Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor and game show host. After serving in the
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
and making a name for himself in
stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up.
Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...
, he gained stardom in his own
sitcom
A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...
, ''
The Drew Carey Show'', and as host of the U.S. version of the improv comedy show
''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', both of which aired on
ABC. He then appeared in several films, television series, music videos, a made-for-television film, and a computer game. He has hosted the
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
''
The Price Is Right
''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also i ...
'' since October 15, 2007 on
CBS.
Carey is interested in a variety of sports and has worked as a photographer at
U.S. National Team soccer games. He is a minority owner of the
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
team
Seattle Sounders FC, which won the MLS Cup, first in 2016 and again in 2019. He briefly participated in
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, entering the
2001 Royal Rumble
The 2001 Royal Rumble was the 14th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on January 21, 2001, at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisia ...
, and was inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
Carey's autobiography, ''
Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined'', details his early life and television career.
Early life and education
Carey was born on May 23, 1958 to Lewis and Beulah Carey. He is the youngest of three brothers (Neil, 1946–2010 and Roger, born 1952)
and was raised in the
Old Brooklyn neighborhood of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
, Ohio.
When Drew was eight years old, his father died from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
.
Drew played the cornet and trumpet in the marching band of
James Ford Rhodes High School
James Ford Rhodes High School is located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, in the west-side neighborhood known as Old Brooklyn. It is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and is commonly referred to as "Rhodes High School."
The sch ...
from which he graduated in 1975.
He continued on to college at
Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in A ...
(KSU) and was a part of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. He was expelled twice for poor academic performance. He left KSU after three years. Upon leaving the university, Carey enlisted into the
United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1980 and served for six years as a field radio operator in the
25th Marine Regiment
The 25th Marine Regiment (25th Marines) is one of two infantry regiments in the 4th Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps. From its headquarters in Fort Devens, Massachusetts, the regiment commands fifteen training centers in nine sta ...
in Ohio.
He moved to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
for a few months in 1983 and for a short time worked as a
bank teller and a waiter at
Denny's.
Career
Stand-up career
In 1985, he began his comedy career by following up on a suggestion by
David Lawrence (a disc jockey friend who had been paying Carey to write jokes for Lawrence's radio show in Cleveland) to go to the library and check out books on how to write jokes.
The following year, after winning an
open mic contest, he became
Master of Ceremonies at the Cleveland Comedy Club.
He performed at comedy clubs over the next few years in Cleveland and Los Angeles. His first national exposure was competing in the 1988 ''
Star Search''.
Carey was working as a stand-up comedian when he appeared on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' in November 1991.
His performance that night impressed Carson, who invited Carey to the couch next to his desk; this was considered a rare honor for any comedian.
In that same year, Carey joined the ''14th Annual Young Comedians Special'' on
HBO and made his first appearance on ''
Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...
''.
In 1994, Carey wrote his own stand-up comedy special, ''Drew Carey: Human Cartoon'', which aired on
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...
and won a
CableACE Award for Best Writing.
Acting career
Early roles
His early stand-up career led to supporting roles on television shows during which he developed the character of a hapless middle-class bachelor. In 1993, Carey had a small role in the film ''
Coneheads'' as a taxi passenger. In 1994, Carey co-starred with
John Caponera in ''
The Good Life
The Good Life or Good Life may refer to:
Film
* ''The Good Life'' (1996 film), a Spanish film by David Trueba
* ''The Good Life'' (1997 film), an American crime comedy film
* ''The Good Life'' (2007 film), a Canadian-American film by Stephen ...
'', a short-lived
sitcom
A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...
on
NBC.
After the show was cancelled,
Bruce Helford, a writer on the show, hired Carey as a consultant for the television show ''
Someone Like Me''.
''The Drew Carey Show''
After their stint on ''Someone Like Me'', Carey and Helford developed and produced the storyline for ''
The Drew Carey Show''. The sitcom revolved around a fictionalized version of Carey, as he took on the stresses of life and work with his group of childhood friends. The show premiered on September 13, 1995, on
ABC. In his autobiography, Carey revealed his frustration with having to deal with
censors and being unable to employ the
off-color humor common in his stand-up routines.
Carey initially earned $60,000 per episode in the first seasons, then renegotiated for $300,000.
By the final season, he was earning $750,000 per episode.
The show had high ratings for its first few seasons, but declining ratings and increasing production costs (around $3 million per episode) precipitated its cancellation.
