Ernest P Worrell: The Goofiest Movie Character Ever

Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by the late American actor Jim Varney (1949?2000) in a series of television commercials and later in a television series (Hey Vern, Its Ernest!) as well as a series of motion pictures.

Ernest was created for Varney to play by Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry. It became Bohan Carden and Cherry in 1997. Some speculate he may have been based on the earlier character Ernest T. Bass played by Howard Morris on The Andy Griffith Show''. Ernest was used in various local campaigns and was never a spokesman for a truly national product or company, save for Sprite and Mello Yello which had its slogan "Make the Mello Yello move". The first commercial, filmed in 1980, was to advertise an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at Beech Bend Park, an amusement park located near Bowling Green, Kentucky. The format of the commercials seldom varied. The rubber-faced Ernest, almost always dressed in a denim vest and baseball cap, appeared at the door of a seemingly-unwilling neighbor, Vern. His full name is Ernest Powertools Worrell.

James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. (June 15, 1949 ? February 10, 2000) was an American character actor and comedian. He was best known for his character Ernest P. Worrell, originally created by Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry in the 1980s. The character was used in numerous television commercial campaigns and movies in the following years, giving him fame worldwide. He is best known for his slapstick style and his portrayal of "redneck" stereotypes in a friendly, approachable way.