Jim Carrey gives touching French speech in rare appearance at the 51st Cesar Film Awards

Jim Carrey stepped into the spotlight in a rare appearance at the 51st Cesar Awards in Paris. According to Variety, he received an Honorary Cesar Award for his film work. The event took place at L'Olympia theater.

The French Academy praised him as "one of the most original voices in modern cinema," as reported byYahoo Entertainment. They noted his work "reminds audiences that cinema can do more than entertain." His journey shows "unrelenting boldness," the group said.

A touching speech in French

Michel Gondry introduced Carrey on stage, Variety reported. Gondry directed him in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” 22 years ago. 

During the acceptance speech, Carrey spoke entirely in French with “a thick American accent,” Variety described.

"As an actor, each character you play is like clay in the sculptor's hands, which you shape to your heart's desire," Carrey said in his speech, as reported by Variety. "How fortunate I have been to share this art with so many people who have truly opened their hearts to me."

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He revealed a family link to France in his acceptance speech, saying about 300 years ago, his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Marc-François Carré was born in Saint-Malo, France, and moved to Canada, according to Yahoo Entertainment. "Tonight with this magnificent honor, this square (carré in French) has come full circle."

Carrey thanked his family as well in the speech and honored his late father. "And finally, thank you to the funniest man I have ever known: my father. Percy Joseph Carrey who taught me the value of love, generosity, and laughter," as reported by Yahoo Entertainment.

Carrey ended with humor, Variety confirmed, his speech ending with, "So, how was my French? Almost mediocre, right? Forgive me, I didn't speak French, but I'm just learning it. My tongue is tired."

Rare return after controversies

This marks a rare public outing for Carrey. He faced controversies in the 2010s, leading to a retreat from fame, perYahoo, but returned as Dr. Robotnik in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” last year.

The crowd gave him a standing ovation. Past honorees include Julia Roberts. Carrey's bold style fits the award's tradition for international stars.