1998–2006: Critical acclaim

The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the serious role of Truman Burbank in the
satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).[29] The film was highly praised and brought
Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Oscar.
[30]
 Eventually, he did pick up his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture
Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success also, earning $264 million worldwide against
a budget of $60 million.[31][32]
A Film4 critic stated that the film "allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy," adding that it
was "a hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire." [33]
That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry
Shandling's The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling's character. In
1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to
critical acclaim and received his second Golden Globe in a row. In addition, he received his first
Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actor.[34]
In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly brothers, who had previously directed him in Dumb and
Dumber, for the black comedy film Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews[35] but
enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who
has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year,
Carrey starred in the second highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole
Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received both praise and criticism from critics
alongside a Golden Globe nomination. [36]
For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom
Shadyac's international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a TV newsman who
unexpectedly receives God's omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a vacation. The film
received mixed reviews upon release[37] but despite this still became a financial success, earning
over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action
comedy of all time.[38][39]
In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received overwhelming
acclaim upon release. Critics highly praised Carrey's portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to the
performance of his co-star Kate Winslet, who received an Oscar nomination. According to CNN's
reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey's performance was the actor's "best, most mature and sharply focused
performance ever."[40] Carrey received another Golden Globe nomination and his first BAFTA Award
nomination for Best Actor.

Carrey at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival

Carrey's next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy fantasy film Lemony Snicket's A Series of
Unfortunate Events, which was based on the popular children's novels of the same name. The film
was positively received; Desson Thomson from The Washington Post said of Carrey's approach to
the character of Count Olaf,
Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He's not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter:
If you can't let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various
disguises he's rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing
imitation of a dinosaur.[41][42]
That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.[43]