Varney began acting as Ernest back in 1980, when he did a TV commercial for an upcoming appearance of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at an amusement park in Kentucky. From there on in, he stuck with the character, starring in several TV commercials throughout the 80s and early 90s. Here he is in an 1983 commercial for Country Fresh Milk:
The character was so popular that Varney was eventually given his own children's TV show called "Hey Vern, It's Ernest!", which first aired back in 1988. Unfortunately, the show was short-lived and only lasted for one season:
In 1987, "Ernest Goes To Camp" was released. In this, Ernest faced juvenile delinquents and an evil mining corporation that wanted to destroy the camp.
Several other Ernest movies were also released throughout the 1980s and 1990s:
- Ernest Saves Christmas - 1988
- Ernest Goes to Jail - 1990
- Ernest Scared Stupid - 1991
- Ernest Rides Again - 1993
- Ernest Goes to School - 1994
- Ernest Goes to Africa - 1997
- Ernest in the Army - 1998
Tragically, Jim Varney passed away in February, 2000, after battling lung cancer for two years. Here's some footage from Ernest Saves Christmas:
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