Jim Carrey Receives Honorary César: "Every Character You Play Is Like the Sculptor's Clay"

Actor Jim Carrey accepted an honorary César Award on Thursday at the 51st edition of France's most prestigious film awards, declaring that "every character you play is like the sculptor's clay," shaped from the "bottom of your heart."

The comedian, Canadian-born and naturalized American, dedicated the award to his father, "the funniest man" he ever knew, and also paid tribute to his ancestors, several generations back, who emigrated from Saint-Malo, France, to Canada.

"This is perhaps what my family was looking for," Carrey said on stage, referring to the cubic-shaped trophy, adding that he felt he was completing the "squaring of the circle" his ancestors had begun.

The star of iconic films such as The Truman Show and Ace Ventura made a bold attempt at French — with considerable effort — though his limited command of the language of Molière only added an extra touch of humor to his speech. "How was my French? More than mediocre, right?" he called out to the audience at the Olympia Theater in Paris.

Carrey, 63, born in Newmarket, Canada, thanked his entire family for their support and told the audience — which received him with a standing ovation — that "life is parody."

"If you want fortune to smile at you, smile at it first. It's difficult, but you have to try," he urged.

The ceremony was filled with tributes and jokes honoring the two-time Golden Globe winner, beginning with the opening, in which the evening's host, French actor Benjamin Lavernhe, transformed into Carrey's character from The Mask, dancing on stage dressed in yellow.

French actress Camille Cottin, who served as president of the ceremony, presented the award first, praising Carrey's ability to stretch his face "beyond gravity and dignity, at times," with what she called a "supernatural technique."

Above all, she celebrated his ability to portray fragility and vulnerability — sometimes histrionic — without ever passing judgment: "You remind us that being ridiculous is not a flaw."

In addition to Cottin, French director Michel Gondry, with whom Carrey collaborated on the cult film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, also took the stage to present the award.

Gondry shared anecdotes from his experience working with Carrey, praised his acting abilities, and also recounted a more turbulent moment with a happy ending: an occasion when the actor lost his temper and yelled at him in front of the entire crew, to which Gondry responded, "If you yell at me I cannot love you, and if I cannot love you I cannot direct you," before the dispute ended in an embrace.

The French director could not resist adding his own touch of humor, first appearing with what was presented as a portrait of Jim Carrey — which turned out to be a visual pun in French: a painting of several people in a square-shaped (carré) gym (gym).