Actors In Jim Carrey Movies You May Not Know Are Dead

Jim Carrey is one of the most well-known faces in the world of comedy. After breaking through into show business in 1990 as part of the sketch show "In Living Color," he burst into Hollywood stardom in 1994 lead roles in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," "Dumb and Dumber," and "The Mask." These films not only made Carrey one of the most in-demand comedy actors in the industry, but also gave him the chance to work on more serious projects such as "The Truman Show" and "The Majestic."

With a wide-ranging career that has seen him appear in everything from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to "Sonic the Hedgehog," it is little wonder that Carrey has worked with a variety of high-profile actors. But since he began his acting career in the late 1980s, that also means that many of his early costars are sadly no longer with us.

Here are a few of the famous faces that you'll recognize from Carrey's movies who have since died, but deserve to be remembered for their powerful performances.

During the 1990s, Judy Clayton acted alongside Jim Carrey twice. First in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," where she played a character known as Martha, and later in "The Truman Show," where she makes an appearance as a travel agent. In addition to acting, Clayton made a living as a jazz singer and recorded music for Warner Curb Records after singing in bars and nightclubs in her native Chicago, releasing the single "Love's Gonna Find You" (via Legacy).

Her death was announced under her real name Carolyn Freveletti in 2015, when the Chicago Tribune confirmed that she passed away at the age of 78. The cause of death was listed as a combination of Alzheimer's disease and heart failure, with her daughter Jamie Freveletti revealing she had suffered from the progressive neurological condition since 2012. She died at her home in Florida, where she had lived almost continually since the 1980s.

Actor Rance Howard only appeared in a single Jim Carrey movie, playing a Who known as the Elderly Timekeeper in the 2000 film "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." The movie was directed by his son Ron Howard and also starred Christine Baranski, Taylor Momsen, and Jeffrey Tambor. He appeared in many other movies throughout his career, including "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Cinderella Man," along with roles in television series such as "Arrested Development" and "Lie to Me."

Howard was survived by many members of his family, some of whom are actually well-known entertainment figures in their own right. These include his actor sons Ron and Clint Howard, and granddaughter Bryce Dallas Howard. Speaking to Variety, Ron and Clint explained how their father had West Nile Virus, a disease that quite quickly made him very ill. He died rapidly after this as a result of heart failure brought on by the virus on November 25, 2017, at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 89 (via the New York Times).

Richard Jeni was not an actor by trade, and was more generally known for his work as a stand-up comedian. He first came to the public's attention when he appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and later on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (via LA Times). He had a number of HBO specials, including "Platypus Man" in 1993 and "A Big Steaming Pile of Me" in 2005. In "The Mask," he starred as Carrey's best friend Charles Schumaker.

The actor and comedian died by suicide on March 10, 2007, after his partner Amy Murphy discovered his body in the kitchen after hearing a gunshot. According to the Washington Post, the coroner reported that Jeni had experienced mental health issues, including schizophrenia, throughout his life and had been involuntarily hospitalized with severe depression shortly before his death.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Hal Holbrook was part of the cast of "The Majestic," portraying Congressman Doyle, who berates Carrey's character Peter Appleton during his congressional hearing. Outside of the 2001 movie, he was best known for portraying Mark Twain in a variety of one-man shows and adaptations. These performances earned him a number of awards, including Emmys and a Tony Award (via Television Academy). He also had roles in "All the President's Men," "Hercules," and "Wall Street," as well as a significant part in the TV series "North and South."

Holbrook died on January 23, 2021, at his home in Beverly Hills. However, the news of the 95-year-old's death was not revealed until a week later when the New York Times provided official confirmation. No cause of death was given, but it was revealed that he was buried alongside his third wife Dixie Carter in Tennessee (via The Guardian). He was survived by three children from two previous marriages.

David Ogden Stiers appeared in "The Majestic" alongside Carrey as Doc Stanton, the father of the protagonist's love interest Adele. He is perhaps best known for his performance as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in "M*A*S*H," a role that saw him make more than 100 appearances in the series before it ended in 1983. He was nominated for a number of Emmys, although he also was famous for his Broadway credits in plays that include "The Three Sisters" and "The Beggar's Opera." As a voice actor, he narrated "Lady in the Water," a 2006 film by M. Night Shyamalan.

Speaking to Oregon Live, his agent Mitchell Stubbs confirmed that the actor had died peacefully at home on March 3, 2018. He was 75 years old at the time of his death. The actor had earlier been diagnosed with bladder cancer and died due to complications from the disease. A resident of Newport, he left several charitable donations to various organizations and individuals in Oregon (via Oregon Arts Watch).

Connie Sawyer is one of the first characters that appears in "Dumb and Dumber," as the little old lady on a mobility scooter who robs Lloyd of his wallet. With hundreds of credits to her name, she appeared in a wide range of movies and television shows, ranging from "Pineapple Express" and "When Harry Met Sally..." to "The Office" and "A Hole in the Head." According to People, she was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and continued to vote for the Academy Awards winners each year.

According to KTLA5, Sawyer suffered a heart attack shortly before dying on January 21, 2018. The Boston Globe described her as the oldest working actor in Hollywood at the time of her death, with Sawyer reaching the age of 105 before she passed away. A spokesperson for the Motion Picture & Television Country House in Woodland Hills confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that Sawyer died at the facility after returning home from the hospital.

Like Michael Gough, Pat Hingle has the distinction of appearing in four "Batman" films in his career, portraying Commissioner Jim Gordon from 1989 until 1997. As the leader of the Gotham City Police Department, he interacted with Batman and fought against The Riddler in "Batman Forever." Outside of the DC Comics franchise, Hingle was known for his roles in films such as "The Gauntlet" and "Sudden Impact" as well as supporting parts in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "The Quick and the Dead."

Hingle's death was confirmed by the Emmy Television Academy on January 3, 2009. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reported that he had died from myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood cancer that prevents blood cells from developing properly. The actor was diagnosed with the disease three years earlier and passed away at his home in Carolina Beach in North Carolina, his cousin Lynn Heritage announced (via Star News).

In "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," Frank Adonis plays Vinnie, one of the henchmen who works for Ray Finkle and kidnaps Dan Marino and the bottlenose dolphin mascot Snowflake. This puts him in direct conflict with Jim Carrey's Ace character. As an actor, he had dozens of acting credits to his name, although his roles became less frequent from the year 2000 onward. Perhaps his most famous part came in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film "Goodfellas," although he had also appeared in two other Scorsese films: "Casino" and "Raging Bull."

TMZ revealed that Adonis died on December 26, 2018, when his ventilator was removed while he was in the hospital. The actor's wife announced that he had been seriously ill with kidney issues for several years, and had spent more than a week on a ventilator after suffering complications while undergoing dialysis. He was 83 years old at the time of his death, which occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fans of "Liar Liar" will remember Anne Haney as the secretary and personal assistant Greta, who works for Jim Carrey's Fletcher Reede at his law office. A few years prior to that, she starred alongside another comedy legend in "Mrs. Doubtfire," portraying the social worker Mrs. Sellner. With her deadpan sense of humor, Haney had a regular role in the sitcom "Mama's Family," and made appearances in the likes of "Cheers," "Charmed," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The actor also had roles in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and "The American President."

Haney died at her home in Los Angeles on May 26, 2001, at the age of 67 (via the LA Times). According to the Washington Post, the actor's cause of death was congestive heart failure. Following her death, a funeral service was held in Pasadena, where she was survived by a daughter, sister, and granddaughter.