Playing two versions of Eggman in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for Jim Carrey.

While there’s more opportunity to flex his comedic range as both the younger and older Doctor Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik in Paramount‘s third live-action Sonic movie, there’s one major downside, the actor joked in a new featurette released on YouTube.

“Well when they told me I was going to play two Robotniks I was delighted, until I realised I was doing twice the work for the same pay.”

Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey as one of two villains in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Jim Carrey as one of two villains in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Paramount Pictures

With rumors Carrey is being paid $12m for his role, the highest of the cast by far, it sounds like he’s doing just fine. If true, that’s more than double the salary of the next-highest-earner Keanu Reeves, who’s getting $5m for playing Shadow the Hedgehog.

Paramount has high hopes for its third Sonic film. According to Forbes, Sonic the Hedgehog earned $319 million worldwide on an $82 million budget in 2020, while Sonic the Hedgehog 2 did even better in 2022 with a $405m global gross.

Jeff Fowler returns as director, with the core cast reprising their roles in addition, including Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, and Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is scheduled for release in theaters on December 20, 2024.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 featurette