Melissa Kerry is known as the first wife of the famous American comedian Jim Carrey. She is an actress who met a star at the beginning of her career. The relationship between the spouses did not work out, they constantly quarreled, which led to a divorce. The artist then became depressed, took antidepressants. We will talk about the biography and career of Melissa in this article.
early years
Melissa Kerry was born in New York. She was born in 1960. At birth, her parents gave her the name Melissa Jay Womer. The girl grew up in a dysfunctional family, but at the same time managed to remain a cheerful and mobile child, infecting everyone around with positive energy.
After graduating from school in New York, the heroine of our article entered the University of Kansas. Her friends and acquaintances recall that already at that time she was distinguished by a craving for comedy and humor, constantly taking additional tasks, composing jokes and sketches for various shows.
Melissa had ambitious plans for her life, which she went to realize, having left for Hollywood after graduating from university. However, at this Dream Factory, everything was not cloudless for her.
Career stand-up comedian
As a result, Melissa got a waitress in a bar where stand-up comedians performed. With such small steps she went towards her goal. Gradually, she gained experience, watching the performances of popular comedic artists. Once in the bar an evening was organized in the format of a free microphone. This was her first public appearance, which she enjoyed for a long time, the audience took the girl favorably.
After that, she began to regularly participate in similar parties in various institutions of Los Angeles. As a result, in one of the bars she was offered to stay at the comedian’s rate, which was her first tangible step on the path to success. At one of the concerts, she even performed with the then-popular artist Hagley, who became famous after the release of the film "Brothers". After that, her career went uphill.
Meet Jim
Melissa and Jim Carrey met in 1986. Perhaps the artist was attracted to the girl by the fact that he also had a difficult childhood, he had to break through to fame, overcoming many difficulties.
Jim himself grew up in a large family, where in addition to him there were two sisters and an older brother. Parents earned so little that often they didn’t have enough money even for food, because of this they constantly looked for part-time jobs, and practically did not take care of raising children. Jim's mother was a housewife, and his father worked as an accountant and musician, but he never managed to get a decent salary. As a result, we did not have to live, but literally exist.
Young people met at one of the stand-up performances. A real passion flared up between them, in March 1987 they played a wedding in Santa Monica.
Living together
Melissa Kerry was already pregnant at that time. In September, they had a daughter named Jane Erin. From childhood, the child grew up talented, promising. Together with her parents, she regularly participated in various reality shows. She was especially good at singing.
However, the joint upbringing of her daughter did not serve as the basis for the happy personal life of Melissa Kerry and Jim. The actors themselves argue that the cause of most conflicts between them was employment in all kinds of projects, which interfered with ordinary family happiness.
Divorce
The initiator of the divorce was Jim. Melissa Kerry did not mind, as she saw that their marriage was doomed. According to Hollywood tabloids, one of the reasons for their final break was Jim's acquaintance with actress Lauren Holly, with whom they starred in the movie "Dumb and Dumber."
After the divorce, the couple maintained friendly relations, while none of the spouses ever commented on what happened in detail.
Officially, the actors broke up in 1995. Jim Carrey was forced to pay compensation to his ex-wife in the amount of seven million dollars. They say that these events had a serious impact on his mental health, the actor began to depression, he took antidepressants, which soon began to bring the desired effect. After that, he seriously took care of his health, began to play sports, switched to vitamins.
A year after breaking up with actress Melissa Kerry, he married the very Lauren Holly.
Daughter jane erin
The daughter of Melissa and Jim Jane Erin became popular thanks to her talent as a singer, songwriter and composer. When her parents divorced, she was eight years old.
Since both her parents worked in the entertainment industry, the girl from an early age got used to the annoying paparazzi and camera flashes. When she grew up, they decided to follow in the footsteps of their mom and dad. She wanted to perform on stage as a singer. At the same time, she was not happy that she owed her success to her illustrious father. Jane decided to do everything herself.
Despite the close relationship with her father, which remained after he left the family, she was frankly burdened by the name of Kerry. Because of her, everyone around her first perceived her as the daughter of a famous comedian, and only then as an independent person. Therefore, she reasonably feared that all her achievements would be attributed to Jim's connections and influence.
In 2012, she decided to try her luck on her own by taking part in the popular American Idol show. In it, novice artists fought for the title of America’s best young singer. In the auditions and at the casting, she participated on an equal basis with everyone, but still there were dissatisfied who accused the organizers of addiction to the comedian's daughter. In particular, she was accused of the fact that the jury indulged her at the listening stage, and during the main competition she was more engaged in communicating with reporters than preparing for the performance.
As a result, she did not enter the second round, but did not give up her dream, continuing to study music.
Creative success
Jim's daughters managed to found their own band called Jane Carrey Band, she became a vocalist.
In 2017, a documentary film dedicated to the fate of Jim Carrey appeared on the screens. The daughter wrote music for this tape. She was also the performer and author of the soundtrack to the comedy "Dumb and Dumber 2", which appeared on the screens in 2014. It was a sequel to one of Jim Carrey's most famous works, in which he again starred.
Soon, music was not enough in her life, she decided to declare herself as a comedic actress. The girl organized her own program, which she called the Jim Carrey Show, and she also played a prominent role in the series The Hooligans.
In addition to creativity, the daughter of the heroine of our article is engaged in charity work. In particular, it raises money for the treatment of patients with autism.
It is worth noting that outwardly Jane is very similar to her father. Many believe that she has the same kind and sincere look, a completely charming smile that is ready to conquer anyone. She serves as an example for many children of other stars, as she seeks to independently build her career, without resorting to the help of her parents.
Movie roles
In the biography of Melissa Kerry, there were very few works in the cinema. She nevertheless became more famous thanks to television, as well as stand-up performances.
Perhaps the only known tape in which she took part is the biographical drama of Milos Forman. In the film "Man on the Moon" in 1999, she played a small role with her ex-husband. Also her partners on the set were Courtney Love, Danny De Vito, Paul Giamatti, Michael Kelly, Doris Eaton Travis.
The 1999 film "Man on the Moon" tells the life story of comedian Andy Kaufman. He was a very unusual person who turned his whole life into an endless show.
Novel with a comedian
After a divorce from Jim, Melissa moved to New York, lived alone for a long time. Until recently, nothing was known about her personal life. According to recent reports, she is dating comedian John Campanelli.
People who know her well note that, despite her perky stage image, in life Melissa remains a shy and kind person. Her daughter Jane in 2010 made the heroine of our article a grandmother, giving birth to Jackson's son Riley Santana. Her husband is the vocalist of the metal band Blood money Alex. True, their marriage did not last very long. They parted, saying that irreconcilable differences arose in their relationship. The couple broke up in 2011.
Melissa herself still continues to work in the film industry, was the executive producer of several projects, and performs with her stand-up concerts.