We all remember the 1994 explosion. It was the year of the Hawaiian shirt, the green mask, and the "most annoying sound in the world." Jim Carrey didn't just arrive; he detonated. But if you think Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the start of the line, you're missing about thirteen years of weird, experimental, and occasionally embarrassing history.
Searching for Jim Carrey's first movie usually leads to a messy debate. Some fans swear by the 1985 vampire flick Once Bitten. Others point to the 1984 ensemble comedy Finders Keepers. Technically, they're both wrong.
The real beginning happened in 1981 in a Canadian television movie called Rubberface.
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It’s a 48-minute featurette that feels more like a fever dream than a blockbuster. Back then, it wasn't even called Rubberface. The original title was Introducing Janet. Jim wasn't the star. He was just a nineteen-year-old kid with a face made of Silly Putty, trying to find his footing while his family was still recovering from periods of homelessness and financial ruin.
The Rubberface Reality Check
Most people haven't seen Rubberface because, honestly, it’s a bit of a downer. It aired on the CBC on September 20, 1981. The story follows a self-conscious high school girl named Janet who uses self-deprecating humor about her weight to fit in.
Jim Carrey plays Tony Moroni. Tony is a struggling, somewhat mediocre comedian who works as a dishwasher.
The dynamic is weirdly earnest. Janet helps Tony with his jokes, and Tony helps Janet find her self-esteem. If you go back and watch it now, you’ll see flashes of the future superstar. You see the manic energy. You see the Jack Nicholson impressions. But you also see a raw, vulnerable young man who wasn't yet the "richest funny man in the world."
Years later, when Carrey became a household name, Vidmark Entertainment grabbed the rights, slapped a new title on it—Rubberface—and put Jim’s face front and center on the VHS cover. It was a classic bait-and-switch. He’s only in about a quarter of the movie.
Moving to the Big Screen: Finders Keepers
If we are talking about theatrical releases, the conversation shifts to 1984. Finders Keepers was Jim's first time on the actual big screen. He played a character named Corporal Lane Biddlecoff.
It wasn't a starring role. Not even close.
The movie featured stars like Michael O'Keefe and Beverly D'Angelo, centering on a stolen $5 million and a chaotic train ride. Carrey was a supporting player, but he was already starting to steal scenes with pure physicality. He was the guy doing the most in the background.
Critics at the time didn't necessarily see a legend in the making. They saw a "rubber-faced" kid who was maybe a little too much for a standard heist comedy. But that "too much" was exactly what he needed to break out.
The First Lead Role: Once Bitten
This is the one most people remember as the "first." Released in 1985, Once Bitten gave Jim Carrey his first top-billing. He plays Mark Kendall, a high school virgin who gets targeted by a 400-year-old vampire Countess (Lauren Hutton) because she needs the blood of a virgin to stay young.
It’s a peak 80s teen sex comedy.
- The Premise: Naive kid meets seductive vampire.
- The Conflict: He starts turning into a vampire (craving raw meat, losing his reflection) while trying to keep his girlfriend.
- The Peak Moment: A bizarrely long "dance-off" at a Halloween party.
Once Bitten is fascinating because you can see the studio trying to figure out what to do with him. They didn't know how to write for a "human cartoon." Much of the humor is standard 80s trope stuff—lots of "gay panic" jokes that aged like milk and predictable slapstick. But Jim? He’s working overtime.
Interestingly, Michael J. Fox was the first choice for the role. Studio executives reportedly didn't think Fox could carry a movie. They were wrong about Fox, obviously, but their loss was Carrey's gain.
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The Copper Mountain Anomaly
Before Once Bitten but after Rubberface, there was a 1983... thing... called Copper Mountain.
Calling it a movie is generous. It’s basically a 60-minute commercial for a Club Med resort in Colorado, thinly disguised as a buddy comedy. Jim stars alongside Alan Thicke.
The plot is barely there. Two friends go to a ski resort to meet girls. Half the runtime is just musical performances by Rita Coolidge and Ronnie Hawkins. Jim spends his time doing impressions of Sammy Davis Jr. and being generally chaotic. It has a 2.2 rating on IMDb for a reason.
Yet, for a Carrey completist, it’s essential viewing. It’s the sound of a performer shouting into the void, trying to make an infomercial funny through sheer force of will.
Why the Debut Matters for 2026 Fans
Looking back at these early projects reveals a truth about Jim Carrey's career: he was never an overnight success.
By the time Ace Ventura happened in 1994, he had been grinding for over a decade. He had failed auditions for Saturday Night Live. He had a short-lived sitcom called The Duck Factory. He had been the "token white guy" on In Living Color.
These early films were his laboratory.
In Rubberface, he learned how to be vulnerable. In Finders Keepers, he learned how to fit into an ensemble. In Once Bitten, he learned that he was too big for standard scripts. He eventually realized that he couldn't just wait for a great character; he had to invent one.
Actionable Insights for Carrey Fans
If you want to understand the evolution of the "Rubberface," don't just stick to the hits.
- Watch Rubberface (aka Introducing Janet) if you want to see the dramatic side of young Jim. It’s a glimpse into the Canadian stand-up scene of the late 70s.
- Skip Copper Mountain unless you are a masochist or really love 80s ski resort aesthetic.
- Revisit Once Bitten specifically for the dance sequence. It’s the most "Ace Ventura" moment he had before the 90s.
- Track the "Carré" transition. His family name was originally the French-Canadian "Carré," and his early work reflects a kid trying to bridge the gap between his working-class roots and Hollywood glitter.
The journey from a nineteen-year-old dishwasher in a Canadian TV movie to a $20 million-per-picture superstar wasn't a straight line. It was a messy, experimental trek through some of the weirdest corners of 80s cinema. Understanding Jim Carrey's first movie isn't just about trivia; it's about seeing the work that goes into becoming an icon.