Jim Carrey reveals traumatic, poverty-stricken childhood

Comedy legend Jim Carrey fought back the tears during an emotion TV interview on Monday after he opened up about the difficulty of living in poverty in Canada.

The Liar Liar star appeared on America's Inside The Actor's Studio and opened up about growing up in Newmarket, Ontario with his mother Kathleen and musician and accountant father Percy.

The middle class family saw some tough times after his dad lost his job, forcing a 12-year-old Jim to find an after school job, working eight-hours a day in the factory.

This left the actor wanting to "bash somebody's head in."
Remembering the trauma was an emotional drain for Carrey, 48.

He says: ""My father lost his job when he was 51 and that was the real 'wow', the kick in the guts.

"We lived in a van for a while, and we worked all together as security guards and janitors."