jim varney age

Overview. Jim Varney died at about 4:45 am February 10, 2000 at his White House, Tennessee home. During the filming of Treehouse Hostage in August 1998,[16] he developed a cough. Jim Varney was supposed to be in a movie called Pirates of the Plain, directed By John Cherry, but when he got sick, the lead went to Tim Curry instead. The show had just had a major overhaul and ended shortly afterward. Jim Varney, 50, the rubbernecked comic best known for his hokey but adored character Ernest, died of lung cancer Thursday at his home in White … If you have any corrections or additions, please email us at corrections@actorsofhollywood.com. Varney began his interest in theater as a teenager, winning state titles in drama competitions while a student at Lafayette High School[5] (class of 1968) in Lexington. His final movie, "Ernest the Pirate" (2000) had nearly completed shooting at the time of his death, but got canceled and was never released. He made commercials for car dealerships across the country, most notably Cerritos Auto Square in Cerritos, California, Tysons Toyota in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and Audubon Chrysler in Henderson, Kentucky.[7]. During the filming of Treehouse Hostage, he played an escaped convict held hostage and tormented by some fifth graders in a treehouse. His sisters and his niece and nephew Justin Lloyd were at his bed side when he died. James Albert "Jim" Varney (June 15, 1949 - February 10, 2000) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, voice actor and comedian.He was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky.Varney is best remembered for his role as Ernest P. Worrell in many movies and television programs.He died of lung cancer in White House, Tennessee As Evan Earp, Varney played a con man/mechanical-inventor "genius," constantly getting himself into comedic trouble, with those around him ready to lynch him. As a teenager, Varney even had a stint … He had always been a heavy smoker and was felled by lung cancer. The late, great Jim Varney passed away 20 years ago today, and the legendary actor is still deeply missed. You die, you die alone. Famous: Film & Theater Personalities, Actors. After a lengthy description of whatever tasty morsel Vern had, Ernest would get locked out but would continue to shout from outside. Died on: February 10, 2000. City/State: Kentucky. Jim Varney saw Ernest as more of a blessing … Ernest would address the camera as if it were Vern. Source James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American actor, comedian and writer who was best known for his role as Ernest P. Worrell, who first appeared in a series of commercials popular in the United States, especially Nashville, Tennessee.Disney took notice of the character's popularity and produced a feature film called Ernest Goes to Camp, starring Varney as Ernest. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Ernest, the lovable blue-collar buffoon, was a staple of pop culture in countless commercials, nearly a dozen movies and an award-winning Saturday-morning TV show. However, it was in high school that his real talent began to show. As a child, he had the ability to memorize lengthy material. I try to make him clownish and I don't want him too low key; and he's physically funny. Varney died in 2000, at the age of 50. Jim Varney Overview. Glory's home was shown as he had a date, which was so heavily decorated with the products of the sponsor and advertising specialty items that it was essentially devoid of any other decor. Hey Vern! When filming was complete, he sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with lung cancer. This soon led him to an opportunity in theatre and he won numerous competitions while attending Lafayette High School. James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000) was an American actor, writer, singer, voice artist, and comedian. You sign a lease that says, I will write country songs and pay my rent on time. The second best result is Jim Varney age 50s in Centerton, AR. He voiced James Rivers in Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. He illustrated the rules with the help of his bumbling and accident-prone cousin Bubba (also played by Varney) and Bubba's nephew, Billy Bob. Janet Varney (born February 16, 1976) is an American actress and comedian known for voicing Korra in the Nickelodeon animated television series The Legend of Korra, co-starring as Sheriff Evie Barret in the television series Stan Against Evil, her role as Becca Barbara in … These aired on Oklahoma television. [On making Ernest Scared Stupid] I loved it. Hot, fast, cheap; kinda like your first wife, Vern, you know, the pretty one!?" Varney was a long-time chain smoker. Ernest P. Worrell / Operation Sandtrap Arab, Episode: "Ethnic Myths", "Getting the Most from Your Warranty", "#1.46", "Battery Powered Car", Episode: "Daredevil Virgil Simms", "Falafel-on-a-Stick", "The UBS Story", Bobby Burbank / 'Shotglass' The Bartender / Bunny The Barmaid, Episode: "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration", Episode: "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Home Is Where the Afghan Is", Voice, Episode: "You've Come a Wrong Way, Baby", Voice, Episode: "Hercules and the Dance Muse", This page was last edited on 12 March 2021, at 10:30. At his funniest when playing it totally straight, Varney was hired as a comedy-ensemble member of the 1976 TV variety series The Johnny Cash Show. James Albert Varney, Jr. was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to Nancy Louise (Howard) and James Albert Varney, Sr. Image Entertainment re-released them on June 5, 2012, as part of the DVD set Ernest's Wacky Adventures: Volume 1. When filming was complete, he sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with lung cancer. Jim Belushi. Known to fans as Ernest P. Worrell, his most famous character, who propelled him to the public eye. 