NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Jim Varney

James Albert Varney Jr. (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000) was an American actor. He was best known for his character Ernest P. Worrell, originally created by Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry in the 1980s. The character was used in numerous television commercial campaigns and movies in the following years, giving him fame worldwide. He is best known for his slapstick style and his portrayal of "redneck" stereotypes in a friendly, approachable way. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Coordinates: , Country United States State Kentucky Counties Fayette Government - Mayor Jim Newberry (D) Area - City 285. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... White House is a city in Tennessee, United States. ... The year 1976 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 2000 in film involved some significant events. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series and a series of motion pictures. ... Nashville redirects here. ... // Advert redirects here. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... For other uses, see Slapstick (disambiguation). ... This article is about a stereotypical description. ...

Early life

Varney was born in Lexington, Kentucky, where he grew up. He began his interest in theater as a teenager, winning state titles in drama competitions while a student at Lafayette High School (which he graduated from with the class of 1968) in Lexington. He attended Murray State College at the age of 15 where he portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in a local theater production, and by 17, he was performing professionally in nightclubs and coffee houses. He listed a former teacher, Thelma Beeler, as being one of the main contributing factors in his becoming an actor. Nickname: Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Coordinates: , Country United States State Kentucky Counties Fayette Government - Mayor Jim Newberry (D) Area - City 285. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ebenezer Scrooge encounters Ignorance and Want in Dickenss novel, A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. ... Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ...

Television commercial career

The first commercial as Ernest, filmed in 1980, was to advertise an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at Beech Bend Park, an amusement park located near Bowling Green, Kentucky. The character was franchised for use in markets all over the country, and was often used by dairies to advertise milk products. For example, the Midwestern dairy bar chain Braum's ran several advertisements using Ernest's catch phrase, "KnoWhutImean, Vern?" (as it was spelled in his registered trademark). Purity Dairies, based in Nashville, and Oakhurst Dairy in Maine ran commercials that were nearly identical, but with the dairy name changed. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The DCC on board the USS Harry S Truman on December 16, 2000 The DCC visit U.S. sailors on board the USS Nimitz on June 19, 2003 The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC), a National Football League cheerleading squad from Texas, are one of the most famous cheerleading organizations in... Beech Bend Park is an amusement park, campground and automobile race track located in Warren County, Kentucky, United States, not far from the city of Bowling Green. ... Theme park redirects here. ... Neighboring fast food restaurants in Bowling Green, of which the city has many. ... A dairy farm near Oxford, New York in the United States. ... Braums Ice Cream and Dairy Stores is a family-owned and operated chain of fast-food restaurants based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ... A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ...

For the same agency, Varney created a different character, "Sgt. Glory", a humorless drill instructor who harangued cows of the client's dairy into producing better milk. In another spot, Glory's home was shown as he had a date, and was so heavily decorated with the products of the sponsor and advertising specialty items for it that it was essentially devoid of any other decor. The Sgt. Glory character also appeared in an advertisement for a southern grocery chain, Pruitt's Food Town, in which he's drilling the checkout clerks on proper behavior. ("Bread on top. Repeat: Bread on top.") He approaches one of them at the end of the commercial with a look of menace and says, "You're not smilin'." The checkout bagger gives a very nervous and forced smile. This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A dairy farm near Oxford, New York in the United States. ... A glass of cows milk. ...

Varney also starred as Ernest in a series of commercials that ran in the New Orleans area, and throughout the Gulf South, as a spokesman for natural gas utilities. In one, he is seen kneeling down in front of Vern's desk under a lamp hanging from the ceiling, stating "bang my buttocks, Vern; it's hot, fast and cheap. Hot, fast, cheap; kinda like your first wife, Vern, you know, the pretty one!?" Vern then knocked the lamp into Ernest's head, knocking him down. Those same TV ads were also featured on TV channels in the St. Louis area for Laclede Gas, during the mid-1980s. NOLA redirects here. ... For other uses, see Natural gas (disambiguation). ... Vern is the unseen character in the Ernest P. Worrell sketches and movies. ... St. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ...

