Beloved actor and comedian Jim Carrey is a proud dad to one daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, who was born in 1987, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Melissa Womer. Like her famous father, Jane pursued an entertainment career, but she was determined to make a name for herself without relying on her dad’s Hollywood fame.
In fact, she once put her singing skills to the test by auditioning for “American Idol” 14 years ago, and she got pretty far.
Jim Carrey’s Daughter, Jane Erin Carey, Appeared on ‘American Idol’ Season 11
Fans may have forgotten that Jim Carrey’s only daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, once tried her luck on “American Idol.” The aspiring singer was 24 years old when she appeared on season 11 in 2012.
A video of her “American Idol” audition could be found on YouTube, where Jane details working as a waitress “on and off for six years,” while also raising a child. A clip is shared of Jane singing, where she shares, “I’ve been singing since as long as I can remember, I was always in school plays, I’m a huge ham. I always like to be on stage.” It’s then revealed that the man behind the camera is her famous dad, Jim Carrey.
Jane called her childhood “fairly normal,” despite growing up with the famous actor. “Everyone growing up has their issue with identity and trying to find themselves. It is difficult kind of growing up in the shadow of something and trying to find your place in the world underneath this huge shadow,” she added.
Jane also shared that she wanted to audition for the show to “make my place in the world” and not just be known for her famous last name.
Jane’s Audition & How Far She Got on ‘American Idol’
On “American Idol” season 11, Jane auditioned with the song “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt. But before her performance, she announced she was the daughter of Carrey, with judge Jennifer Lopez recalling working with the actor and seeing Jane when she was just a child.
Jane’s rendition of the song earned all three yeses from the judges. Randy Jackson said that he “liked the potential,” and Lopez told Jane she admired “the sound” of her voice, but wanted her to work on her stage presence. Steven Tyler also enjoyed listening to Jane, adding that she just needed to work on her “volume.”
After receiving her golden ticket to Hollywood, Jane called her dad, who shared over the phone: “She’s so wonderful and amazing, so I can’t wait for the world to understand what she has to offer.”
During Hollywood Week, Jane sang a rendition of “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to go to the next round. In a confessional, she shared, “I freaked out when I was there, so I was really, really shaky. And I know I could do way better than that, so I’m really disappointed in myself.”
Although she didn’t make it further, making it to Hollywood Week is a pretty significant accomplishment, and she got to showcase her singing talent on television’s biggest singing competitions.
According to People, after “American Idol,” Jane reunited with her band, The Jane Carrey Band, and worked with her dad on many of his projects. She worked with her dad on an audiobook for his children’s book, “How Roland Rolls, which she later released an EP for,” is credited with writing two songs on the “Dumb and Dumber To” soundtrack, and was a playback singer on his 2017 short, “Jim Carrey: I Needed Color.”
Jim Carrey’s Daughter Made It Surprisingly Far on ‘American Idol’ Before Getting Cut