The rubbery-faced comic actor was best known for his portrayal of Ernest P. Worrell, the irritating but well-meaning hick who was a constant torment to his unseen neighbor, Vern. Varney, who died Thursday of lung cancer, developed Ernest as a slapstick commercial pitchman for a variety of products but the character caught on with the American public, resulting in nine "Ernest" movies. Varney, who began acting when he was 8, also starred as Jed Clampett in the movie version of The Beverly Hillbillies.
Passage: Jim Varney, 50
The rubbery-faced comic actor was best known for his portrayal of Ernest P. Worrell, the irritating but well-meaning hick who was a constant torment to his unseen neighbor, Vern. Varney, who died Thursday of lung cancer, developed Ernest as a slapstick commercial pitchman for a variety of products but the character caught on with the American public, resulting in nine "Ernest" movies. Varney, who began acting when he was 8, also starred as Jed Clampett in the movie version of The Beverly Hillbillies.