great performance from the actor, Is there an actor in the universe more ’90s than Jim Carrey? The guy rose from stand-up notoriety to national prominence on the sketch show In Living Color, which premiered in the spring of 1990, and then to international superstardom thanks to flicks like The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
He finished out the decade with a series of strong dramatic roles—including his turn as Andy Kaufman in the biopic Man in the Moon—but since the turn of the century, he has wavered between the broad stuff he used to be known for (Bruce Almighty, Yes Man) and down-the-rabbit-hole head-scratchers (The Number 23, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Really, the guy might as well be Billy Corgan.
Which is why it makes perfect sense that Carrey’s band played a gig in New York over the weekend and dropped in a pair of ’90s alt-rock covers into the mix. He channeled Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins during his read-through of “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” but he really got into the groove during a version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” which you can check out below.
Though Radiohead have evolved way, way beyond it, “Creep” remains one of the most enduring tracks from the ’90s alt-rock explosion, possibly because it just keeps getting covered. Carrey’s rendition is pretty solid, but how does it stack up next to these?
Jim Carrey is a versatile actor who has a plethora of talents that most people in his field don’t. For one, he’s actually hilarious. Unlike most comedians, Carrey’s personality is not only featured in his live and standup work, but it also transcends to the screen as well. Where most acclaimed thespians would falter, Ace Ventura shines. He might have The Number 23, Yes Man and Fun with Dick and Jane under his belt, but before the actor went on to cash in numerous paychecks, he was known for his ballsy comedy and especially his singing. Like this one.
Not only is he a good singer, the guy is seriously entertaining, and actually good at it. His work with In Living Color wasn’t the only foray he made into performing musically, he also killed with his rendition of “Cuban Pete” in 1994?s The Mask, and gave Grace Slick a run for her money on “Somebody to Love” in 1996?s The Cable Guy.
