Jim varney characters

Author: l | 2025-04-24

If they like Jim Varney or don't like Jim Varney or if they like Jim Carrey's character, or don't, that's a matter of opinion. And that's the great part about living in the free world.

Jim Varney Characters List - FamousFix

James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. (June 15, 1949, Lexington, Kentucky, USA – February 10, 2000, White House, Tennessee, USA) was an American actor, comedian, and writer best known for his role as Ernest P. Worrell, who was used in numerous television commercial campaigns and movies, giving him fame worldwide and for playing Jed Clampett in the 1993 movie version of The Beverly Hillbillies. He also provided the original voice of Slinky Dog in the first two Toy Story films.Varney was born in Lexington, Kentucky. As a child, he displayed the ability to memorize long poems and significant portions of the material from books, which he used to entertain family and friends. When Varney was a boy, his mother would turn on cartoons for him to watch. His mother discovered that Varney quickly began to imitate the cartoon characters, so she started him in children's theater when he was eight years old. Varney began his interest in theater as a teenager, winning state titles in drama competitions while a student at Lafayette High School (class of 1968) in Lexington.At the age of fifteen, he portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in a local theater production, and by 17, he was performing professionally in nightclubs and coffee houses. Varney studied Shakespeare at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, and performed in an Opryland folk show in its first year of operation, in the 1970s. He listed a former teacher, Thelma Beeler, as being a mentor in his becoming an actor. When he was 24, Varney

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After casting agents saw his routine, he landed a role as a West Virginian on the ABC show Operation Petticoat. Roles on Fernwood 2-Night and America Tonight followed, but when the actors’ strike hit L.A. in 1979, work dried up, and Varney was forced to return to Nashville to make a living. It turned out to be a career-making move.“John Cherry had an advertising agency that wasn’t advertising anything because nothing was selling,” Varney recalls. “I had 100,000 characters that I couldn’t get arrested for because nobody was buying commercials, so we started thinking we should get comedy back into commercials on a local level.”At the time, Cherry was vice president of Carden & Cherry—he has since been promoted to president—and one of his clients was Nashville’s Purity Dairies, which needed some kind of hook to sell its product. “There were the guys telling you here is something that’s delicious, nutritious, and tastes good with apricots,” Varney says. “Those types of commercials aren’t eye-catchers, and in the dairy business, you either like milk or you don’t. There’s no superior cow.”Working with Varney, the agency first produced commercials for Purity featuring the actor as Sgt. Glory, a tough-talking drill sergeant. “Those caught on, but we were too green and too young to know how to roll it out,” Cherry says. “A lot of stuff didn’t dawn on us in those days. Jim had that something, even then.”Though he has long been associated with Purity, the character of Ernest was actually introduced in a commercial for Bowling Green, Ky.’s Beech Bend Raceway Park. But he became popular touting milk—so popular that Carden & Cherry pitched the Ernest concept to about 80 different companies throughout the U.S. “Everybody thinks I’m an actor in their market,” Varney says. “When I play something dramatic or offbeat, they go, ‘That’s the guy who sells them air conditioners up there, isn’t it?’ They really think I work for a local company.”Although Ernest was Varney’s brainchild, there was a dedicated team of 15—including Nashvillians Coke Sams, Gil Templeton, Dan Butler, Glenn Petach, and Steve Leasure—working around the clock

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Actor Jim Varney has met a lot of children in the last few years, but he remembers them all. Perhaps it’s because, to a one, they respond so openly to his alter ego Ernest P. Worrell, delighting in his contagious enthusiasm and relating to his childlike innocence.Even if Ernest is a nationally recognized figure—thanks to nine movies and more than 4,000 commercials—to these kids, he is a playmate. He’s a beloved fixture, a pal they can watch on videotape whenever they need comfort or companionship. But he’s also proven to be a true, flesh-and-blood friend many times over: When given the chance to have a lifelong dream fulfilled by such groups as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, several hundred terminally ill children have asked to meet Ernest. And he’s never let them down.Perhaps the most memorable was the 8-year-old girl who wanted to have breakfast with Ernest, even though she could only be fed through an IV. Donning his Ernest getup of a gray flannel T-shirt, a denim vest, khaki hat, and blue jeans, Varney met the girl for breakfast at Disney World. “I got her a set of post earrings with her birthstone because she had just gotten her ears pierced,” he recalls. “She asked her mother if it would be all right if she could wear them in her casket so she could wear them to heaven.“I just made a surprise call from Ernest to a kid last week, and he sounded just fine. About two days later, we found out he didn’t make it. But there’s a thing about kids: They accept things a lot of the time better than adults. It was a big thrill [for them] that Ernest was on the phone. You think, wow, I hope if I’ve got two days left that I can get excited over a phone call.”Varney has thought about these children a great deal during the last year because he’s been fighting his own battle with lung and brain cancer. And it may well have been the strength and inspiration of his young admirers that drove his refusal to surrender. Even. If they like Jim Varney or don't like Jim Varney or if they like Jim Carrey's character, or don't, that's a matter of opinion. And that's the great part about living in the free world.

