If anything, the impersonation rumors swirling around Jim Carrey’s honorary appearance at the Cesar Awards in Paris may be evidence that his wild performances in films like The Truman Show and The Mask continue to maintain cult status.
Despite the fact that Carey attended the Feb. 26 ceremony surrounded by her family and gave a deeply personal and tearful speech, the cloning conspiracy theory gained momentum after drag artist Alexis Stone posted an Instagram post suggesting she impersonated Carey at the event, sharing images of prosthetics and wigs similar to the actor’s appearance that night.
But César Awards executive director Gregory Collier said the actor’s rare appearance at the ceremony, where he replaced Julia Roberts with the honorary César Award, was genuine and a “historic moment”.
In a statement to Variety on Monday, Corrier called the outlandish rumors “a non-issue” and spoke of the long preparations that went into Carey’s memorial and Carey’s dedication to learning his speech entirely in French.
“Jim Carrey’s visit has been planned since this summer. From the beginning he was very moved by the Academy’s invitation. Eight months of constructive discussions ensued. He spent months working on his speech in French and questioned me about the correct pronunciation of certain words,” said Courier. “He came with his partner, daughter, grandson and 12 of his closest friends and family. His longtime publicist also accompanied him. His old friend Michel Gondry, with whom he made a film and two series, was also there and happy to be reunited.”
Corrier continued, “To me, that doesn’t matter. What I will remember is just his generosity, his kindness, his compassion, his grace.”
Carrey’s efforts to deliver heartfelt speeches in French touched people’s hearts, bringing the finest style of French cinema to the audience’s feet. He traced his ancestral roots back to France, revealing that “about 300 years ago, my great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather Marc-François Carré” was “born in Saint-Malo, France” and later immigrated to Canada. He also paid tribute to his father, Percy Joseph Carey, who he called “the funniest man I’ve ever known” and “taught me the value of love, generosity, and laughter.”
A host of French stars, including host Benjamin Laverne, paid tribute to Carey throughout the ceremony, performing a high-powered musical show in which they donned the character’s iconic yellow suit, imitated “The Mask” and imitated Carey.