The program had a total of 233 episodes over its nine-year run and Carey was one of four actors to appear in every episode.
Improv television
While still starring in ''The Drew Carey Show'', Carey began hosting the American version of the
improvisational comedy show ''
Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' in 1998. He would announce the improv cast, direct the games and usually involve himself in the final game of the episode. The show ran for a total of 220 episodes until cancellation in 2006 (it returned with host
Aisha Tyler in 2013). In 1998, the
New York Friars' Club made Carey the newest inductee of the group's
Comedy Central Roast. His friend
Ryan Stiles (who costarred in ''The Drew Carey Show'' and ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'') served as the roastmaster.
Carey's income from ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and ''The Drew Carey Show'' led to his inclusion on the ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' list of highest-paid entertainers of 1998, at 24th with $45.5 million.
For
the WB's 2004–2005
prime time
Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
schedule, Carey co-produced and starred in ''
Drew Carey's Green Screen Show'', a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
of ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?''.
It was canceled by the WB, but picked up shortly afterward by Comedy Central.
The show's premise relied on the use of a
green screen for some of the actors' improv interaction with each other. Animation on the screen was visible to the live audience and it was also inserted during post-production for the television audience.
In April 2011, Carey began hosting a primetime improv show, called ''
Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza''. It was filmed at the
MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, and first aired on April 11. The show took on the premise of ''Whose Line?'' and ''Drew Carey's Green Screen Show'' in that it features many of the same performers from both shows and did improv based on audience-provided suggestions.
Improv All-Stars
Carey was one of the founders of the Improv All-Stars, a group of eleven actors who perform in unscripted skits. The group joined Carey in all three of his improv shows, ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', ''Drew Carey's Green Screen Show'', and ''Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza'', and some members had major roles or guest-starred on ''The Drew Carey Show''.
The Improv All-Stars travel on comedy tours performing at comedy clubs throughout the United States.
Game show host
''Power of 10''
Beginning in 2007, Carey began hosting
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
s, beginning with his April selection as host of the
CBS game show pilot ''
Power of 10''. The show ran from August 7, 2007 to January 23, 2008 and aired twice weekly during the late summer and early fall. Each game featured contestants predicting how a cross-section of Americans responded to questions covering a wide variety of topics in polls conducted by CBS.
''The Price Is Right''
After taping the
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other dist ...
for ''Power of 10'', Carey was contacted by CBS about replacing
Bob Barker
Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's ''The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American telev ...
who had earlier announced his own retirement as host of ''
The Price Is Right
''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also i ...
''. After initially turning down the offer, Carey announced on ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production c ...
'' that he would succeed Barker as host of the program beginning in the fall of 2007.
His first episode of ''The Price Is Right'' was taped on August 15, 2007 and his shows began airing on October 15, 2007. In response to replacing Barker as host of the game show, Carey stated "You can't replace Bob Barker. I don't compare myself to anybody... It's only about what you're doing and supposed to do, and I feel like I'm supposed to be doing this."
When Carey began hosting, the set, theme music, and show logo were updated. Carey has retained the application of Barker's closing comment about
spaying and neutering pets. In 2022, Carey celebrated his fifteenth anniversary as host of the show.
Other roles and appearances
Carey began appearing in commercials for restaurants in the late 1990s in Canada with
The Great Root Bear
A&W Root Beer is an American brand of root beer that was founded in 1919 by Roy W. Allen – A&W root beer's official history and primarily available in the United States and Canada. Allen partnered with Frank Wright in 1922, creating the A& ...
, but his two-year contract with
A&W Food Services of Canada was cut short in November 1998 after
an episode of ''The Drew Carey Show'' featured
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...
. As a result of his dismissal, Carey sued A&W for compensation.
Disney's Hollywood Studios (then "Disney-MGM Studios"), part of
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, debuted a 12-minute attraction in 1999 titled ''
Sounds Dangerous!''.
In the show, a camera follows Carey through a day as an undercover detective. When his video camera fails, the audience is left in complete darkness wearing earphones following his adventure through sound cues. The attraction is now closed.
In 2000, Carey was given a cameo appearance in the ''
House Party'' expansion pack of the computer game ''
The Sims''.
To make him appear, the characters in the game must throw a successful party, which causes Carey to arrive in a limo and join the festivities. Carey is a fan of ''The Sims'' series and during one April Fool's episode of ''The Drew Carey Show'' a scene takes place completely within ''The Sims''.
