James Albert Varney Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic role as Ernest P. Worrell, for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award, as well as appearing in films and numerous television commercial advertising campaigns. He played Jed Clampett in a film adaptation of The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) and also covered a song for the film titled "Hot Rod Lincoln". and performed the voice of Slinky Dog in the first two films of the Toy Story franchise (1995–1999). He died at age 50 of lung cancer on February 10, 2000, leaving two posthumous releases, Daddy and Them and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Ernest Saves Christmas is a 1988 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. This is the third film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, the second film in the Ernest series, and the highest-grossing film in the Ernest series. The film chronicles Ernest's attempt to help find a replacement for an aging Santa Claus.
Alex Haley's Queen is a 1993 American television miniseries that aired in three installments on February 14, 16, and 18 on CBS. The miniseries is an adaptation of the 1993 novel Queen: The Story of an American Family, by Alex Haley and David Stevens. The novel is based on the life of Queen Jackson Haley, Haley's paternal grandmother. Alex Haley died in February 1992 before completing the novel. It was later finished by David Stevens and published in 1993. Stevens also wrote the screenplay for the miniseries.
Ernest P. Worrell is a fictional character that was portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and then later in a television series and a series of feature films.
The Thirteen Chairs is a 1969 comedy film directed by Nicolas Gessner and Luciano Lucignani and starring Sharon Tate, Vittorio Gassman and Orson Welles, and featuring Vittorio De Sica, Terry-Thomas, Mylène Demongeot, Grégoire Aslan, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Lionel Jeffries. It is based on the 1928 satirical novel The Twelve Chairs by Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, which has been adapted many times.
Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 American comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the fourth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the third film in the Ernest series. It was shot in Nashville and Tennessee State Prison.
Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 American comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the second film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the first film in the Ernest series. It was shot at Montgomery Bell State Park. It was also the first Ernest film to be distributed by Touchstone Pictures. This film also marks Iron Eyes Cody's final appearance on screen.
Tom Butler is a Canadian television and film actor.
Hey Vern, It's Ernest! is an American children's television program. It aired on Saturday mornings on CBS for one season in 1988. Each episode involved short sketches on a certain theme or scenario, featuring Ernest P. Worrell, his unseen friend Vern, and various others. The filming locations were in Nashville, Tennessee, and Burbank, California. It was a production of Ernest creator John Cherry's production company, The Emshell Producers' Group, in association with CBS, and was co-produced with DIC Enterprises. The series was later rerun on The Family Channel in the early 1990s.
Ernest Scared Stupid is a 1991 American comedy horror film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the fifth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the fourth film in the Ernest series. In the film, Ernest unwittingly unleashes an evil troll upon a small town on Halloween night and helps the local children fight back. It was shot in Nashville, Tennessee like its predecessors Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, and Ernest Goes to Jail.
John Robert Cherry III was an American film director and screenwriter, most notable for creating the character of Ernest P. Worrell, played by Jim Varney.
Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam is a 1985 American science fiction comedy film starring Jim Varney. It was written and directed by John Cherry. It is the first film to feature the Ernest P. Worrell character. However, it has a slightly darker tone than his later films. It was shot in Fall Creek Falls State Park, Boxwell Scout Reservation, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Ernest in the Army is a 1998 American direct-to-video comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the tenth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, the ninth and final film in the Ernest series and the final appearance of Jim Varney as Ernest, before his death in February 2000. In this film, Ernest joins the Army because he wants to drive large vehicles, but ends up being sent into combat. It was shot in Cape Town, South Africa's Koeberg Nature Reserve.
Slam Dunk Ernest is a 1995 American direct-to-video sports comedy film. It is the eighth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the seventh in the Ernest series. It was directed by Ernest creator John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. In this film, Ernest joins his employer's basketball team and later becomes a star with the help of an angel. It was the third and final Ernest film to be shot in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ernest Goes to School is a 1994 American comedy film directed and co-written by Coke Sams and starring Jim Varney. It is the seventh film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the sixth film in the Ernest series. This is the only Ernest film to not be directed by John R. Cherry III. The film received a limited theatrical release in Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky beginning on June 10, 1994. The film was released on video on December 14, 1994.
Ernest Goes to Africa is a 1997 American direct to video comedy film. It was written and directed by John Cherry and stars Jim Varney. It is the ninth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the eighth film in the Ernest series. In this film, Deacon County, Ohio resident Ernest unknowingly comes into the possession of some stolen jewels and is kidnapped and brought to Africa where he must rescue the woman he loves. The film was shot entirely in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Pirates of the Plain is a 1999 independent family adventure film, directed and written by John R. Cherry III, and starring Tim Curry and Seth Adkins.
Two Weeks to Live is a 1943 American Lum and Abner film directed by Malcolm St. Clair.
Bill Byrge is an American character actor and comedian, best known for his work as Bobby in various Ernest P. Worrell projects.
Joy Ride 3: Roadkill is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by Declan O'Brien and stars Ken Kirzinger, Jesse Hutch, Kirsten Prout, Ben Hollingsworth and Dean Armstrong. It is a sequel to Joy Ride (2001) and Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008) and the third and final installment of the Joy Ride series.
