Jim Carrey 2026: Thanks 'Sublime Companion' Min Ah as César Appearance Sparks Debate

jim carrey 2026 accepted a lifetime honor at the 51st César Awards in Paris, using his speech to thank his daughter Jane Erin Carrey, his grandson Jackson and his "sublime companion, " Min Ah. The moment mattered both for its rare public intimacy and for the fierce online debate that followed.

Onstage at the 51st César Awards, Feb. 26, 2026

The actor was honored with a lifetime achievement César at the 51st César Awards in Paris on February 26, 2026. He spoke in French as he accepted the award, telling the crowd, “Thank you to my wonderful family, my daughter Jane, and my grandson Jackson, as I love you now and forever. ” The appearance included members of his family in the audience: his daughter Jane Erin Carrey and her teenage son Jackson.

Public thanks to Min Ah and Percy Joseph Carrey

During his acceptance address the 64-year-old singled out Min Ah, calling her his "sublime companion" and saying, "I love you, Min Ah. " He also thanked his father, Percy Joseph Carrey, calling him "the funniest man I have ever known" and crediting him with teaching "the value of love, generosity and laughter. "

Appearance, demeanor and the online firestorm

Carrey's presence at the ceremony prompted a torrent of online reaction. Viewers pointed to a changed look—longer dark hair, a trimmed beard and a simple black suit—and some noted shifts in his voice and apparent eye color in clips. Social posts compared images from the 1990s to the 2026 event, and memes, TikTok videos and viral posts scrutinized facial features and speech patterns. Theories ranged from plastic surgery or fillers to suggestions of a body double or clone; one thread argued that a French accent during his speech hid a "fake" voice. Major outlets confirmed it was him based on official photos and reports from the event. Photographs and video that circulated immediately after the ceremony intensified the debate.

Carrey's quip and limited red-carpet engagement

He largely avoided red-carpet interviews but, when pressed, delivered a short quip—"I'll be back"—that echoed his comic persona. Organizers praised his career, highlighting roles in Dumb and Dumber, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Sonic the Hedgehog, and tributes emphasized his influence across languages and pop culture. Carrey's team had hinted at his appearance beforehand, but the live moment still caught many off guard.

Recent privacy, semi-retirement and French family ties

The actor has been semi-retired since around 2018, concentrating on painting, writing and his personal life away from Hollywood's glare. French media coverage noted a family connection to Saint-Malo, pointing to ancestors who moved to Canada generations ago. The ceremony underscored both his continued cultural resonance and his preference for a quieter public life.

Longstanding personal history and relationships

Context for the personal thank-yous came with a sweep of Carrey's past. He was born in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada as the youngest of four children. Early anecdotes include a seventh-grade teacher permitting him 15 minutes in front of the class and his own recollection, captured in a 1995 Rolling Stone conversation, that "Even then I was ruffling feathers. " Percy Joseph Carrey helped launch his 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; he later caught the attention of Rodney Dangerfield, who hired him to open on tour in Las Vegas.

He was previously married to Melissa Womer from 1987 to 1995; that union produced his daughter Jane Erin Carrey, who was born later in 1987 and once competed on American Idol. Another item in the record describes meeting an aspiring actress named Melissa Wormer when she worked as a waitress at the Comedy Store and marrying her in 1987. He was briefly wed to his Dumb and Dumber costar Lauren Holly, and he dated Renée Zellweger and Jenny McCarthy in the 2000s; his relationship with McCarthy is noted as running from 2005 to 2010. In the 2010s he dated makeup artist Cathriona White, who died in 2015 at age 30 from a prescription drug overdose, and he also dated She Hulk actress Ginger Gonzaga. Earlier, in the early 1980s, he once dated singer Linda Ronstadt for eight months.

Carrey has been private about his love life in recent years and has expressed reluctance to remarry after two failed marriages, saying "I just don't see it as necessary. " In a 2014 interview he reflected, "I can't say that I know how I would feel if I meet somebody that knocks my head off, " adding that he "can't make hard, fast rules about the future. " In a 2020 conversation he said, "I don't have those things, " and added that he appreciates the people who have come through his life "for the good that they gave me. "

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