"I was sickened by the standing ovation": Jim Carrey slams Will Smith over Chris Rock slap, labels Hollywood "spineless" during CBS Mornings' interview

It came as a massive surprise that Carrey had strong opinions about Sunday, March 27's incident at the Oscars, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage. After being a bona fide superstar in the 1990s, comedian-turned actor Jim Carrey became extremely selective with his roles and began his distant affair with Hollywood.

While speaking to CBS Mornings, Carrey seemed distinctly angry with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Hollywood in general, for praising Smith on his Oscar win after the incident. The Mask star also pointed out how the actor received a standing ovation after an aggressive outburst towards Chris Rock.

"I was sickened...I was sickened by the standing ovation."

Later, Carrey mentioned that he would have sued Will Smith the next day as the video of the incident will forever remain on the internet as "an insult."

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Jim Carrey's take on the Will Smith x Chris Rock slap incident at Oscars 2022

Jim Carrey told CBS Mornings,

"I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like, 'oh, this is a really clear indication that we're not the cool club anymore."

Later, while weighing in on Chris Rock's decision not to press charges against Will Smith. Carrey added that Rock does not want the hassle. He further said,

"I (would have) announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million because that video is going to be there forever. It's going to be ubiquitous. That insult is going to last a very long time."

The actor elaborated that a person can disapprove of the joke by vocally expressing themselves to the audience or on Twitter, but they "do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face because they said words."

Jim Carrey felt that Will Smith's aggressive reaction came out of nowhere. He said,

"It came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that's frustrated. I wish him the best. I really do. I don't have anything against Will Smith. He's done great things, but that was not a good moment. It cast a pall over everybody's shining moment last night."

However, it must be noted that Carrey's take on the incident might have been shot before Smith's apology and the Academy's addressal of the outbrust.

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Jim Carrey's prior takes on Hollywood

The Canadian native has never fit the definition of a typical Hollywood movies' leading man prior to his disruption in the industry around the 1990s. At the time, when Jim Carrey was at his peak, the actor reportedly fetched almost $20 million per movie.

However, the Ace Ventura star slowly began taking up fewer commercial projects around the early to mid-2000s. In 2018, Carrey told the Hollywood Reporter that the actor felt he did not want to be in the business anymore. He said,

"I just didn't want to be in the business anymore. I didn't like what was happening, the corporations taking over and all that. And maybe it's because I felt pulled toward a different type of creative outlet and I really liked the control of painting — of not having a committee in the way telling me that the idea must be to appeal to a four-quadrant whatever."

Later, Jim Carrey said that his initial plan was to "destroy Hollywood," specifically its orthodoxical approach. The Canadian-American actor further elaborated on his approach back then and said,

"Like, take a gigantic sledgehammer to the leading man and to all the serious­ness."

The 60-year-old Emmy nominated actor will next be seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which will be released on April 22, as Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.