ceremony called the cream of French cinema to their feet, with a standing ovation punctuating his remarks. Because he accepted the lifetime-style honor, he used the platform to speak at length and to acknowledge relationships that shaped his career.
Michel Gondry Introduces the Tribute
Michel Gondry, who directed Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 22 years earlier, introduced him on stage. The director’s introduction set the tone for a speech that blended reflection on acting craft with intimate family acknowledgments, and it framed the evening as both a professional and personal milestone for the honoree.
Ancestral Link to Saint Malo
In French, Carrey traced a family origin roughly 300 years in the past, naming an ancestor Marc-François Carré as born in Saint Malo before emigrating to Canada. He connected that detail to a linguistic play on his own surname—carré, meaning square in French—saying that with the honor the square had come full circle. That genealogical revelation served as a throughline for his remarks, explaining why the award felt especially meaningful.
Family on Hand: Jane, Jackson and Mina
Carrey attended the ceremony with his daughter Jane, his grandson Jackson and his girlfriend Mina. He thanked them directly from the stage, singling out Jane and Jackson by name and addressing Mina as his "sublime companion, " saying, "I love you, Mina. " He also paid tribute to his father, Percy Joseph Carrey, crediting him with lessons in love, generosity and laughter. The presence of close family amplified the emotional tenor of the night and underscored why he used the platform for personal thanks.
Jim Carrey's French Speech and Closing Line
Delivering his remarks entirely in French, Carrey opened with a reflection on acting—likening characters to clay shaped by the sculptor—and thanked the many people who opened their hearts to him. He asked the audience to judge his language skills at the end, quipping that his French was "almost mediocre" and explaining he was still learning; he closed with the line, "My tongue is tired. " The humor and humility helped convert a formal tribute into an intimate exchange, prompting applause and standing ovations.
What makes this notable is the blend of theatrical craft and private history packed into a single acceptance: an actor known for broad comic roles used an international stage to acknowledge lineage, mentorship and family in French. The cause—receiving an honorary César—directly produced the effect of a public reckoning with identity and gratitude, and the result was both ceremonially appropriate and personally revealing.
