Jim Carrey Explains Why He Doesn’t Take Selfies With Fans

Jim Carrey sat down for a fascinating Hollywood Reporter comedy actor roundtable alongside Henry Winkler, Ted Danson, Timothy Simons, Don Cheadle, and Sacha Baron Cohen. The full transcript of the conversation features a number of interesting moments from everyone involved, but of particular note is Carrey explaining why he chooses not to take pictures with his fans.

The subject of celebrity was brought up by the moderator, which prompted Carrey to talk about how he struggled to deal with all the publicity around him at the peak of his fame. “People create your life. They take elements that are true and they put it in an article so that article looks legit, and yet there’s so much of the article that isn’t true,” he stated. “So that’s something to teach you that, ‘Hey, you know what? In order to go forward, I have to let go of what this creation is.'”

Pressed for more, he added that fans often perceive people as different to what they’re actually like in real life, due to the characters they portray. “Many of the things I do have to do with the disappointment of creating a winning personality in the world and then, eventually, for your own sanity and freedom, letting it go.” He then referred to Winkler, explaining, “I mean there’s The Fonz sitting right here who can speak to that.”

Carrey continued, “I dropped the whole trying to be something for somebody a long time ago.” Carrey has always been appreciative to his fans, but he feels strongly against taking selfies with them. “I don’t feel there is a pressing responsibility to please everyone. I’m not unkind to people, but I would much prefer saying hello and ‘who are you’ and ‘what are you doing today’ to giving a selfie. Because selfies stop life. You go (contorts his face), ‘Eeehh.’ And then it’s going on Instagram to give people a false sense of relevance. Everybody was so gaga about Steve Jobs, but I picture him in hell running from demons who want a selfie.”

In recent years, Carrey has gained a lot of attention for his laid-back, and often bizarre behavior off the screen. However, he’s also gotten himself into the world of political commentary with his paintings, which saw him get into a Twitter feud with the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini back in April.