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& Julien Podcast Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad Exactly Right Jeremiah wonders... Jeremiah wonders... The Jeselnik & Rosenthal Vanity Project Comedy Central & Anthony Jeselnik, Gregg Rosenthal Jesus and Jollof Luvvie Ajayi and Yvonne Orji Jim and Them Jim and Them The Jim Breuer Podcast The Jim Breuer Podcast Jim Cornette Experience Cult Of Cornette Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru Cult Of Cornette Jim Harold's Campfire Jim Harold The Jim Jefferies Show Podcast Comedy Central Jocko Podcast Jocko DEFCOR Network Joe and Mark Joe and Mark Joe DeFranco's Industrial Strength Show Joe DeFranco Joe List's Mindful Metal Jacket The Laugh Button The Joe Rogan Experience Joe Rogan Joke Quest 200 Joe Christianson & Casey Flesch Jokes So Funny Jokes So Funny Jokes with Mark Simmons Great Lines The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast Westwood One Podcast Network / Dr. Jordan B Peterson The Jordan Harbinger Show Jordan Harbinger Jordan, Jesse, GO! MaximumFun.org The JTrain Podcast Jared Freid Judge John Hodgman John Hodgman and Maximum Fun The JuggLife Juggernaut Training Systems Just a Tip with Megan Batoon HeadGum Just Between Us Stitcher, Allison Raskin & Gaby Dunn Just Break Up Podcast Sierra DeMulder and Sam Blackwell Just Fly Performance Podcast Joel Smith, Just-Fly-Sports.com Just Jeff... and friends Rocky Seale Just Sayin Podcast Loud Speakers Network Just talkin with Sam Samshownation.com Just The Tip-Sters: True Crime Podcast Melissa Morgan Just the Tip: The Tinder District Podcast Just the Tip: The Tinder District Podcast The JV Club with Janet Varney Janet Varney and Maximum Fun Kakos Industries Kakos Industries Kalyn’s Coffee Talk Studio71 Karaok Big E Facacta Comedy Funhouse Productions Kase of the Mondays Podcast Kase and Co. Katherine Ryan: Telling Everybody Everything kathbum The Keegan and Chris Show Keegan Roster Keith and The Girl comedy talk show www.KeithandTheGirl.com Kermode and Mayo's Film Review BBC Radio 5 live KFC Radio Barstool Sports Kid Tested, Mother Approved Kid Tested, Mother Approved Kill Me Now with Judy Gold Authentic Management Kill You Last Podcast Alex Pischera & Peter Guarraci Killer Jobs: Serial Killer Podcast Killer Jobs Stumble Quest The Killustrators Kinda Funny First Impressions Kinda Funny Kinda Funny Games Daily Kinda Funny Kinda Funny Gamescast Kinda Funny The Kinda Funny Podcast Kinda Funny King and the Sting Theo Von and Brendan Schaub King Falls AM King Falls AM King Of The Lifts 6 Pack Lapadat Kirill's House Party Kirill Was Here The Kirk Minihane Show Barstool Sports KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast Colin's Last Stand & Studio71 Know Nonsense Trivia Podcast Know Nonsense Trivia Knowledge Fight Knowledge Fight Kristen, chill. Kristen Carney Ku and the Gang Podcast Esther Ku Kurt Vonneguys Alex Schmidt & Michael Swaim Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik Jim Kwik, Your Brain Coach, Founder www.KwikLearning.com The Kym and Ken Show Kym Kral and Ken Garr The Ladies Guide to Dude Cinema Sanspants Radio Lady to Lady Barbara Gray, Brandie Posey, Tess Barker Ladybug Podcast Emma Bostian, Kelly Vaughn, and Ali Spittel Lake Clarity Midnight Disease Productions x HiStudios Inc. The Lanalax Corporation The

