On Feb. 26, 2026, actor Jim Carrey attended the César Awards in France, where he received an honorary award. Social media users claimed (archived) that Carrey was not actually at the awards show and a body double or clone attended in his place, citing supposed changes to his physical appearance and demeanor.
Snopes readers also searched our website to verify if Carrey was actually at the awards or whether a "fake" had replaced him. Some readers suggested a makeup artist named Alexis Stone may have impersonated Carrey.
Stone did indeed share an Instagram post with pictures of Carrey alongside a prosthetic mask, suggesting he was disguised as Carrey at the event.
(Instagram user @thealexisstone)
However, in statements to media outlets, Carrey's publicist and a representative for the César Awards both denied claims that a body double had replaced Carrey at the event. Photographs and videos of Carrey at the event also corroborate his attendance. As such, we rate this claim as false.
Snopes reached out to Carrey's publicist and the César Awards and will update this report if we receive responses.
Stone used verified photos of Carrey (available on Getty Images here and here) for his Instagram post, but never actually showed himself putting on a disguise, suggesting the post was a joke. We've reached out to Stone to ask whether he meant the post humorously and will update this story if we learn more. The post does not prove that Stone or anyone else acts as a body double for Carrey.
Carrey delivered his entire acceptance speech at the ceremony in French,
Though Carrey spoke in French, his voice remained consistent with his past English-language interviews.
Gregory Caulier, a representative for the César Awards, reportedly told Variety that the actor's participation was "a historic moment" and authentic, saying:
Jim Carrey's visit has been planned since this summer. From the outset, he was extremely touched by the Academy's invitation. Eight months of ongoing, constructive discussions. He worked on his speech in French for months, asking me about the exact pronunciation of certain words. He came with his partner, his daughter, his grandson and 12 close friends and family members. His longtime publicist accompanied him. His old friend Michel Gondry, who has made a film and two series with him, was there, and they were delighted to see each other again. [...] For me, it's a non-issue. I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance.
According to tabloid TMZ, Carrey's publicist said, "Jim Carrey attended the César Awards, where he accepted his Honorary César Award."
Carrey's rare public appearances likely fueled the speculation, as fans debated whether his changed appearance was due to natural aging or cosmetic surgery. Despite Carrey's return to acting for "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" in 2024, he has spoken in interviews about possibly retiring from the profession and has taken up painting in recent years.
For further reading, Snopes has frequently covered body double conspiracy theories.