Carey made several other cameo appearances in
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
s, including
"Weird Al" Yankovic's 1999 video for "
It's All About the Pentiums"
and
Fountains of Wayne's 2004 video for "Mexican Wine", giving an introduction to the video as if it were on a stage.
On January 21, 2001, Drew entered as
Vince McMahon's guest entrant in the
Royal Rumble match.
Although primarily known for his television work, Carey has done limited film work with his first appearance in 1993's ''Coneheads''. His next film was the 2000
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
''
Geppetto'' which debuted on
''The Wonderful World of Disney''. The film, an adaptation of ''
Pinocchio'', included actor
Wayne Brady who had joined Carey on his improv shows.
Carey took singing lessons to prepare for the role.
In 2005, Carey appeared in three films: the animated film ''
Robots'' where he provided a voice-over for the character
Crank
Crank may refer to:
Mechanisms
* Crank (mechanism), in mechanical engineering, a bent portion of an axle or shaft, or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by which motion is imparted to or received from it
* Crankset, the compone ...
; ''
The Aristocrats
"The Aristocrats" is a taboo-defying off-color joke that has been told by numerous stand-up comedians since the vaudeville era . It relates the story of a family trying to get an agent to book their stage act, which is revealed to be remarkably ...
'' where he retold a dirty joke along with other celebrities; and the documentary ''
Fuck
''Fuck'' is an English-language expletive. It often refers to the act of sexual intercourse, but is also commonly used as an intensifier or to convey disdain. While its origin is obscure, it is usually considered to be first attested to ar ...
'' where he was interviewed.
Carey provided the entertainment for the 2002 Annual
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...
correspondents' dinner.
Once Carey completed his stand-up routine for the 1,800 guests, President
George W. Bush, noting Carey's improv work, made a joke of his own: "Drew? Got any interest in the Middle East?"
In 2003, he joined
Jamie Kennedy to host the WB's live special ''Play for a Billion''.
In September 2003, Carey led a group of comedians, including
Blake Clark and ''The Drew Carey Show''
's
Kathy Kinney, on a comedy tour of Iraq.
On June 8, 2006, ''Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures'' debuted on the
Travel Channel
Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United ...
. In this series, Carey traveled throughout Germany to photograph multiple
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the ' (FIFA), the ...
soccer games while he immerses himself in the culture of the towns and states he visits.
In early 2008, Carey appeared in
Matt Groening's ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' as part of the
episode "
All About Lisa" as a guest on the ''
Krusty the Clown Show''. He also surfaced in the second season of ''
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, villag ...
'' playing a well-liked former boss to Jeff Winger.
On March 4, 2014, it was announced on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...
'' that Carey would compete on the
season 18 of ''
Dancing with the Stars''. He was partnered with professional dancer
Cheryl Burke. The couple was eliminated on the sixth week of competition, finishing in 8th place.
Carey has also been a longtime host on
SiriusXM channel, Little Steven's Underground Garage (Ch. 21) where for 10 years he hosted a three-hour radio show called "Drew Carey's Friday Night Dance Party" which aired the last Friday of every month. In August 2018, Carey turned his monthly show into a weekly show called "The Friday Night Freak Out" which airs every Friday from 8:00pm to 11:00pm ET on SiriusXM.
In 2018, Carey appeared in an episode of ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to:
Law enforcement
* National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
'' as a retired Marine. His character was a sergeant, the last rank he held in real life. Real pictures of him in dress blues and everyday garb were on the plasma screen in the squadroom.
In 2020, Carey appeared as a contestant on the
third season of ''
The Masked Singer'' as "Llama". He was the second to be eliminated.
In 2021, Carey participated in ''
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune'' alongside
Teri Hatcher and
Chrissy Metz. He beat his fellow competitors in the first bonus round, but failed to solve the final bonus round puzzle.
Writing
Carey has routinely written throughout his career. He wrote his own material in his early stand-up career before writing sitcoms. In 1997, Carey published his
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English p ...
, ''
Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined'', wherein he shared memories of his early childhood and of his father's death when he was eight. He also revealed that he was once
molested, had suffered bouts of
depression, and had made two
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
attempts by swallowing a large amount of sleeping pills.
[ The book discusses his college fraternity years while attending Kent State University and his professional career up to that time. The book featured large amounts of profanity and, as the title suggests, includes multiple dirty jokes (there is one at the start of each chapter) and references to beer. The book was featured on ''The New York Times'' bestseller list for three months.]