He was also noted for doing commercials for car dealerships across the country, most notably Cerritos Auto Square in Cerritos, California, Tyson's Toyota in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and Audubon Chrysler in Henderson, Kentucky.^[1] Another favorite Ernest vehicle was promotions for various TV stations around the nation, including the news team and the weather departments. The Cerritos Auto Square is an automobile retail center located in the city of Cerritos, California. ... City nicknames: The Geographic Center of Southern California The Freeway City County: Los Angeles County, California Mayor: Paul W. Bowlen (re-elected 2003) Mayor Pro Tem: Laura Lee (elected 2003) City Council: Jim Edwards (elected 2005) Gloria A. Kappe (re-elected 2003) John F. Crawley (re-elected 2005) Mottos: A... Tysons Corner is an unincorporated place located in Fairfax County, Virginia, near Washington, DC. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place, the community had a total population of 18,540 as of the 2000 census. ...

Varney also portrayed another character, "Auntie Nelda", in numerous commercials long before he resurrected the character for the movies Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, Ernest Goes to Jail and Ernest Goes to Camp. Dressed in drag and appearing to be a senior-citizen, the commercials gave off the tone of a motherly lady encouraging you to do what was right - in this case, buy whatever product was being promoted. This character, along with the "Ernest" character, ran a couple of years in Mississippi and Louisiana in commercials for Ledco Aluminum Siding, a company that would come out and give you an estimate for placing aluminum siding on your home. Ledco often bought 2 hour slots in local markets. During the 2 hour slot, a movie was televised and Varney, as one of his characters, and a Ledco representative, would be the only commercial breaks during the movie to promote Ledco.^[2] Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1986) was a comedy starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 Disney film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ...

During the 1990s, Jim reprised his role as Ernest for Blake's Lotaburger, a fast food chain in New Mexico. During these commercials, Ernest would typically be trying to get in to Vern's house to see what food Vern was eating. After a lengthy description of whatever tasty morsel Vern had, Ernest would get locked out, but continue to shout from outside. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Blakes Lotaburger Logo Blakes Lotaburger is a small, yet signature, New Mexico fast food chain, which consisted of 78 stores by the end of 2005. ...

An interesting fact about the commercials is how universal they were. For example, the dairy spots would be the same situation and script, changing only the name of the dairy. The same situations would be used (varying the script for the product, but resulting in the same punchline) for countless other products. The end result was that a finite number of commercials could sell a wide variety of products. However, all the commercials were not based on those cookie-cutter premises, and original commercials were shot for specific products/sponsors.

Ernest's popularity

Varney's character Ernest P. Worrell proved so popular that it was spun off into a TV series, Hey Vern, It's Ernest! and a series of movies in the 1980s and 1990s. Ernest Goes to Camp earned Varney a nomination for "Worst New Star" at the 1987 Golden Raspberry Awards (he "lost"), however the movie was a huge hit, grossing $25 million at the box office. Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series and a series of motion pictures. ... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... Hey Vern, Its Ernest! was an Emmy-award winning American childrens television program. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... // May 9 - Actor Tom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers. ... The Golden Raspberries or Razzies were created by John Wilson in 1980, intended to complement the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer. ...

Other Ernest movies included Ernest Saves Christmas, Slam Dunk Ernest, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Goes to Africa, Ernest Rides Again, Ernest Goes to School, Ernest Scared Stupid, and Ernest in the Army. The Walt Disney World Resort's Epcot theme park featured Ernest. Epcot's Cranium Command attraction used the Ernest character in its preshow as an example of a "lovable but not the brightest person on the planet" type of person. And in addition to his Ernest Goes to... series, he starred as Ernest in several smaller movies for Carden & Cherry such as Hey Vern! It's My Family Album, Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, and Your World as I See It, all of which showcased his great facility with assuming a wide variety of characters and accents. Ernest Saves Christmas movie poster Bumbling Ernest attempts to find Santa Claus a replacement in the movie Ernest Saves Christmas. ... Slam Dunk Ernest is a 1995 comedy film, the eighth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. ... Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 Disney film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Goes to Africa is a 1997 comedy film written and directed by John R. Cherry III. It stars Jim Varney, and is the eighth film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ernest Goes to School is a 1994 comedy film written and directed by Coke Sams and starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Scared Stupid was released in 1991 and is the fourth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. ... Ernest In the Army Poster Ernest in the Army is the final Ernest movie starring Jim Varney. ... Cinderella Castle is the symbol of the Magic Kingdom. ... This article is about the Epcot theme park. ... Cranium Command is a stage show with audio-animatronic actors which is located at the Wonders of Life Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1986) was a comedy starring Jim Varney. ...

