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He's got the power.
Jim Carrey got the chance to play God in Bruce Almighty, which hit theaters May 23, 2003. The comedic actor played a TV reporter striving to be the newcast's anchor but is passed over for a promotion by his rival, Evan Baxter (Steve Carell). A series of circumstances leads to Bruce getting fired and blaming his woes on God, who — in the form of Morgan Freeman — gives Bruce a chance to become God for a week to see if he can do better.
The movie collected $486 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, and earned Carrey a Kids' Choice Award and Teen Choice Award, while Freeman won an Image Award. The pic also was voted favorite comedy film at the People's Choice Awards.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Bruce Almighty, take a look at what the stars have been up to since Carrey became God.
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Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan
In addition to his breakout role on Fox's In Living Color, Carrey had starred in a series of hits leading up to Bruce Almighty's release, including the Ace Ventura films, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Man on the Moon and The Truman Show, winning Golden Globes for the latter two films. Since Bruce Almighty, he has gone on to star in numerous films, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fun With Dick and Jane, Yes Man and A Christmas Carol. His most recent films are The Bad Batch, Dark Crimes and the sequel Dumb and Dumber To. Currently, Carrey serves as executive producer of Showtime's I'm Dying Up Here and will star in the network's upcoming series Kidding, which he also executive produces. He also has been very vocal about his anti-Trump views, posting several original pieces of artwork on his Twitter account criticizing the president.
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Jennifer Aniston as Grace Connelly
Aniston was nearing the end of her 10-year run on TV's Friends when Bruce Almighty hit theaters. Before taking on the role of Bruce's girlfriend, the actress had appeared on the big screen in films like Office Space, Rock Star and The Object of My Affection. Since Bruce Almighty, Aniston has gone on to star in numerous comedic films such as Along Came Polly, Marley and Me, The Bounty Hunter and Horrible Bosses. Her most recent drama, Cake, earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress.
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Morgan Freeman as God
The prolific actor — who got his big break starring on the kids' program The Electric Company in the 1970s — already had dozens of films on his résumé before Bruce Almighty, from The Shawshank Redemption to Seven. Freeman has since gone on to star in numerous films, including Million Dollar Baby, which earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor (he has four other Oscar nominations), Gone Baby Gone, Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. His famous voice has led him to narrate numerous documentaries and programs. Freeman also hosted Science Channel's Through the Wormhole for several years, which he executive produced through his Revelations Entertainment (other credits include Madam Secretary). Freeman also reprised his role as God in the Bruce Almighty sequel, Evan Almighty. More recently, he was accused of sexual harassment and apologized "to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected."
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Steve Carell as Evan Baxter
Steve Carell got his big break as a correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Bruce Almighty marked his first major film role, and in 2007 his character got a sequel, Evan Almighty, a modern take on the Noah's Ark tale co-starring Freeman (reprising his role as God) and Lauren Graham as Evan's wife. Carell's other big-screen credits include the Anchorman films, The 40-Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, the Despicable Me franchise and Crazy, Stupid, Love, among others. He also starred on TV's The Office, which he produced and also occasionally directed. Carell received a Golden Globe for best actor for a television series, musical or comedy, for the role of Michael Scott. The actor also was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for his portrayal of wrestling enthusiast John du Pont in Foxcatcher.
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Catherine Bell as Susan Ortega
Catherine Bell played Bruce's co-worker Susan Ortega, on whom he has a slight crush despite having a girlfriend. When Bell appeared in the film, she was starring as Major Sarah MacKenzie on TV's JAG. The actress went on to star as Denise Sherwood on Army Wives and is also the lead on the Hallmark series The Good Witch.
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