Jim Carrey’s 1983 Elvis Impression on Johnny Carson Is Going Viral—and It’s Spot On
Before he was a box office legend, Carrey stunned audiences with an uncanny take on the King of Rock ’n’ Roll
A video of Jim Carrey doing his Elvis impression is going viral, and fans can’t get enough.
In a resurfaced video, the Dumb and Dumber star puts his skills on display with an impressive impression of the iconic singer. Johnny Carson’s YouTube uploaded the video two years ago and it’s gotten over 6.7 million views.
The clip is from Jim’s debut on national television in 1983 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the video, Carrey turns his back to the camera for a couple of seconds, and then turns back around looking uncannily like Elvis. Next, Carrey shows off his spot-on, Elvis-inspired dance moves and one-liners.
Jim Carrey’s rise to fame
Today, Carrey is a household name and his movies are classics, but he wasn’t always so successful.
As a child, Carrey’s family faced financial hardships that ultimately led to them being homeless when Carrey was just 12. After his father lost his job, Carrey took a job as a full-time janitor while attending school to help support the family. Carrey dropped out of school at 16 to work.
Carrey started doing stand-up comedy in Toronto around this time and realized that performing and making others laugh was his calling. He moved to Hollywood in 1983, where he began regularly performing at The Comedy Store. Getting on The Tonight Show became Carrey’s career goal and he booked the gig by November.
In the episode, which aired on Thanksgiving, the 21-year-old gave fans a taste of his most popular impressions, Elvis Presley, Leonid Brezhnev, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Michael Landon, James Dean, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Charles Nelson Reilly, characters from My Three Sons, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, in rapid succession.
From 1990 to 1994, Carrey was a regular cast member of the comedy television series In Living Color. The popularity of the show helped Carrey to land his first major film. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Carrey’s first role in a film, was released in February 1994. The film grossed $72 million and solidified Carrey’s career.
Carrey landed massive roles in The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and Batman. He was a fan favorite and slowly made his way onto the award stage. Carrey received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Mask in 1995. Three years later, Carrey took the role of Truman Burbank in The Truman Show. The film raked in $264 million worldwide and secured Carrey’s first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.
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