Larry the Cable Guy | |
---|---|
Birth name | Daniel Lawrence Whitney |
Born | Pawnee City, Nebraska, U.S. [1] | February 17, 1963
Medium | Stand-up, television, film, radio, books |
Years active | 1991–present |
Genres | Character comedy, blue comedy, insult comedy, observational comedy, political satire |
Subject(s) | Southern culture, American politics, obesity, human sexuality, political correctness, self-deprecation, family, personal hygiene, current events |
Spouse | Cara Whitney (m. 2005) |
Children | 2 |
Notable works and roles | |
Website | larrythecableguy |
Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), [1] known professionally as Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and former radio personality. [2] He was one of the members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which included Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Jeff Foxworthy (with whom he has starred on Blue Collar TV ).
Whitney has released seven comedy albums, three of which have been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies. He has starred in three Blue Collar Comedy Tour related films, alongside Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector , Delta Farce and Witless Protection , and provides the voice of Mater in Disney's Cars franchise. Whitney's catchphrase "Git-R-Done!" is also the title of his book.
Dan Whitney was born in Nebraska to Tom and Shirley Whitney, and grew up on an 80-acre farm outside Pawnee City, Nebraska. [3] [4] His father was a Christian minister. When he was 16, his family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida. [5] Whitney attended high school at The King's Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the late 1970s through 1980 [6] [7] [8] where his father was the elementary school principal. [9] He graduated from Berean Christian School in West Palm Beach in 1982 where he played football. [10] He went to college at Baptist University of America in Georgia, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He majored in drama and speech. He credits his roommates from Texas and Georgia for inspiring his Southern accent impression. [11] He dropped out after his junior year after trying his hand at comedy. [11]
Whitney started his career in radio in the early 1990s when he made regular radio appearances on the nationally syndicated program, The Ron and Ron Show , as well as other radio shows such as The Bob & Tom Show , Wakin' Up With The Wolf on WPDH, The Chris Baker Show on KDGE and KEZO's The Todd and Tyler Show in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the Kirk, Mark, and Lopez morning show on WIYY in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a frequent guest on The Johnny Dare Morning Show on 98.9/KQRC, Kansas' City.
He also appeared on WJRR in Orlando, Florida. He was brought to New England on Greg and the Morning Buzz on WHEB 100.3 and WGIR-FM 101.1 in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, respectively, doing two commentaries a week.
Initially performing stand-up under his real name with limited success, he became famous after developing the Cable Guy character, a personality that he now maintains throughout his stage act. The Cable Guy character has a stereotypical redneck appearance and a thick Southern accent, recounts stories about his "family", and uses, among other common expressions, his own catchphrase "Git-R-Done!"
He says in interviews and in his autobiographical book GIT-R-DONE that he deliberately "turns on" the accent both on and off stage, because he may forget it if he kept his normal accent intact. [12] He uses catchphrase humor, including "Lord, I apologize for that, there, and be with the starvin' Pygmies in New Guinea. Amen," after telling jokes of questionable taste; and, "I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there," after jokes that evoke raucous laughter.
His first two comedy albums, Lord, I Apologize (2001) and The Right to Bare Arms (2005), have both been certified gold by the RIAA. A third album, Morning Constitutions, and its accompanying TV special were released in 2007.
Whitney was roasted in a Comedy Central special on March 15, 2009. [13]
On February 8, 2011, the premiere of his newest travelogue series, Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy , was broadcast on the History Channel. A total of 4.1 million viewers, 1.7 million adults 25–54, tuned in, nearly doubling the total for the "Top Shot" season 2 opener. [14] During season two in the episode "Larry Goes To Washington", Whitney was the first on-air talent from a non-news crew allowed in the War Room, also known as the Command Center, as he explained during the program. The series finale aired August 28, 2013.