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IntervieweesThe complete list of folks we’ve interviewed.(Last updated: November 2024) Andrea Lloyd – Jim Varney’s nieceAndy Van Roon – Friend of Jim VarneyAnne Lambert – Longtime friend of Jim VarneyBruce Arntson – Actor / Writer / ComposerClarke Gallivan – ProducerCoke Sams – Writer / Producer / DirectorDaniel Butler – Actor / WriterDawn Shepherd Taylor – PR / Creative Department at Carden & CherryDianne Patrick – Head Scenic on Goes to Jail and Scared StupidEd McChord – Jim Varney’s cousinEmilie Cherry – John Cherry’s daughterGabe Bullard – JournalistJack Pattie – Radio Host / Actor with Jim Varney in Children’s TheatreJim Combs – Friend of Jim VarneyJim May – Cinematographer (and “Vern”)Josh Cherry – Art Director / Actor / Writer (and John Cherry’s son)Julieanne Pogue – Longtime friend of Jim VarneyJustin Lloyd – Jim Varney’s biographer nephewKaren Duncan – Hair Stylist / Makeup Artist on Goes to CampLianne Mize Russell – Friend of Jim VarneyMary Polites – Jim Varney’s teacher at Children’s TheatrePeter Kurland – Boom Operator / Sound Mixer on the Ernest commercials and filmsPhil Baker – Co-Organizer of the annual “Ernest Day” fan eventSadie Slack – Ernest fanScott and Heather Smith – current owners of Jim Varney’s home (where the commercials and TV series were filmed)Terry Arthur – Key Grip / Rigging Master on the Ernest films and “Cannon Master” on Rides AgainThomas Morrison – Prop Master / Sound Recordist on the Ernest commercialsVicky Branton – Talent Agent for Camp / Local Casting for Goes to Jail and Scared StupidWilliam Whitehurst – Ernest fan / cosplayerAs well as numerous attendees of Ernest Day!

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Of Spain. Bona Sforza's governance left a lasting imprint on the territories under her rule. 78 Blake Clark(Stand-up comedian)Birth Year: 1946Birthplace: Macon, Georgia, USABlake Clark is an American stand-up comedian and actor, acclaimed for his roles as Chet Hunter on Boy Meets World and Harry "The Hardware Store Guy" on Home Improvement. He is also recognized for voicing Slinky Dog in the Toy Story franchise, taking over the role from Jim Varney. Clark's professional career showcases his versatility as a performer, seamlessly transitioning between comedic roles on television and lending his voice to beloved animated characters in films. His talent and commitment to his craft have solidified his status as a respected figure in the entertainment industry. 79 Dana International(Singer, Songwriter)Birth Year: 1972Birthplace: IsraelAn Israeli pop singer, Dana International, has a successful career with multiple albums and international recognition. She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 with the song "Diva" and continued releasing albums like Free (1999), Yoter VeYoter (2001), HaHalom HaEfshari (2002), and Hakol Ze Letova (2007). Despite not advancing to the final in Eurovision 2011 with the song "Ding Dong", she remained active in the music industry and also served as a judge on the Israeli TV show Kokhav Nolad.Birth Year: 1989Birthplace: Westminster, London, United KingdomAlex Sharp is an English actor known for his breakthrough role as Christopher Boone in the Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Graduating from the Juilliard School in 2014, he quickly made his mark in the

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After three years of marriage; she remains his assistant and close friend. “A lot of people ask me, ‘Is he like that all the time?’ The answer is, yes, a lot of times he is, but there are a lot of times he isn’t.”When the dark cloud finally lifted, Varney experienced a sense of renewal. Life was good; he was working steadily and surrounded by the comforts success had brought him. But this newfound happiness was shattered last August, when his nose began bleeding during the filming of Treehouse Hostage. At first, he thought it was just a result of California’s dry weather, but when he began coughing up blood, he thought he might have tuberculosis. He visited a doctor, who found a fist-sized tumor in his lung.The doctor recommended immediate surgery, but Varney had committed to Daddy and Them. Director Thornton didn’t want to shoot the film without Varney, so he bumped up the schedule about a week, at the cost of about $1 million, and filmed Varney’s scenes in the first five days. “That’s unheard of in Hollywood,” says Varney’s attorney, Bill “Hoot” Gibson. “But Billy Bob knew what Jim could do. He told me, ‘Hoot, I wouldn’t do the movie without him.’ ”Two days later, Varney was on the operating table. During surgery, doctors discovered the tumor had grown a branch that had pierced Varney’s heart. In January, they created a window in Varney’s heart, which had become encased in a liter of infectious fluid. “Until that was drained and cleaned, I couldn’t get any air,” he says. He was placed on a ventilator, which he describes as “Chinese water torture.” Although he was conscious, the ventilator wouldn’t allow him to breathe on his own, so he had to endure taking only four breaths a minute.“I was on four liters of oxygen, and I was suffocating. I was on the most oxygen they can give you, and it was like having your head held underwater and being given a soda straw to breathe through for 24 hours. I thought, ‘I am going to die.’ ”The tumor removal. If they like Jim Varney or don't like Jim Varney or if they like Jim Carrey's character, or don't, that's a matter of opinion. And that's the great part about living in the free world.

