A Look Back At Jim Carrey's Bond With His Late Sister Rita

Following the tragic death of Jim Carrey's older sister, Rita Carrey, on November 14, 2024, the star actor chose not to immediately comment publicly on the loss. However, it's easy to imagine that Jim, like the rest of the Carrey family, was heartbroken, especially given how close the two siblings were. Rita, the third of the four Carrey children, was born in 1961, just one year before Jim. 

She was a talented singer and performer in her own right, and carved out a career that showcased her love for music and helping others. And despite the numerous attempts to diminish her accomplishments by comparing her to the Kick-Ass 2 star, Rita had an amazing sense of humor about it, taking every opportunity to make it clear how much she loved her baby brother.

During an interview on "She Said" on SiriusXM Canada (via YouTube), Rita shared how much she had come to embrace being Jim Carrey's sister: "They always go, 'Jim Carrey's sister,' so my name now is JCS — like Jesus Christ Superstar. Because I never get, 'Oh, you're Rita.' It's JCS, right? So I'm like, yes, I am. But I've been asked for the last, you know, 25 years about Jim every day of my life."

Rita Carrey was immensely proud of her brother, Jim Carrey, and took every opportunity to express this. During an interview with the "Cue to Cue" podcast, the musician and radio host was meant to promote her own projects but took a moment to speak on Jim Carrey's impact. "I've gone to schools, and the kids wrote projects on Jim," she shared, explaining how she personally marked their work and even gifted the top scorer a signed photo of her brother.

While the "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" star often keeps his family out of the spotlight, perhaps to ensure their privacy, Rita frequently spoke about their close relationship. In a 2013 interview with National Post, she gave a sneak peek into Christmas with the Carreys, sharing, "Usually we get together Christmas Eve and stay until after New Year's." She even revealed that Jim routinely played his part as host, adding: "He'll call us up and say, 'OK, guys, this year everybody's coming down here!' So then we all hop a plane and go."

When critics questioned why Rita worked as a bus driver considering how much Jim Carrey is actually worth, she was quick to jump to his defense in another interview with the National Post, saying, "Jim offered to help me, but what kind of example would that set for my kids?" Her personality and vocal talent eventually earned her a radio hosting job, which set off her music career. Now, years later, even as the musical world mourns Rita Carrey, we can deeply appreciate her legacy of generosity and kindness. She is remembered as someone who "filled everyone's heart with joy with every step she took."