In June 2012, Disneyland's California Adventure theme park's "Cars Land" features a ride called "Mater's Junkyard Jamboree" that features Whitney's voice as his character Mater from the Disney/Pixar Cars movies. [15]
Bektrom Foods of North Dakota developed a line of Larry the Cable Guy food products, such as boxed hamburger dinners, with some of the proceeds from its sales benefiting the "Git-R-Done Foundation". [16] [17]
Whitney competed in season six of The Masked Singer as the wild card contestant "Baby" which was the show's first human character.
Whitney and his wife Cara married in 2005. [18] [19] They have a son, Wyatt, and a daughter, Reagan. [20] The Whitney family resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, on a 180-acre (73 ha) farm. The couple started the Git-R-Done Foundation in 2009 to provide assistance to those that have experienced hardships beyond their control. [21] [22] Whitney is a Christian who re-committed to his faith in 2014. [22] [23]
Whitney's hometown of Pawnee City, Nebraska, has a street named after him. Whitney also donated money to buy new theatrical equipment for the local high school. [24]
Whitney is an avid Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan. His signature camouflage hat has the University of Nebraska–Lincoln nickname "HUSKERS" emblazoned on it, as seen in the 2007 film Delta Farce . He is also frequently seen with a gold Nebraska "N" on a chain around his neck. On October 1, 2016, in his luxury suite at Memorial Stadium during the Nebraska vs. Illinois football game, Whitney was challenged to an arm wrestling match by an Army veteran and Nebraska Army National Guard member, John O'Connell, who lost the match in less than one minute with his arm (humerus) broken by Whitney. [25] [26] [27]
Whitney is also an avid REO Speedwagon fan. In 2013, he appeared with the group, including a benefit concert in Bloomington, Illinois, for tornado disaster relief. [28]
In September 2010, Whitney donated $5 million to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida. The gift was for further development of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute at the Orlando hospital. After Dr. Chad Price at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children helped cure their son, Wyatt, of his dysplasia when he was an infant, Whitney and his wife, Cara, made private donations to the hospital and Whitney raised money through appearances on Family Feud and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? .
The hospital opened a new wing called the Wyatt Whitney Wing in May 2012.
Whitney is also the proud owner of a George Strait neon sign that he bought backstage at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth, Texas. [18]
Whitney endorsed Gary Johnson for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. [29]
In June 2023, claims that Whitney had died at age 60 surfaced. This was later confirmed to be a hoax. [30]
Whitney formerly[ when? ] worked as a radio personality on Blue Collar Radio on Sirius XM Radio.[ citation needed ]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US Country | US Comedy | |||
Law and Disorder [31] |
| — | — | — | |
Salutations and Flatulations [32] |
| — | — | — | |
Lord, I Apologize |
| — | 53 | 1 | |
A Very Larry Christmas |
| 43 | 8 | 1 |
|
The Right to Bare Arms |
| 7 | 1 | 1 |
|
Morning Constitutions |
| 16 | 5 | 1 | |
Christmastime in Larryland |
| 42 | 12 | 1 | |
Tailgate Party |
| 71 | 19 | 1 | |
The Best of Larry the Cable Guy |
| 72 | 4 | ||
Them Idiots: Whirled Tour (with Bill Engvall and Jeff Foxworthy) |
| 45 | 1 | ||
We've Been Thinking(with Jeff Foxworthy) |
| — | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie | Larry | Documentary |
2004 | Larry the Cable Guy: Git-R-Done | TV movie | |
Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again | TV documentary | ||
2006 | Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector | ||
Cars | Mater | Voice | |
Mater and the Ghostlight | Voice; short film | ||
Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | Larry | TV movie | |
2007 | Delta Farce | ||
2008 | Witless Protection | Deputy Larry Stalder | |
2009 | The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy | Himself | |
Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau | TV movie | ||
2010 | Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party | ||
2011 | Cars 2 | Mater | Voice |
2012 | Them Idiots: Whirled Tour | Himself | |
Tooth Fairy 2 | Larry Guthrie | ||
2013 | A Madea Christmas | Buddy | |
2014 | Jingle All the Way 2 | Larry Phillips | Direct-to-video |
CMT Artists of the Year | Host | ||
2016 | Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking | Himself | Documentary |
2017 | Cars 3 | Mater | Voice |
2020 | Remain Seated | Himself | Stand-up special |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004–2006 | Blue Collar TV | Cast member | |
2008–2012 | Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales | Mater | Voice; 11 short films |
