Actor Jim Carrey is sickened at the audience's standing ovation for Will Smith at the Oscars when he had slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage just moments prior. Carrey has made a career out of being a comedic actor, starring in the '90s variety show In Living Color before becoming a household name with roles in comedy hits like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, Liar Liar, and The Grinch, amongst others. His most recent projects include the TV show Kidding and a return to the role of Dr. Ivo Robotnik in Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
Smith has faced a tremendous amount of backlash after smacking Rock on live TV during the Oscars telecast, which has caused the actor to issue an apology a day later and forced The Academy to begin a formal investigation into the matter. Smith blamed his emotional state over a personal joke towards his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith as his reason for the violent outburst. The actor won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard, giving an emotional speech just under an hour after slapping Rock, which received a standing ovation from the audience.
In an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Carrey lashed out at Hollywood over its "spineless" behavior in response to Smith's actions, saying that he was "sickened by the standing ovation," which he says was "a really clear indication that we're not the cool club anymore." The actor further explained that he would've reacted differently had Smith slapped him, saying that Rock's decision not to press was likely due to not wanting "the hassle" of dealing with it. Carrey said that if it were him, he would've announced that he was "suing Will for $200 million dollars, because that video is going to be there forever. It’s going to be ubiquitous. That insult is gonna last a very long time." Carrey further emphasized the point, saying that while anyone can criticize from the audience or social media, nobody has the right to physically attack someone over a joke:
If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter, you do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face ‘cuz they said words.
When King said that the situation seemed to "escalate," Carrey quickly cut her off, saying, “It didn’t escalate, it came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that’s frustrated.” Carrey finished up, saying that he wished Smith the best and has nothing against the actor, noting that he's done great things, but that it was "not a good moment" for the Oscar winner, as it "cast a pall" over the rest of the winners and nominees. "A lot of people worked really hard to get to that place. And to have their moment in the sun, to get their award for the really hard work they did, it is no mean feat to go through all the stuff you have to go through when you are nominated for an Oscar. It’s a gauntlet of devotion you have to do. It was such a selfish moment that cast a pall over the whole thing," Carrey said, closing out.
Carrey's comments are well spoken, given that he's made a living similar to Rock, starting in stand up, then graduating to TV and features with his brand of comedy. Carrey is no stranger to controversy himself, particularly when he went full method for his performance in the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, which ruffled a lot of feathers with co-stars and production crew. However, Carrey seems to have learned his lesson there and never resorted to physical violence over that transformation. One thing is certain in the case of Smith's actions, however, which is that while some in Hollywood will remain quiet, not everyone is taking his behavior in stride, which will potentially force The Academy to take some form of action over the incident.
Source: CBS Mornings (via Deadline)
