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 an 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". He voiced Slinky Dog in the first two films of the Toy Story franchise (1995–1999). He died 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 from a screenplay by B. Kline and Ed Turner. It stars Jim Varney, Oliver Clark, Noelle Parker and Douglas Seale. It is the third film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell and the second film in the Ernest series, after Ernest Goes to Camp (1987). The film chronicles Ernest's attempt to help find a replacement for an aging Santa Claus.
Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special effects, including frequent depictions of explosions. The films he has directed include Bad Boys (1995) and its sequel Bad Boys II (2003), The Rock (1996), Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), the first five films in the Transformers film series, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016), 6 Underground (2019), and Ambulance (2022). His films have grossed over US$7.8 billion worldwide, making him one of the most commercially successful directors in history.
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.
Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 American comedy film directed by John Cherry and written by Charlie Cohen. It stars Jim Varney, Gailard Sartain, Barbara Bush, Charles Napier, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Bill Byrge, Barry Scott and Dan Leegant.
Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 American comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III that he co-wrote with Coke Sams. It stars Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, Lyle Alzado, Iron Eyes Cody and John Vernon. It is the second film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell and the first film in the Ernest series.
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. It stars Jim Varney and Eartha Kitt. It is the fifth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the fourth film in the Ernest series, after Ernest Goes to Jail (1990). In the film, Ernest unwittingly unleashes an evil troll upon a small town on Halloween night and helps the local children fight back.
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, and 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 Rides Again is a 1993 American comedy film written and directed by John Cherry. It stars Jim Varney, Ron K. James, Linda Kash and Tom Butler. It is the sixth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell and the fifth film in the Ernest series, after Ernest Scared Stupid (1991). The plot follows Ernest and a history professor as they discover a long-lost Revolutionary War cannon and must protect it from others who want the precious jewels hidden inside.
Slam Dunk Ernest is a 1995 American sports comedy film. It is the eighth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the seventh in the Ernest series, after Ernest Goes to School (1994). It was directed and written by John Cherry and stars Jim Varney. In the film, Ernest joins his employer's basketball team and later becomes a star with the help of an angel.
Treehouse Hostage is a 1999 family film directed by Sean McNamara and starring Jim Varney and Joey Zimmerman. It was Varney's final on-screen role before his death; he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer during production of the film in August 1998.
Ernest Goes to School is a 1994 American comedy film directed and co-written by Coke Sams. It stars Jim Varney, Linda Kash and Bill Byrge. It is the seventh film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the sixth film in the Ernest series, after Ernest Rides Again (1993). It is the only Ernest film to not be directed by John Cherry and the first to not have a wide theatrical release.
Ernest Goes to Africa is a 1997 American comedy film written and directed by John Cherry. It stars Jim Varney, Linda Kash and Jamie Bartlett. It is the ninth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and the eighth film in the Ernest series, after Slam Dunk Ernest (1995). In the film, Ernest unknowingly comes into the possession of stolen jewels and is kidnapped and brought to Africa where he must rescue the woman he loves.
100 Proof is a 1997 independently produced American thriller film written and directed by Jeremy Horton.[a] Shot on location in Kentucky, it is based on the true story of a killing spree that took place in Lexington in 1986. Two women, LaFonda Fay Foster and Tina Hickey Powell, murdered five people in the real-life incident. The film's supporting cast includes Jim Varney, who portrays the drunk, violent, incestuous father of one of the two women at the center of the story. Varney's role is radically different from the humorous Ernest P. Worrell character for which he was best known.
Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album is an anthology of comedic short subjects directed by John R. Cherry III, and released direct-to-video in 1983. It was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee. As a whole, it is the first film to feature the advertising character Ernest P. Worrell, played by Jim Varney.
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.
The Wall is a 2017 American war thriller film directed by Doug Liman and written by Dwain Worrell. The film follows two American soldiers trapped by an Iraqi sniper. Produced by Amazon Studios, it was released on May 12, 2017, by Roadside Attractions. The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences and grossed $4.5 million against a $3 million budget.
The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in 'For Love or Mummy' is a 1999 comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and Larry Harmon based on the film shorts of Laurel & Hardy. It stars Bronson Pinchot and Gailard Sartain re-creating the titular protagonists Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
