Jim Carey Thanks His 'Sublime Companion' Min Ah as He Accepts Lifetime Honor at France's Cesar Awards
At the 51st Cesar Awards on Feb. 26, jim carey accepted an honorary César and used an entirely French speech to acknowledge family, trace an ancestor back to Saint Malo and publicly salute his companion. The speech — delivered with a pronounced American accent and capped with the line “my tongue is tired” — also served as a rare personal confirmation of his relationship.
Jim Carey at the 51st Cesar Awards
The actor, known for roles in The Mask and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, received the ceremony’s honorary award, a prize traditionally reserved for an international star and previously given to the likes of Julia Roberts. He was introduced on stage by Michel Gondry, who directed him in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 22 years earlier. The event drew Carrey’s daughter Jane Erin Carrey, his grandson Jackson and the companion he called Min Ah or Mina in remarks from the audience.
French Speech and the Ancestor Marc-François Carré
Carrey delivered an emotional address entirely in French, saying, “As an actor, each character you play is like clay in the sculptor’s hands, which you shape to your heart’s desire. ” He told the room that some 300 years earlier his great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather Marc-François Carré was born in Saint Malo and emigrated to Canada, adding that with the award “this square (carré) has come full circle. ” He closed the language gambit by asking 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. ”
Family Present: Jane Erin Carrey and Jackson
Carrey thanked his loved ones in French, saying, “Thank you to my wonderful family, my daughter Jane, and my grandson Jackson. I love you now and forever. ” Jane Erin Carrey, who once competed on American Idol, attended the ceremony with her teenage son Jackson. The presence of three generations underscored the personal nature of the moment as the award honored his storied career.
Relationship Confirmation: Min Ah (Mina)
By publicly addressing “my sublime companion, Min Ah” and saying “I love you, Min Ah, ” Carrey provided a rare confirmation of his private relationship. What makes this notable is that the declaration came at an international awards ceremony where his gesture reached peers of French cinema and a global audience. The companion’s name also appeared as Mina in parts of the speech and onstage introduction, reflecting differing spellings used during the evening.
Career Reminders: Early Years, Marriages and Influences
The acceptance speech touched on family roots and the values taught by his father, Percy Joseph Carrey. Carrey called Percy “the funniest man I have ever known” and credited him with teaching “the value of love, generosity, and laughter. ” Those themes echo the arc of a career that began in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, where he was born the youngest of four children. In seventh grade, a teacher offered him 15 minutes in front of the class; he later said he used spare time to make notes on bits he wanted to try and that “Even then I was ruffling feathers. ”
Percy also helped launch his stand-up work, driving him to Toronto’s Yuk Yuk club for his debut; wearing a yellow suit made by his mother, he bombed. As his stand-up improved, Rodney Dangerfield hired him to open on tour and took him to Las Vegas, a move that helped elevate his profile.
Personal Life: Marriages, Relationships and Public Statements
The actor, who is 64 years old, has had a public romantic history that he has otherwise kept private in recent years. He was married to Melissa Womer from 1987 to 1995; Jane was born during that marriage. He was briefly wed to Lauren Holly and later dated Renée Zellweger and Jenny McCarthy in the 2000s; his relationship with McCarthy is noted specifically 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 Ginger Gonzaga. Earlier in his career he once dated singer Linda Ronstadt for eight months in the early 1980s.
Carrey has spoken previously about his views on marriage and relationships. In a 2014 interview he said, “I just don't see it as necessary, ” and added that he could not make hard, fast rules about the future. In 2020 he reflected, “I don't have those things... I do appreciate the people that have come through my life for the good that they gave me. ”
At the Cesar Awards, the combination of an honorary recognition, an ancestor rooted in France some 300 years earlier, and the onstage embrace of family and companion turned a career milestone into a personal statement — one Carrey capped, with self-deprecating levity, by noting his effort to speak French and that his “tongue is tired. ”
