• Last week, Jim Carrey said he came out of retirement to star in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” for money reasons.
• A day later, he clarified to Comicbook.com that he wasn’t actually retired, just taking a “power break” between projects.
• More and more older Americans are not retiring, either for financial reasons or to stay active.

Jim Carrey, 62, contradicted comments that he came out of retirement because he was short on cash.

At the London premiere of “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” on Dec. 10, Carrey told the Associated Press that he signed on to the new film because “I bought a lot of stuff and honestly I need the money.”

In an interview with ComicBook.com published a day later on December 11, the actor clarified that “it’s not really about the money. I’m joking about the money.”

While he acknowledged that he had previously discussed retirement, he added: “You can’t be clear on these things.”

“I said I would like to retire, but I think I talked more about resting power. Because as soon as a good idea comes to mind, or a G“A group of people that were really fun to work with and stuff, everything just changes,” he said.

Carrey added that with the “right idea,” he would even be open to reprising his role in sequels to “The Mask” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

During a press tour for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in April 2022, Carrey told Access Hollywood that he was “pretty serious” about “stepping down.”

“If the angels bring some kind of script written in gold ink that tells me it’s going to be really important for people to see, then maybe I’ll keep going, but I’ll take a break,” Carrey said.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is Carrey’s first film since then.

Carrey isn’t the only Hollywood star who has talked about retirement.

Last week, 77-year-old David Letterman told GQ he wasn’t ready to retire because “retirement is a myth.”

“Retirement is nonsense. They won’t retire. The human mechanism will not allow you to retire,” Letterman said.

Responding to the interviewer’s suggestion that people are actually retiring, the former late-night host said, “But what are they doing?” “Sit there and wait—tell me the name of a show—”Judge Judy‘to come?’

The average retirement age in the United States is 63. But the sudden transition from a 9-to-5 job to endless free time can leave retirees feeling restless.

Edelman Financial Engines’ 2024 Everyday Wealth in America survey found that 37% of 3,008 respondents People aged 30 and older say they want their life after work to be different than previous generations, with many saying they want a more active and adventurous lifestyle.

As a result, some older Americans stop retiring after a while, whether to stay active or because it is financial necessity.

A representative for Carrey did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular business hours.