Jim Varney, 50, Who Turned 'Ernest' Character Into a

(1997) and Ernest in the Army (1998).In 1985, Varney co-hosted HBO's New Year's Eve special, along with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Varney also starred as Jed Clampett in the 1993 production of The Beverly Hillbillies and played Rex, a carnival worker/associate of Dennis Quaid in Wilder Napalm. The latter story is about two pyrokinetic brothers, played by Quaid and Arliss Howard, and as the accident-prone entertainer/watch guard (aka "safety guy/human torch") Rudy James in the movie Snowboard Academy. He later played a small role in the 1995 action film The Expert as a weapons dealer named Snake.Varney also lent his voice to Slinky Dog in Disney/Pixar's Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in the Toy Story series (Varney was replaced by Blake Clark in Toy Story 3 due to his death in 2000). Varney played numerous other characters, including "Cookie" Farnsworth, from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, released the year after his death (Steve Barr replaced Varney for the sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return), the carny character Cooter in the "Bart Carny" episode of The Simpsons, the character Walt Evergreen in the Duckman episode "You've Come a Wrong Way, Baby", Prince Carlos Charmaine (a royal suitor Jackie dates) for a few episodes of the final season of the 1990s television series Roseanne, and Lothar Zogg in the 1998 film 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, also starring Hulk Hogan and Loni Anderson.YearImageCharacter Title2001Jebidiah Allerdyce FarnsworthAtlantis: The Lost Empire1999Slinky DogToy Story 21997Mr. Gus HolderAnnabelle's Wish1995Slinky DogToy Story

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To create new commercials and sell them to companies. “None of it was planned or thought out; it just happened,” says Cherry. “We’d come in and say, ‘How do we push the peanut further? How do we make Ernest popular here?’ ”After Ernest took off, Varney landed a role in 1983 on the TV show The Rousters with Chad Everett and Hoyt Axton, so he started commuting between L.A. and Nashville on a weekly basis. “When we first started, we would do four or five [commercials] a day and thought it was a good day’s work,” Sams says. “In a few months, we [were doing] about 20 a day, three days, back to back. We could do them because Jim Varney could do them. He has an unbelievably photographic memory. Imagine the kind of mind that can do radio station call letters and change them 25 times a day.”Ernest was successful because Varney figured out how to make this seemingly unlovable character lovable. Everyone knows an Ernest, the actor says, whether it’s a hapless cousin or brother-in-law who breaks the lawnmower but means well. In every commercial, Ernest would address another character, Vern, who always remained off camera; and every time, the affable hayseed would brag and try to be something he wasn’t, only to be humbled at the end of the ad.“[Ernest] was so impressed with Vern,” Cherry says. “He wanted to be Vern’s friend, but there was no way he could be Vern’s friend, and the public really empathized with that. It played on a multiple of levels, including slapstick, but it didn’t work unless you empathized with the character.”The commercials led to a one-hour syndicated TV show called Hey Vern, It’s My Family Album. “The syndication on it was weak and we were green, but the show is our favorite,” Cherry says. A movie became the next goal, but there was a concern that what worked best in 30 seconds might not stretch to a full 90 minutes.Regardless, Ernest’s movie fate was sealed in 1985, during a celebrity appearance at the Indianapolis 500, when he joined other. If they like Jim Varney or don't like Jim Varney or if they like Jim Carrey's character, or don't, that's a matter of opinion. And that's the great part about living in the free world.

Ernest Lives On: The legacy of Jim Varney’s cult classic character

Famous faces atop cars for a lap around the track. “Nobody paid much attention to anybody, but when Ernest went around, 500,000 people stood up and said, ‘Hey Vern!’ ” Cherry recalls. “Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg were in the audience, and they had just taken over Disney. To make a long, boring story short, we took off from there.”Between 1987 and 1990, Disney released four Ernest movies that generated a total of $100 million. Five more Ernest films were released independently, mainly for the video and television markets. This seemingly clueless character made Varney and Cherry very rich men.Varney still remembers his first big check, a lump sum payment for his first film, Ernest Goes to Camp. “I invested it, and I suspect it’s still in the bank with the original signature,” he says. “I’m very frugal; I can spend all day at a garage sale. My dream was always to have the Hollywood lifestyle with sports cars and a swimming pool, and I’ve got all that. Everything else is a toy.”Cherry confirms that Varney has remained remarkably unchanged. “Jim is a good old boy, if you want to know the truth. He’s not pretentious. He was never caught up in the fact that he was a movie star. He’s never met a stranger. People just find him fascinating because of his wealth of knowledge. I used to tease him that he has a wealth of knowledge that he’ll never use.”Says Sams, “I believe he is the most interesting person that I’ve ever met. He’s a student of human nature and humanity. He has a sense of history that goes from the simplicity of what knives are and how they affected civilization all the way to the rise and fall of different political thought systems.”For all his thoughtfulness and his intelligence, though, it has taken the better part of a decade for Varney to emerge from under the character of Ernest. He had a chance in the mid-’80s, when country singer Roger Miller offered him the role of Huckleberry Finn’s father in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Big River.