November 8th, 2011
James Albert Varney, Jr. began acting in Lafayette High school, Lexington, KY. At the age of eight, his mother put him in children-s theatre because of his ability to imitate the cartoon characters he would watch on television. He continued with his acting and while in high school he won top state awards in drama competitions. Jim performed in a local theatre version of Ebenezer Scrooge at the age of 15 and by 17 he was performing in nightclubs and coffee houses.
Mr. Varney-s first television commercial, (more…)
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October 27th, 2011
Jim Varney, born James Albert Varney Jr., and lovingly referred to as Ernest after a character he played, was an American actor, musician, and comedian. Though he passed away February 10, 2000 at the age of 50, many fans still adore his work. Jim had the acting bug even early in his childhood. He would perform things he memorized in front of his family to entertain them. As a teenager and into his twenties, Jim started to perform on stage in the theater.
Jim has not only been in stand-up comedy (more…)
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October 12th, 2011
Although the great character actor Jim Varney died in the year 2000, he has not been forgotten. His legacy will continue for years to come, due to his broad range of acting abilities and of course, the beloved character of Earnest P. Worrell, for which he is probably best known.
But, did you know that Jim Varney was also very active in the Make-a-Wish foundation? The Make-a-Wish Foundation grants wishes to dying children, and meeting or talking to Earnest (more…)
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September 14th, 2011
There are a lot of great reasons to visit Mississippi and the number one should be that Ernest loved it here! If you haven’t looked into hughesnet mississipi or booked your ticket yet you’ve got to see what you’re missing. It’s a wonderland here.
Mississippi Gulf Beaches: If you’re in the mood for some of Mississippi’s best beaches, you’ve got to head to the gulf. Spend the day soaking up the sun and when you’re finished there, head to one of the Gulf’s (more…)
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May 1st, 2011
Ernest P. Worrell is best known today for his numerous feature films starring the lovable and well meaning, yet painfully ignorant and slow Ernest. Ernest, however, got his start doing local television commercials down south. Initially, Ernest was invented by classically trained actor Jim Varney to be “everyone’s annoying neighbor.” The point of Ernest was to be that neighbor who is always bugging everyone about the latest deals and new products. The commercials were always Ernest addressing the camera, calling it Vern, and relentlessly pressing him on new products and sales.
After a few years, (more…)
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April 17th, 2011
Jim Varney (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, musician, voice-over artist, and writer. He was best known for his role as Earnest P. Worrell, a character he portrayed in numerous commercials, television shows, and films.
Varney was born James Albert Varney, Jr. in Lexington, Kentucky on June 15, 1949. He displayed considerable talent from a young age, first reciting long poems and passages from books for family and friends and later imitating cartoon characters that he saw on television. He regularly competed in drama competitions while attending Lafayette High School, and by the age of 17 he (more…)
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December 18th, 2010
Now over 10 years after actor Jim Varney‘s passing, soon to be 11 this coming February, what better way to celebrate the man’s lifetime achievement than rereleasing the stories of his most prolific character, Ernest P. Worrell, in one comprehensive compilation. Unfortunately, as of now, no such box set is on the market. Though many Ernest favorites are still available for purchase, mostly online, as time has pushed demand back relative to newer children’s releases, DVDs are increasingly hard to come by.A re-released commemorative box set would help to ensure Varney’s timeless character continues on for another generation, as many adults who are now beginning to have children once enjoyed the antics of Ernest growing up. At the very least, all nine full length Ernest films should be packaged together and available for purchase, in chronological order, Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, Ernest Rides Again, Ernest Goes to School, Slam Dunk Ernest, Ernest Goes to Africa, and Ernest in the Army.True fans would agree, however, the movies alone don’t do the collective body of work justice. Adding more layers to the Ernest persona are 13 episodes of the television show, Hey Vern, It’s Ernest, and seemingly countless television commercials from which Ernest was born, possibly included as part of a special features disc, not to mention a complementary copy of It’s the Ernest P. Worrell Book of Knawledge, written by Jim Varney in character as Ernest P. Worrell, arguably the greatest insight on record into the mind of the hilarious hillbilly. (more…)
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August 23rd, 2010
After the box office success of Ernest‘s first holiday movie Ernest Saves Christmas, it wasn’t long before Ernest P. Worrell found himself in the midst of a spooky Halloween tale. While, as always, Ernest is the star of the film, this story dates back to Ernest’s early ancestor Phineas Worrell in 19th century Briarville, Missouri (a fictional town). Briarville is plagued by a troll who turns little boys and girls into wooden dolls, in turn, harvesting them for energy. The town enlists the help of their village elder, Phineas, to rid them of the horrible monster before the troll takes all their children. Led by Phineas, the Briarvillians band together to capture the troll and seal him beneath a giant oak tree, but before the seal is complete, the troll places a curse on Phineas, dictating that his descendants would become progressively less intelligent with every passing generation. The troll delivers a prophecy that some day one of Phineas’ own flesh and blood will be dumb enough to release the troll from its deeply rooted cell, at which point he will have his revenge. (more…)
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August 23rd, 2010
In Ernest‘s first holiday feature, the do-gooder protagonist finds himself as a cab driver in Orlando when he encounters a portly, grey-bearded passenger claiming to be none other than Santa Claus. When Ernest inquires what brings Santa so far south of the North Pole, he finds out that Santa is in town to inform Joe Carruthers, an Orlando based Mr. Rogers clone, he has been chosen as the heir apparent to the jolliest job on the planet, the role of Santa Claus. While riding with Santa, the pair offer a lift to a young teenage girl who claims her name is Harmony Star. (more…)
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August 23rd, 2010
In this classic camp tale, Ernest begins the summer not as a highly revered counselor ready to teach young campers about life in the wilderness, but as a lowly handyman with menial tasks to fix this and tighten that. Of course, Ernest has his sights set on earning a counselor position and, never lacking the courage to give something a good natured try, sets out to do just that. Through showing off his hard work, plus taking on additional tasks, such as learning to translate for camp owner Indian Chief St. Cloud, Ernest is eventually rewarded with the counselor position he has long desired. In a twist, however, Ernest is assigned to a group of juvenile delinquents who try to get under his skin through a series of pranks. Though initially they do not respect him, Ernest is earnest in his attempts to take the boys under his wing, and stands up for them when mocked by more well-to-do campers and counselors. (more…)
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