Jim Carrey Tells Stories Behind "I'm Dying Up Here"

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Jim Carrey arrived on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday night to a rousing ovation. The applause might have gone on longer than usually because Carrey simply stood there watching the crowd and soaking it all in for extended amount of time. And that was just to see how long the audience would go before they tired out.

Carrey, complete with his long David Letterman beard (or does Letterman have a Jim Carrey beard?), wasn’t the loud, over-the-top, talking-through-his-ass-cheeks Jim Carrey. The Jim Carrey that arrived on JKL was very mystical and philosophical, saying, “I used to be a guy who was experiencing the world and now I feel like the world and the universe are experiencing a guy.” As for his massive beard, Jim Carrey told Kimmel that “people can’t resist obsessing on the beard”, adding, “Whenever I show up, it becomes the story. It’s a bigger star than me at this point.”

The other “story” besides his facial hair, is the new Showtime series that Jim Carrey is producing, “I’m Dying Up Here“. You can watch the first episode for free here on the IBang. The show takes place in 70s Los Angeles just as stand up comedy is getting ready to take off in America. It’s a time that Jim Carrey calls, “the Big Bang of comedy that populated the comedy cosmos.” After Jimmy Kimmel showed a clip, Carrey explained how so many of his stories about being a comic struggling to make it in the 1970s, will fit into the new series. One of those stories included in the drama’s fictional comedy world, includes having to sleep in a closet because it was the only place where he could afford to crash. Plus, watch for the catchphrase, “Hollywood Brother!” to work its way into the series. It’s one that Carrey remembers fondly from his days at the Comedy Store. Carrey also talked about how he and one of the greatest comedians of all time were in the parking lot one night smoking a joint and the drug advice that man gave him when it was just the two of them. You can watch the clips below from the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel to find out who it was.

The rest of the interview with Jim Carrey was about his very Zen attitude towards life. One thing he enjoys doing now is just sitting quietly and interacting with the wild birds on his property. He’s become so friendly with them that they will eat out of his mouth. A video of that from @JimCarrey on Twitter is also included below the JKL videos. It’s a wonderful moment between a man and the nature surrounding him, until Jim Carrey gives you the full story….Yuck!

Carrey also showed some of the massive paintings he’s been working on since his self-imposed hiatus. About his paintings, Jim Carrey said, “I sometimes don’t know what I’m painting till about a year later in therapy.”

Jim Carrey’s new series which he is executive producing, “I’m Dying Up Here” premieres Sunday, June 4th at 10pm on Showtime. And remember you can watch episode one right here on the IBang.