- Last week, Jim Carrey said he came out of retirement to star in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” because of money.
- A day later, he clarified to Comicbook.com that he wasn’t really retired, just “power-resting” between projects.
- More older Americans are unretiring — either out of financial necessity or to stay active.
Jim Carrey, 62, walked back on his comments about coming out of retirement because he was strapped for cash.
At the London premiere of “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” on December 10, Carrey told the Associated Press that he signed on for the new film because “I bought a lot of stuff, and I need the money, frankly.”
In an interview with ComicBook.com published a day later, on December 11, the actor clarified that “it’s not really about the money. I joke about the money.”
While he acknowledged that he previously spoke about retiring, he added, “You can’t be definite about these things.”
“I said I’d like to retire, but I think I was talking more about power-resting. Because as soon as a good idea comes your way, or a group of people that you really enjoyed working with and stuff, it just — things tend to change,” he said.
Carrey added that with the “right idea,” he’s even open to reprising his role in sequels to “The Mask” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
While doing a press tour for “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” in April 2022, Carrey told Access Hollywood that he was “fairly serious” about “retiring.”
“If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break,” Carrey said.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is Carrey’s first film since then.
Carrey isn’t the only Hollywood celebrity who has spoken about retirement.
Last week, David Letterman, 77, told GQ he wasn’t ready to retire because “retirement is a myth.”
“Retirement is nonsense. You won’t retire. The human mechanism will not allow you to retire,” Letterman said.
In response to the interviewer’s point that people do retire, the former late-night host said, “But what do they do? Sit there and wait for — give me the name of a show — ‘Judge Judy‘ to come on?”
The average retirement age in the US is 63. But the sudden transition from a 9-to-5 job to having endless leisure time can leave retirees feeling restless.
Edelman Financial Engines’s 2024 Everyday Wealth in America survey found that 37% of the 3,008 respondents aged 30 and above say they want their post-working life to be different from previous generations, with many saying they are seeking a more active and adventurous lifestyle.
As such, some older Americans end up unretiring after some time, either to stay active or due to financial necessity.
A representative for Carrey did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.
