The time Jim Carrey transmuted base metal into gold.

It was 2am. Jim Carrey was exhausted. He hadn’t slept in 72 hours and had been in his garden shed for over a day.

The machine made the maddening humming sound that he hadn’t been able to get used to. The sound grew until a vivid red light filled the shed.

As quickly as it came, the light vanished. Silence fell. Breathless, the Mr Popper’s Penguins star looked into tray which had previously contained copper and iron

Gold.

In 2004, Jim Carrey was one of the biggest stars on the planet, as feted for his dramatic roles in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon as he was loved for his roles in wacky comedies like Ace Ventura and Number 23.

But all the acting success in the world couldn’t compete with Jim’s first love – Alchemy.

“I guess it was the Dire Straits album Alchemy that really tuned me on to alchemy,” said the actor in a 2005 interview.

“I mean, I’d sit there listening to Romeo and Juliet and just be like ‘alchemy – turning base metals into gold. That would be sweet.’”

The young Jim Carrey first began experimenting with alchemy after school and the interest continued throughout his life. No matter how successful he became, all the time he was working on his alchemical experiments.

Despite his enthusiasm and lifelong love, Jim remained as unsuccessful as any alchemist in history. Until that fateful 2004 night.

“Man, that was a rush. I’d finally succeeded. All my work had paid off and I was able to turn metal into gold. Me, Jim Carrey. The first man to achieve alchemy. “

Sadly, Jim’s joy was not to last as his achievement became clouded in controversy.

“We were as excited as anyone to learn of Mr Carrey’s supposed achievement,“ said Dr Roger Williams of the Royal Society.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to find any evidence of the so-called alchemical process having taken place.”

“He claimed to have lost the actual gold and when we asked him to repeat the experiment he, ahem, bent over and made blow-off noises before leaving the interview claiming that he was ‘smoking.’ The Royal Society remains steadfast in our belief that no alchemy took place. “

Jim remains sanguine about the Royal Society’s dismissal of his claims

“Ah screw them, I know that I’m an alchemist, and when you know you’re an alchemist, I guess that’s all that really matters.”

Jim Carrey will return to screens in 2018 with the TV show – Kidding. It is unknown if it will feature any alchemy.