Non-"Ernest" work

Varney played a recurring guest on faux late-night-talk show Fernwood 2 Night Fernwood 2 Night (or Fernwood Tonight) was a comedic television program created by Norman Lear as a spin-off from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. ...

He also lent his voice to the character "Slinky Dog" in Disney's Toy Story film series, and to the character "Cookie" Farnsworth, from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, which was released the year after his death. Slinky Dog in Toy Story Slinky Dog is a plastic dog, with a Slinky for a midsection. ... Toy Story is a 1995 CGI animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution It grossed $191,773,049 in the United States and it took in a grand total of $354,300,000 worldwide. ... Milo trying to convince scholars of Atlantis existence. ...

Varney provided the guest voice for the carny character "Cooder" for "Bart Carny" episode of The Simpsons. For other uses, see Carny (disambiguation). ... Bart Carny is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the The Simpsons. ... Simpsons redirects here. ...

Varney played the character "Walt Evergreen" in the Duckman episode "You've Come a Wrong Way, Baby". Duckman was an animated sitcom developed by Jeff Reno & Ron Osborn, based on characters created by Everett Peck in his Dark Horse comic. ...

Varney played Prince Carlos Charmaine, a royal suitor Jackie dates for a few episodes of the final season of the 1990s television series Roseanne. A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Jackie Harris redirects here. ...

Varney played the villain Lothar Zogg in the 1998 film 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. The year 1998 in film involved some significant events. ...

Varney is in Hank Williams, Jr. 's video for "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight," where he is briefly shown casually riding a bull.

Varney also played the part of Jed Clampett in the 1993 production of The Beverly Hillbillies. The year 1993 in film involved many significant films. ... The Beverly Hillbillies is a 1993 20th Century Fox comedy motion picture starring Jim Varney (of the Ernest movies), Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman, Lea Thompson, Rob Schneider, and Penny Fuller. ...

Varney also played the entertainer/watch guard Rudy James in the movie Snowboard Academy. Snowboard Academy is a 1996 independent comedy film, starring Corey Haim, Jim Varney and Brigitte Nielsen. ...

He also has a small part in an independent production 100 Proof. Just prior to his stint as Ernest P. Worrell, Varney was a cast member on the notorious television flop Pink Lady and Jeff. 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) was a funk/soul group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1969. ... Pink Lady, known unofficially as Pink Lady and Jeff [1], was a television show that aired for six weeks on NBC in 1980. ...

Varney was a special guest, appearing as himself, in the Bibleman Genesis Series Bibleman Jr.. Bibleman Jr. ...

Varney starred in three videos The Misadventures of Bubba, The Misadventures of Bubba II, and Bubba goes Hunting in which he played himself and taught young kids important safety rules about hunting and guns. He illustrated the rules with the help of his bumbling and accident prone cousin Bubba (also played by Varney) and Bubba's imaginary hunting pal Billy Bob. The videos were distributed as part of a membership pack from Buckmasters' Young Bucks Club.

Personal life

Varney was married twice, to Jacqueline Drew (1977-1983), and Jane Varney (1988-1991). Both marriages ended in divorce, though he remained friends with Jane until his death. Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse. ...

He would visit hospitals, and entertain sick children in his "Ernest" persona. ^[3]^[4] Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series and a series of motion pictures. ...

Death

Varney died of lung cancer^[5]^[6]^[7] on February 10, 2000 at 4:45 a.m. in his White House, Tennessee home as the movie Ernest the Pirate^[8] neared completion and when Atlantis: The Lost Empire was still in production.^{[citation needed]} He is interred at the Lexington Cemetery. Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... White House is a city in Tennessee, United States. ... Milo trying to convince scholars of Atlantis existence. ... Lexington Cemetery 170 acres (0. ...

