Folks,

Blast from the past eh? At least it was for me. I had no idea that Ernest had a robust (and lucrative) career in local TV commercials in the south before he hit it big on the silver screen. Yes, I know it shocking. But if you want a real shock….go check out some of the extras in those Ernest movies.

Boom.

Jim Varney, 50, Who Turned ‘Ernest’ Character Into a Career

Published in the NYT: February 11, 2000

Jim Varney, the rubberfaced comic who portrayed his rube character ”Ernest” in hundreds of television commercials and a series of movies, died on Thursday at his home here. He was 50.

The cause was lung cancer, said his lawyer, Hoot Gibson. Continue