Jim Carrey has said that he came out of retirement because he needed the money.
Two years ago the actor said he had "done enough" acting and was "fairly serious" about retiring. Despite his remarks, Carrey has reprised his role as chief villain Dr Robotnik in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3." Asked at the film's premiere Tuesday in London why he had returned to the franchise, the "Ace Ventura" star replied: "I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. And, you know, it's just … I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly."
Carrey first shared his plans to retire in an interview with "Access Hollywood" in March 2022 while discussing Dolly Parton wanting him for a movie.
"Well, I'm retiring. Yeah, probably. I'm being fairly serious," he said at the time.
"I feel like — and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists — I have enough. I've done enough. I am enough," Carrey added.
When pressed on the topic, Carrey explained that it would take something extraordinary for him to reconsider his decision.
"It depends if the angels bring some sort of script that's, you know, written in gold ink that says to me that it's going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I'm taking a break," he said.
Carrey added that there were other passions he was enjoying pursuing aside from acting.
"I really like my quiet life, and I really love putting paint on canvas, and I really love my spiritual life," he shared.
Carrey is known for taking extended acting breaks. There was a gap spanning several years between his major starring role in "Sonic the Hedgehog" in 2020 and his appearance in the 2014 sequel "Dumb and Dumber To." Although he has appeared in indie films, the actor admitted in a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he "didn't like what was happening" in the industry.
"I just didn't want to be in the business anymore," he said at the time.
"I didn't like what was happening, the corporations taking over and all that," he said. "And maybe it's because I felt pulled toward a different type of creative outlet and I really liked the control of painting — of not having a committee in the way telling me what the idea must be to appeal to a four-quadrant whatever."