Filmography

Cinema-Actor

The Great Movie Ride is an attraction at Walt Disney Worlds Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... Cinderella Castle, at the center of the Magic Kingdom, is Walt Disney World Resorts most recognizable icon Introduction Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA is home to four theme parks, two water parks, several resort hotels and golf courses... Disneys Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. ... Milo trying to convince scholars of Atlantis existence. ... -1... Treehouse Hostage is a Movie starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest In the Army Poster Ernest in the Army is the final Ernest movie starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Goes to Africa is a 1997 comedy film written and directed by John R. Cherry III. It stars Jim Varney, and is the eighth film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell. ... 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) was a funk/soul group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1969. ... Snowboard Academy is a 1996 independent comedy film, starring Corey Haim, Jim Varney and Brigitte Nielsen. ... Toy Story is a 1995 CGI animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution It grossed $191,773,049 in the United States and it took in a grand total of $354,300,000 worldwide. ... The Expert is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1968 and 1976. ... Slam Dunk Ernest is a 1995 comedy film, the eighth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. ... Ernest Goes to School is a 1994 comedy film written and directed by Coke Sams and starring Jim Varney. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Beverly Hillbillies is a 1993 20th Century Fox comedy motion picture starring Jim Varney (of the Ernest movies), Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman, Lea Thompson, Rob Schneider, and Penny Fuller. ... Wilder Napalm is a 1993 romantic comedy film about a pair of pyrokinetic brothers and their rivalry for the same woman. ... Ernest Scared Stupid was released in 1991 and is the fourth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. ... Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 Disney film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... Fast food is food prepared and served quickly at a fast-food restaurant or shop at low cost. ... Ernest Saves Christmas movie poster Bumbling Ernest attempts to find Santa Claus a replacement in the movie Ernest Saves Christmas. ... Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1986) was a comedy starring Jim Varney. ...

Television-Actor

Simpsons redirects here. ... Bart Carny is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the The Simpsons. ... Jackie Harris redirects here. ... Hey Vern, Its Ernest! was an Emmy-award winning American childrens television program. ... Movie theatre lobby poster Operation Petticoat is a 1959 comedic film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, and Dina Merrill, later adapted for television in 1977. ...

Footnotes

^ Ernest's transition from TV to film | Jim Varney | Movie News | Movies | Entertainment Weekly
^ Auntie Nelda on YouTube
^ Author's Den
^ 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. He never let them down.
^ Was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer.
^ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001815/bio When he discovered he had lung cancer, he reportedly threw away his cigarettes and quit smoking cold turkey. Some of his last words were "I'm going home, I'm Ready", referring to heaven.
^ Included in a 1986 home video collection of Ernest commercials is a public service Noelleecc.com spot with Ernest trying to convince "Vern" to quit smoking, thus avoiding "The Big 'C'-Cancer. Chemotherapy City."
^ His final movie, "Ernest the Pirate" (2000) had nearly completed shooting at the time of his death. For that reason, it got canceled, and was never released on VHS, DVD, or as part of an "Ernest" box set on anything.

External links

For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ... Find A Grave logo. ... Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series and a series of motion pictures. ... Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1986) was a comedy starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Saves Christmas movie poster Bumbling Ernest attempts to find Santa Claus a replacement in the movie Ernest Saves Christmas. ... Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 Disney film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. ... Ernest Scared Stupid was released in 1991 and is the fourth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ernest Goes to School is a 1994 comedy film written and directed by Coke Sams and starring Jim Varney. ... Slam Dunk Ernest is a 1995 comedy film, the eighth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. ... Ernest Goes to Africa is a 1997 comedy film written and directed by John R. Cherry III. It stars Jim Varney, and is the eighth film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell. ... Ernest In the Army Poster Ernest in the Army is the final Ernest movie starring Jim Varney. ... Hey Vern, Its Ernest! was an Emmy-award winning American childrens television program. ... Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series and a series of motion pictures. ... Vern is the unseen character in the Ernest P. Worrell sketches and movies. ...

Contents

Early life GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");