Ace Ventura is a character played by Jim Carrey in the 1994 movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. A sequel followed in 1995 called Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. The character Ace Ventura was also featured in an animated series and has had guest cameo appearances on other shows.
Ace Ventura as a character was fairly long-lived, but he his best known from the initial two movies played by Jim Carrey. The character is a private pet detective in Miami who helps in criminal and missing cases related to animals. In Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Ace is in charge of a missing dolphin case, helping the odd animal along the way. In When Nature Calls, Ace is tasked with finding a sacred bat.
The character as portrayed by Jim Carrey is outgoing and borderline crazy, but despite his off-beat methods and mannerisms, he was able to upstage police officers and detectives and solve the cases. In the animated series, the cartoon was modeled after Jim Carrey’s portrayal but was voiced by Michael Daingerfield. Daingerfield emulated Carrey’s melodic and exaggerated voice, which helped the TV show stay in line with the movies. The cartoon operated one a case-by-case basis with a new plot line each episode. It lasted for three seasons on CBS and Nickelodeon.
Aside from the main movies and TV shows, Ace Ventura was associated with a couple other spin-offs. A third movie in the Ace Ventura series was made, titled Ace Ventura Jt.: Pet Detective. This featured Ace’s son rather than Ace himself and was not highly regarded. Ace was also in a few episodes of the animated version of The Mask, with Stanley Ipkiss calling on Ace for help, both characters having been a representation of Jim Carrey.
Although Jim Carrey only made two Ace Ventura movies, the character and his portrayal made a huge impact. In addition to all the spin-off characters, Ace became an integral part of American culture, especially for the mid-90s when there was a sudden spike of lingo such as “alrighty, then.”
Ace Ventura Appearances
- 1994: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
- 1995: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
- 1995-2000: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (cartoon)
- 1997: The Mask (TV show)
- 2009: Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective
Featured image via screencrush.com