2009 | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? | Himself | Episode: "3.13" |
2011–2013 | Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy | Host | |
2013 | Bounty Hunters | Larry | |
2013–2014 | Cars Toons: Tales From Radiator Springs | Mater | Voice; 2 short films |
2020 | Cruisin' With the Huskers | Host | |
2021 | The Masked Singer | Himself/Baby | Season 6 contestant; Eliminated in fourth episode |
2021 | Yellowstone | Officer (Uncredited) | Season 4 Episode 1 'Half the Money' |
2022 | Cars On The Road | Mater | Voice; Disney+ Original Short Series |
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2007 | Larry the Cable Guy: Morning Constitutions | TV movie |
Larry the Cable Guy's Christmas Spectacular | ||
2008 | Larry the Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza | TV special |
2009 | The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy | TV documentary |
Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau | TV movie | |
2010 | Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party | |
2013 | Bounty Hunters | TV series; 8 episodes |
2011–2013 | Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy | 50 episodes |
2016 | Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking | TV documentary |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2006 | Cars | Mater |
Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures | ||
2007 | Cars Mater-National Championship | |
2009 | Cars Race-O-Rama | |
2010 | Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales [34] [35] | |
2010–2012 | The World of Cars Online | |
2011 | Cars 2 | |
2012 | Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure | |
2013 | Disney Infinity | |
2014 | Cars: Fast as Lightning | |
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes | ||
2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2012–present | Radiator Springs Racers | Mater |
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree | ||
2019–present | Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy |
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Raspberry Awards | |||||
2007 | Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector | Worst Actor | Nominated | ||
2009 | Witless Protection | Worst Actor | Nominated | ||
Worst Screen Couple (with Jenny McCarthy) | Nominated | ||||
2014 | A Madea Christmas | Worst Screen Combo (with Tyler Perry) | Nominated | ||
Worst Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||||
Grammy Award | |||||
2006 | The Right to Bare Arms | Best Comedy Album | Nominated | ||
2007 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | Nominated | |||
Visual Effects Society | |||||
2007 | Cars | Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture | Won |
Pawnee City is a city in and the county seat of Pawnee County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 878 at the 2010 census.
Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy is an American comedian, actor, author, radio and television host, and writer. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, with Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and formerly Ron White. Known for his "You might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy has released six major-label comedy albums. His first two albums were each certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He has written several books based on his redneck jokes, as well as an autobiography entitled No Shirt, No Shoes... No Problem!
The Cable Guy is a 1996 American absurdist satirical black comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, written by Lou Holtz Jr. and starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. It was released in the United States on June 14, 1996. The film co-stars Leslie Mann, Jack Black, George Segal, Diane Baker, Eric Roberts, Owen Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Andy Dick, Ben Stiller, and Bob Odenkirk.
Blue Collar TV is an American sketch comedy television series that aired on The WB from July 29, 2004 to July 26, 2006 starring Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy. The show's humor dealt principally with contemporary American society, and especially hillbilly, redneck, and Southern stereotypes. The show was greenlighted on the heels of the success of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which the series' three lead actors toured with in the early to mid-2000s. It was created by Fax Bahr and Adam Small, in addition to J.P. Williams and Jeff Foxworthy. Blue collar is a U.S. phrase used to describe manual laborers, as opposed to white collar for office or professional workers.
Steven Ira Hofstetter is an American stand-up comedian and podcast host. As of May 2022, his YouTube channel has accumulated over 709,000 subscribers and 195,000,000 views. Hofstetter starred in the FS1 special Finding Babe Ruth, has been a panelist on MLB Now on MLB Network, and was the host and executive producer of Laughs on Fox television stations.
