How Jim Carey’s César Night and a Private Thank‑You Reframed What Fans—and Those Close to Him—Saw in Paris
For fans and followers who have watched jim carey’s public life for decades, the actor’s appearance at the César Awards changed the evening from an industry moment into a personal update. jim carey used an emotional speech in French to accept an honorary prize, spotlight family in the room and publicly acknowledge a companion—turning applause into a rare, intimate confirmation that landed in real time.
Jim Carey’s speech: why this mattered to fans and the French cinema crowd
Here’s the part that matters: the 51st César Awards audience rose to their feet when Jim Carey accepted an honorary award and spoke in French. For long-time supporters this wasn’t just a prize — it was a performance that doubled as a relationship confirmation and a nod to heritage. The choice to speak entirely in French, delivered with a noticeable American accent, made the moment feel like both an artistic gesture and a personal reveal.
Onstage details from the 51st César Awards ceremony
At the 51st César Awards, Jim Carey received an honorary award traditionally given to an international star; the ceremony drew a standing ovation. He was introduced onstage by Michel Gondry, who had directed him in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 22 years earlier. In French, with a thick American accent, he likened acting to shaping clay and spoke about his good fortune to share the art with welcoming audiences. He also discussed a family origin story: that about 300 years ago his great, great, great, great, great, great‑grandfather Marc‑François Carré was born in Saint Malo and later emigrated to Canada, which he framed as the square (carré) coming full circle with the honor.
Family, partners and the personal update
The actor attended the ceremony with close family: his daughter Jane (Jane Erin Carrey) and his grandson Jackson. He publicly thanked his family — saying he loved his daughter and grandson "now and forever" — and offered a high-profile salute to who he called his "sublime companion. " Coverage of the evening uses two spellings for that companion: Mina and Min Ah; both names appeared in descriptions of his onstage acknowledgments. At the podium he also thanked his father, Percy Joseph Carrey, crediting him with lessons about love, generosity and laughter. The actor was described as 64 years old in context surrounding the appearance.
Past relationships and a quick public biography, as recounted
- Married to Melissa Womer from 1987 to 1995; their daughter Jane Erin Carrey was born later in 1987.
- Briefly married to Lauren Holly; later dated Renée Zellweger and Jenny McCarthy in the 2000s.
- During the 2010s he dated makeup artist Cathriona White, who died in 2015 at age 30 from a prescription drug overdose, and he dated actress Ginger Gonzaga.
- Earlier life and career notes included: born in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario as the youngest of four; an early seventh‑grade classroom moment where he performed for 15 minutes; a stand‑up debut at Toronto's Yuk Yuk driven by his father while wearing a yellow suit; being hired by Rodney Dangerfield to open on tour to Las Vegas; and meeting Melissa Wormer at the Comedy Store before marrying in 1987.
- He dated Jenny McCarthy from 2005–2010 and once dated Linda Ronstadt for eight months in the early 1980s.
If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up: the César stage combined an industry accolade with overt personal acknowledgments, making the evening a compact update on both career respect and private life.
Short timeline (verifiable points from this coverage)
- Feb. 26, 2026 — Jim Carey accepted an honorary award at the 51st César Awards and delivered a speech in French.
- 22 years earlier — Michel Gondry directed Jim Carey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (noted as the director who introduced him).
- About 300 years ago — an ancestor named Marc‑François Carré was said to have been born in Saint Malo and emigrated to Canada (as recounted by the actor).
It’s easy to overlook, but the evening threaded personal history, family acknowledgement and a relationship mention into a single acceptance speech—an efficient way for a private performer to update the public.
Micro Q&A: what this means next
Q: Did Jim Carey confirm a romance? He publicly thanked a "sublime companion, " named as Mina in some descriptions and Min Ah in others, which functioned as a clear personal acknowledgment during the ceremony.
Q: Was the speech in French? Yes — he delivered the speech entirely in French, adding humor about learning the language and saying, in effect, that his tongue was tired.
Q: Who shared the evening with him? His daughter Jane Erin Carrey and grandson Jackson were present, and he thanked his father Percy Joseph Carrey onstage.
Writer’s aside: what stands out is how a short acceptance speech multiplied into a family moment, a heritage note, and a relationship confirmation — a rarity for someone often described as private about his romantic life.