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. It's Your Old Pal Jim Varney! In 1976, Varney was a regular cast member of the television show Johnny Cash and Friends. Jim Varney Celebrity Profile - Check out the latest Jim Varney photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at Rotten Tomatoes! The movie actor Jim Varney died at the age of 50. Jim Croce was an American folk singer and songwriter. Remained good friends with his second wife Jane after their divorce and she became his spokesperson later in life. Goes the Country with singer Tom T. Hall. These aired mainly in Tennessee, parts of Mississippi, and Ohio, where Kroger chains are predominate. Lived in Lexington, Kentucky while growing up, and graduated from Lafayette Senior High School with the class of 1968. On December 6, 2013, Varney's nephew Justin Lloyd published a comprehensive biography about his uncle titled The Importance of Being Ernest: The Life of Actor Jim Varney (Stuff that Vern doesn't even know).[15]. During the 1990s, Varney reprised his role as Ernest for Blake's Lotaburger, a fast-food chain in New Mexico. 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. Shares his birthday with country singer Waylon Jennings who was one of his closest friends. This character, along with the "Ernest" character, ran for a few years in Mississippi and Louisiana in commercials for Leadco Aluminum Siding, before it became a regular in the Ernest movies. Another TV ad for Laclede Gas featured Ernest saying, "Heat pump, schmeat pump. Varney also lent his voice to Slinky Dog in Disney/Pixar's Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in the Toy Story series (he was replaced by his close friend Blake Clark in Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 after his death in 2000). Actor Jim Varney has died of lung cancer at his home in White House, Tennessee at the age of 50. (1988) and a series of movies in the 1980s and 1990s.[10][11]. Though, he was 1.85 m tall, he weighs about 70 … GRINNING actor Jim Varney — who shot to fame as the goofy handyman Ernest and was the voice of Slinky Dog in the “Toy Story” movies — died yesterday. [9], The character of Ernest became widely popular, and was the basis for a short-lived TV series, Hey Vern, It's Ernest! - IMDb Mini Biography By: The videos were distributed as part of a membership pack from Buckmasters' Young Bucks Club. Varney studied Shakespeare at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia,[6] and performed in an Opryland folk show in its first year of operation, in the 1970s. The checkout bagger gives a very nervous and forced smile. He eventually returned to Tennessee, where he underwent chemotherapy. [8] Varney also appeared as Ernest in on-air promos for local TV stations in several markets, talking about their news and weather personalities. Glory, a humorless drill instructor who harangued cows of the client dairy into producing better milk. Glory character also appeared in an advertisement for a Southern grocery chain, Pruett's Food Town, in which he drilled the checkout clerks on proper behavior: "Bread on top. He never allowed himself to be photographed smoking, as he didn’t want to influence children to perhaps start. they're real hard to light, and you have to carry that big torch around. Varney had an established acting career before his fame as Ernest. Just a bit to say I did a classic. Between 1987 and 1990, Disney released four Ernest movies that generated a total of $100 million. [12] Subsequent theatrically released Ernest films include Ernest Saves Christmas (1988), Ernest Goes to Jail (1990), Ernest Scared Stupid (1991), and Ernest Rides Again (1993). 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. I write music. He has three older sisters. Repeat: Bread on top." He once jokingly threatened a long-haired apprentice, John Lino Ponzini, that he would take him up to Hazard, Kentucky, where "you [Ponzini] wouldn't make it down Main Street without the townsfolk giving you a crewcut".[3]. After watching her son imitate cartoon characters, Nancy led him to join children’s theater at the tender age of 8. He used to do commercials for the Dodge dealership in Henderson, Kentucky, sitting in the Dodge Viper "high in the sky.". While there, he was in the drama club, and often performed in school plays. Hey Vern, It's My Family Album; Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam; and the direct-to-video feature Your World as I See It, all of which showcased him in a wide variety of characters and accents. Nationality: American. Nickname: Jim: Profession: Actor, Comedian: Date of Birth: June 15, 1949: Died: February 10, 2000 (aged 50) lung cancer: Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. 