Jim Carrey has been called out on social media by those who feel his close-knit group of friends who helped him celebrate his 62nd birthday was noticeably missing some comedy MVPs: members of the Wayans family.
Last supper-esque photos of Carrey with the likes of Bill Burr, David Spade, Adam Sandler, Craig Robinson, Jimmy Kimmel, and at least 10 others at a dinner began to circulate on Jan. 18. Almost immediately, people pointed out that the actor’s “In Living Color” co-stars were nowhere to be seen.
“He owes his entire career to the Wayans brothers. Weird they aren’t there,” posted an X user. Another person wrote, “Kimmel being there and at least Damon Wayans– who was the guy who fought for him to be On Living Color due to how weird Carrey’s act was–not being there is a little weird. Kimmel is literally the only guy in the room who was never a working comedian.”
Carrey famously launched his mainstream career on the sketch comedy when it premiered on Fox in April 1990. In the past, he has credited Damon Wayans with persuading him to audition for the show and introducing him to Keenen Wayans, the “In Living Color” co-creator.
Carrey remained on the show throughout its five-season run, which ended in 1994. Keenen walked away during season 4 amid disputes with Fox over content censorship. His siblings, Kim, Shawn, and Marlon Wayans also exited the series at the end of the season.
He owes his entire career to the Wayans brothers. Weird they aren’t there https://t.co/yEkEo5HejC
— Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH (@GeauxGabrielle) January 19, 2024
“The Mask” actor was last seen with his original cast members when they accepted the Groundbreaking Award at the 10th TV Land Awards in April 2012. In 2019, Carrey told The Hollywood Reporter, “There was a lot of love the first few years. But then people start to fear what the next step is — where am I going from here? Things get a little tight.”
He added, “There were a couple moments where I got pissed at Keenen and I would show up in a sketch with dark sunglasses on. Like, screw you, man. Then everybody would get pissed at me, and they’d show up in my sketch wearing dark sunglasses.”
The comedic actor noted that he was under contact for five years. “I could have weaseled out, but I wanted to stick with it. Things were happening for me,” he said, while explaining that he was gearing up to star in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” His old rift with the Wayans resurfaced amid discourse over his birthday photos.
“Because as I mentioned in my book, he was wildly disrespectful to Keenen when he was going through it with Fox. Carrey sided with the white men who took over In Living Color after the 3rd season (when the show went into decline), & compared Keenen to Mussolini,” tweeted journalist Bernadette Giacomazzo, who penned 2023’s “In Living Color: A Cultural History (The Cultural History of Television).”
Reports of two “In Living Color” specials scheduled for release in 2012 sparked excitement for a reboot, but the content never materialized. Carrey, however, said in 2019 he would gladly participate in a revival of the show with the original crew in place.