William Ray Engvall Jr. is a retired American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Engvall has released a number of stand-up comedy albums through Warner Records and the defunct BNA Records. His commercially successful album is the 1996 debut Here's Your Sign, certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album derives its name from Engvall's signature routine "here's your sign", wherein he offers "signs" to people whom he deems lacking in intellect. He has toured as a comedian both by himself and as a member of Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which included Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White. Engvall's television roles include Delta, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, The Bill Engvall Show, and Lingo.
David Cross is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director. Cross is best known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom Arrested Development.
The Villasur expedition of 1720 was a Spanish military expedition intended to check New France's growing influence on the North American Great Plains, led by Lieutenant-General Pedro de Villasur. Pawnee and Otoe Indians attacked the expedition in Nebraska, killing 36 of the 40 Spaniards, 10 of their Indian allies, and a French guide. The survivors retreated to their base in New Mexico.
Freak Show is an American adult animated television series that aired on Comedy Central created by H. Jon Benjamin and David Cross.
Lavon Lynn Heidemann is an American politician and farmer who served as the 39th lieutenant governor of Nebraska from February 13, 2013 to September 9, 2014 under Governor Dave Heineman. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector is a 2006 American comedy film starring American stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy. Larry, a municipal restaurant health inspector, is assigned a new rookie partner after recklessly closing restaurants for code violations, Amy Butlin, by his boss, Bart Tatlock. Together, Larry and Amy work to solve a series of food poisonings at four-star restaurants.
Trev Kendall Alberts is an American sports administrator and former football linebacker who is the athletic director at Texas A&M University. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, winning the Dick Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Trophy as a senior. Alberts was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Reelz is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. The network's programming was formerly devoted to entertainment-oriented programming focusing on the Hollywood film and entertainment industry, with programs featuring information on theatrical film releases as well as information on movies released on DVD and airing on cable television. Currently, outside a few entertainment programs, and some reality series and films, the network mainly airs original and acquired films, series, and programming relating to true crime and celebrity scandals.
Witless Protection is a 2008, American crime comedy film written, and directed by Charles Robert Carner, and starring Larry the Cable Guy and Jenny McCarthy. Distributed by Lionsgate, the film was theatrically released on February 22, 2008, to extremely negative reviews and commercial failure, grossing $4.1 million. It was the final film appearance of Yaphet Kotto before his retirement later that year from acting.
Cars Toons is an American animated short series based on the Cars franchise. It features Lightning McQueen, Mater, and their friends in comedic antics and adventures canonical to the films. Larry the Cable Guy reprises his role as Mater while Keith Ferguson replaces Owen Wilson as the voice of Lightning McQueen until "The Radiator Springs 500 ½", when Wilson reprises his role.
The Todd-n-Tyler Radio Empire is a morning radio talk show based out of Omaha, Nebraska. It features Mike Tyler and Todd Brandt. The show is syndicated in various cities across Nebraska, Kansas, and Idaho. It is currently the #1 rated radio morning program in the Omaha market.
Pinnacle Bank Arena is a 15,500-seat indoor arena in the West Haymarket District of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was completed in 2013 and replaced the Bob Devaney Sports Center as the home of the University of Nebraska's men's and women's basketball teams. A turn back tax to support a $25 million bond was approved by Lincoln voters on May 11, 2010.
The Lincoln Children's Zoo is a children's zoo located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Designed specifically for children to experience interactive, up-close encounters with all of the zoo's animals, Lincoln Children's Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Pahuk, also written Pahaku, or Pahuk Hill, is a bluff on the Platte River in eastern Nebraska in the United States. In the traditional Pawnee religion, it was one of five dwellings of spirit animals with miraculous powers. The Pawnee occupied three villages near Pahuk in the decade prior to their removal to the Pawnee Reservation on the Loup River in 1859.
The 2002 Nebraska gubernatorial election, held on November 5, 2002, featured incumbent Republican Governor of Nebraska Mike Johanns defeating his Democratic opponent Stormy Dean in a landslide.
...Larry was born in Nebraska and lived his first 16 years on an 80-acre farm outside Pawnee City...