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. Jim Varney died of lung cancer at age 50 on February 10, 2000. He died of lung cancer in 2000, leaving two posthumous releases of Daddy and Them and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. When Varney was a boy, his mother would turn on cartoons for him to watch. When he discovered he had lung cancer in August 1998, he reportedly threw away his cigarettes and quit smoking--cold turkey. | Varney's best-known character is Ernest P. Worrell, who would address the camera as if speaking to a friend, using his trademarked catchphrase "KnoWhutImean, Vern?" Yeah, it's lonely work. James Albert Varney, Jr. was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to Nancy Louise (Howard) and James Albert Varney, Sr. Varney portrayed Ernest in a series of commercials for Convenient Food Mart during the 1980s. He had been acting in plays since elementary school. Actor Jim Varney was easily one of the funniest guys in children's entertainment in the '80s and '90s. Here is all you want to know, and more! After his death, commercials now feature a CGI Ernest. Jim was born on June 15, 1949, in Lexington, Kentucky, US, to James Albert Varney Sr. and Nancy Louise Varney (née Howard). Why are you moping around, watching outdated videos about Jim Varney when you could strap in and tune into the most excellent video yet? Even though Ernest's catchphrase "KnowhutImean?" Co-stars included Kelly Preston and Andy Griffith. Was a heavy smoker off-camera and died of lung cancer at age 50. Though his condition slowly worsened, Varney reportedly threw his cigarettes away and quit smoking to continue performing. He performed in Blithe Spirit, Boeing 707 and an original musical, Fire on the Mountain. Overview. At first, he presumed it was a cold caused by cold weather in the filming location. It's part of the lease. Vern then knocks the lamp into Ernest's head, knocking him down. Jim Varney Wiki & Biography: Real Name: James Albert Varney Jr. Varney was married twice, to Jacqueline Drew (1977–83) and Jane Varney (1988–91). Standup comedy launched his TV career. Those same television advertisements also were featured on channels in the St. Louis area for Laclede Gas Company during the mid-1980s and in the metro Detroit area for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company. When he was 24, Varney was an actor at the Pioneer Playhouse in Danville, Kentucky. [4] 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. At first, he presumed it was a cold caused by cold weather in the filming location. Unfortunately, it was too late. For example, the dairy bar and hamburger chain Braum's ran several advertisements featuring Ernest; Purity Dairies, based in Nashville, Pine State Dairy in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Oakhurst Dairy in Maine ran commercials that were nearly identical, but with the dairy name changed. He was said to be occasionally exasperated with fans who met him and assumed he was exactly like the Worrell character he portrayed. His first national appearance came at age 25, when he embarked on the talk show circuit, that included, Studied Shakespeare at the Barter Theatre in Virginia and performed in a folk show during Opryland's first year of operation. [citation needed], The Ernest Film Festival (Greatest Hits Volume 1) was released on VHS in 1986. He was their fourth child and their only son. As his Ernest P. Worrell persona, he did advertisements for the Southern California auto mall Cerritos Auto Square. Biography. If you win, you win big. Five more Ernest films were released independently, mainly for the video and television markets. Chemotherapy City.". [After being asked if he was a chain smoker] Nah, I'm not a chain smoker. Towards the end of his life, he lent his characteristic voice to Slinky Dog in two of the beloved Toy Story animated features. HiLander-4, Other Works Was a heavy smoker off-camera and died of lung cancer at age 50. He also appeared in The Beverly Hillbillies and portrayed the role of Slinky in the […] Varney was a long-time chain smoker. For some unknown reason he was not mentioned on the Toy Story 2 DVD Bonus Feature Segment: "Cast of Characters" despite the fact that he was Slinky Dog in the movie. However, as it became worse, Varney began noticing blood on his handkerchief. level. Ernest is a neighbor or relative that we've all had at one time. Varney had a brief role as an incestuous, abusive father in an independent film, 100 Proof, for which he received good reviews from critics. Birthday: June 15, 1949. He acted in many of his hometown’s local plays, ranging from comedies to Shakespearean plays. Filmography. Jim Varney is a popular Hollywood Actor, who is famous for his roles in movies like Toy Story 2, Toy Story etc.Jim's previous film to hit the theatres was Toy Story 2 in the year 1999. Varney played numerous other characters, including "Cookie" Farnsworth, from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, released the year after his death (Steven Barr replaced Varney for the sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return), the carny character Cooder 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. Varney was born on June 15, 1949, in Lexington, Kentucky. At the age of 15, he portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in a local theater production; by 17, he was performing professionally in nightclubs and coffee houses. From 1983 to 1984, Varney played heartthrob Chad Everett's younger brother Evan Earp in the comedy-drama, high-action television series The Rousters, created by Stephen J. Cannell, about the descendants of Wyatt Earp, a family of bounty hunters/carnival bouncers. In 1980, the first commercial featuring the character advertised an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at Beech Bend Park, an amusement park located near Bowling Green, Kentucky. The character of Ernest was actually introduced in a commercial for Bowling Green, Kentucky's Beech Bend Raceway Park. [citation needed], 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. Varney portrayed the rubbernecked rube "Ernest" … Varney can be seen in Hank Williams Jr.'s video for "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight", in which he is briefly shown casually riding a bull being pulled on a rope by a young lady, and later in a swimming pool with two young ladies. A staggering array of more than 4,000 television commercial appearances as motormouthed pitchman Ernest P. 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