James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr.

James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000)

Varney was an American actor, comedian and writer, best known for his role as Ernest P. Worrell, who was used in numerous television commercial advertising campaigns and movies, earning him fame worldwide and a Daytime Emmy Award. He gained further notability for playing Jed Clampett in the movie version of The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) and providing the voice of Slinky Dog in Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999). In 1980, the first commercial featuring Varney as "Ernest" advertised 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 used often by dairies to advertise milk products. 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 also was noted for doing 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. Another favorite Ernest vehicle was promotions for various TV stations around the nation, including the news team and the weather departments. However, Varney had an established acting career prior to his fame as Ernest.

In 1976, Varney was a regular cast member of the television show Johnny Cash and Friends. He also played a recurring guest on the faux late-night talk show Fernwood 2 Night. From 1977 to 1979, Varney was cast as Seaman "Doom & Gloom" Broom in the television version of Operation Petticoat. In 1997, Varney developed lung cancer. The disease slowly became worse, yet Varney continued to film movies. Upon being diagnosed, he reportedly threw his cigarettes away and quit smoking. Varney had filmed an anti-smoking public service announcement as Ernest in the 1980s, though it is often mistakenly assumed to have been filmed after his diagnosis. He died on February 10, 2000 in his home in White House, Tennessee, a city north of Nashville, at the age of 50. Varney is buried at Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Kentucky.