Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was one of the biggest comedy releases of 1994. Directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Jack Bernstein, the movie, which turned 30 earlier this year, stars Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, an eccentric private investigator specializing in recovering lost animals.
The film follows Ace's madcap adventures as he tries to solve the case of a missing dolphin mascot, Snowflake, from the Miami Dolphins football team. His unorthodox methods, quirky personality, and slapstick humor made this film a standout box office success. Even if some elements of the crude humor haven't aged particularly well, the film still has a big following, and it's known as the movie that catapulted Carrey to the A-list.
Here's a look at the cast of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 30 years later.
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Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura
Jim Carrey played the title character, Ace Ventura, a quirky private detective specializing in finding lost animals. Ace is known for his bizarre fashion sense, unusual investigative techniques and his catchphrase, "Alrighty then!"
Reflecting on his role as Ace Ventura, Carrey said, “I knew that this movie was either a hate-it or love-it thing. The only thing that bothered me about the negative reviews was that we didn't get credit for trying something that was all the way out. No holds barred.”
1994 was a big year for Carrey. The same year he did Ace Ventura, he also had two other blockbuster films come out: The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. From there, his commercial success just kept on going with films like The Truman Show (1998), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Bruce Almighty (2003) and more. Carrey also received critical acclaim for his roles in Man on the Moon (1999) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
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No matter what character Carrey plays, he throws himself into it completely — and sometimes at his own personal expense. As he said, “Playing Andy Kaufman inMan on the Moonin 1999, for example, I realized that I could lose myself in a character. I could live in a character. It was a choice. And when I finished with that, I took a month to remember who I was."
In addition to acting, the physical comedy master has pursued other interests, including writing. In 2020, his semi-autobiographical novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, came out.
Now 62, Carrey has been married twice: toMelissa Womerfrom 1987 to 1995 and to his Dumb and Dumber costarLauren Hollyfrom 1996 to 1997. Carrey has a daughter, Jane, who competed onAmerican Idolin 2012, with his first wife.
Carrey will next be seen playing Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, coming out later this year.
Courteney Cox as Melissa Robinson: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Courteney Cox played Melissa Robinson, a public relations officer for the Miami Dolphins who seeks Ace's help in finding the team's missing mascot.
Said Cox about working with Jim Carrey, “He was so funny; it was just about cracking up all the time. I remember when we first rehearsed, he was just playing it straighter. And then he turned it on when we started filming and I thought, 'Oh my God,he's the funniest person.' "
Prior to Ace Ventura, Cox first caught audiences' attention in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" music video. She then landed a reoccurring role on Family Ties. Of course, she became a household name when she played Monica Geller on the iconic sitcom Friends for 10 years. She then went on to appear in several movies including the Scream franchise as well as the TV series Cougar Town, which ran from 2009 to 2015.
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On the personal front, Cox was married to David Arquette from 1999 to 2013, and they have one daughter, Coco. She's been dating musician Johnny McDaid of the band Snow Patrolsince 2013
Cox, now 59, could most recently be seen in the 2023 TV series Shining Vale and the sixth installment in the Scream series.
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Sean Young as Lt. Lois Einhorn/Ray Finkle
Sean Young played Lt. Lois Einhorn, a tough, no-nonsense police lieutenant who later is revealed to be the former kicker Ray Finkle, involved in the plot to kidnap the dolphin.
Young praised her co-star Jim Carrey for fighting to get her the part in the film, saying the studio wanted someone else.
Looking back, Young said she wasn’t sure if the film was going to be a success, recalling, “You throw it out there and it is kind of like fly fishing or something… you don’t know if you are necessarily going to hit it. Later on, I remember watching the screening ofAce Ventura, and the audience was in stitches within 3 or 4 minutes of the beginning, and it did not stop pretty much the whole time.”
Young was already an established actress before Ace Ventura, known for her roles in Blade Runner (1982), Dune (1984), Wall Street (1987) and No Way Out (1987).
After Ace Ventura, Young continued to work in film and television, and was a cast member on The Young and the Restless from 2010 to 2011.
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Young has faced her share of struggles over the years, as she's battled alcoholism and for a long time had a reputation for being "difficult," but she's been working steadily in recent years, primarily in low-budget films. She currently has five projects in the works and most recently appeared in the 2024 horror movie Ape X Mecha Ape: New World Order.
Now 64, Young is married to composer Robert Lujan and has two sons.
Looking back at her career, Young said, “I have made sure to smell the roses along the way and not get too intimidated by circ*mstances or by career ups or downs. You have to be mindful of too much success or not to be concerned with how people may view you if your career is not as successful as it was before. I feel like I’m a very good, solid survivor.” We couldn’t agree more.
Tone Loc as Emilio: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Tone Loc played Emilio, Ace's friend and a fellow police officer who provides him with inside information on the case.
Before Ace Ventura, Tone Loc, born Anthony Terrell Smith, was a regular in the TV series Roc (1992-1994) and appeared with Janet Jackson in the 1993 movie Poetic Justice.
Before his acting career, Tone Loc was primarily known as a rapper, with hit songs like "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" in the late '80s. Talking about his life as both a musician and actor he said, “I didn’t have any idea on how to do fame, for me, fame came quickly. You’re doing shows, making movies and it was cool. I wasn’t expecting to be a star. I mean, that was out of the question. I didn’t even think about. We still had our Plan B basically together.”
Now 58, after Ace Ventura, Tone Loc had small roles in a variety of movies and was on the show Thieves from 2001 to 2002. He also used his distinctive, raspy voice to play animated characters in animated shows.
Dan Marino as himself
NFL legend Dan Marino played himself in the film. Ace Ventura works to clear his name when he is falsely accused of being involved in the dolphin's disappearance.
Before appearing in Ace Ventura, Dan Marino was a celebrated quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, holding numerous records and earning accolades for his performance on the field.
Surprisingly, he initially turned down the role, saying, “At first, I wasn’t really going to do it, to be honest with you. I read the script. I’m like, ‘This is a little weird.’ And then I met Jim Carrey, like, OK, this could be all right.”
After his cameo in the film, Marino continued his successful football career until his retirement in 1999. He has since worked as a sports analyst and broadcaster. He also appeared as himself in the movies Holy Man (1998), Little Nicky (2000), Bad Boys II (2003) and Complete Guide to Guys (2005).
Now 62, Marino has been married to Claire Veazey since 1985, and they have six children. He is also known for his philanthropic work through the Dan Marino Foundation.
Udo Kier as Ron Camp: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Udo Kier played Ron Camp, a wealthy and eccentric animal collector who becomes one of the suspects in the dolphin's kidnapping.
Before Ace Ventura, the veteran German character actor had a prolific career in cinema, appearing in films like Flesh for Frankenstein (1973), Story of O (1975), Suspiria (1977), Lola (1981) and My Own Private Idaho (1991), to name just a few.
After playing Ron Camp, Kier continued to have success, and today he has nearly 300 credits to his name. He most recently starred in the 2021 indie film Swan Song and played Adolf Hitler in the 2023 series Hunters.
Now 79, looking back at his extensive career, which has included work with a variety of acclaimed directors, he’s often asked which of his many movies was his favorite.
Kier said, “I cannot answer that. As an actor, you can only choose the films that changed your life, for example 1973’s Flesh for Frankenstein and 1974’s Blood of Dracula. With Swan Song, I’ve got critics saying: ‘Finally, after 50 years, Udo Kier becomes the leading man.’"
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