Photography
Carey can sometimes be seen on the sidelines of U.S. National Team soccer games as a press photographer. His images are sold via wire services under the pseudonym ''Brooks Parkenridge''. He was at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
in the summer of 2006, for his television show ''Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures''.
Personal life
Carey adopted his crew cut hairstyle while serving in the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...
. He underwent refractive surgery
Refractive eye surgery is optional eye surgery used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea ( keratomil ...
to correct his vision and, for a time, did not require glasses, but continued to wear them for purposes of recognition and celebrity identity. On May 17, 2006 episode of '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!,'' he revealed that when he turned 40, he developed a need for bifocals.
As of 2007, he resides in Los Angeles and New York City.
Carey proposed to Nicole Jaracz in 2007 and is a father figure to Connor, her son from a previous relationship. The couple did not wed and called off their engagement in 2012.
In January 2018, Carey announced his engagement to sex therapist Amie Harwick
Amie Nicole Harwick (May 20, 1981February 15, 2020) was an American writer and marriage and family therapist.
Biography
Harwick was adopted as a child. She worked as a ''Playboy'' model and dance performer to pay for her postsecondary ed ...
. They ended their engagement that November but remained close. On February 15, 2020, Harwick was found dead in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood and her ex-boyfriend was subsequently arrested on suspicion of her murder.
Carey is a Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
.
Health
After suffering chest pains while filming ''The Drew Carey Show'' in August 2001, Carey underwent a coronary angioplasty.
Although his weight was a comedic topic throughout his sitcom and improv shows, in 2010 he began a diet and exercise plan and lost considerable weight, which he also claimed had cured his Type 2 diabetes. He had cataract surgery in 2020.
Political views
Carey is an outspoken Libertarian. He said:
Carey expressed his distaste for the Bush administration's management of the Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
, specifically on the September 14, 2007, episode of '' Real Time with Bill Maher''. He made donations to Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as we ...
's presidential campaign for the 2008 election
This electoral calendar 2008 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2008 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, even though they are not elections. By-elections are no ...
. On the September 26, 2008, episode of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing ...
'', Carey defined "libertarian" to host Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-born American comedian, actor, writer, and television host. He is best known for hosting the CBS late-night talk show '' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' (2005–2014), for which he won ...
as "a conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
who still gets high." In 2016, he supported Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...
in his run for office, and was made an Honorary Chair of the campaign for California.
Carey has voiced his political beliefs in several interviews, and in 1998, led a "smoke-in" in defiance of California's newly passed no-smoking ordinance inside bars and restaurants. He has hosted a series of mini-documentaries, ''The Drew Carey Project,'' on Reason.tv, an online project of Reason Foundation
The Reason Foundation is an American libertarian think tank that was founded in 1978. The foundation publishes the magazine ''Reason''. Based in Los Angeles, California, it is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. According to its web site, t ...
, a libertarian-oriented nonprofit think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental ...
on whose board of trustees he sits. The first episode, "Gridlock", addresses private highway ownership and was released on October 15, 2007. Other episodes discuss topics such as eminent domain
Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...
, urban traffic congestion, and medical marijuana
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictio ...
.
Carey endorsed and donated money to Joe Biden in the 2020 United States Presidential Election. Earlier in the cycle, he also donated to Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard (; born April 12, 1981) is an American politician, United States Army Reserve officer and political commentator who served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. Gabbard was the fi ...
and Bill Weld
William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945) is an American attorney, businessman, author, and politician who served as the 68th Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997.
A Harvard and Oxford graduate, Weld began his career as legal counsel to ...
.
Sports involvement
Carey is a devoted fan of the U.S. National Soccer Team, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
, Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 1999, Carey was part of the pregame ceremonies at the first game of the return of the Browns, televised on ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. Carey attended the 2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
in Germany and the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa. Carey is a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders FC who began play in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
on March 19, 2009, and won two MLS Cups (2016, 2019). Carey is a fan of FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional Football team, football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish footb ...
and of the Scottish team Rangers
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
. In 2006, he was a season ticketholder for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Carey has shown his support for the Cleveland baseball team by throwing the first pitch at an August 12, 2006 game against the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...
. He was rewarded by them for being "the greatest Indians fan alive" with a personal bobblehead doll made in his likeness that was given to fans. Carey responded to his bobblehead likeness by saying "Bobblehead Day, for me, is as big as getting a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame."
In 2001, Carey was the first television actor to enter World Wrestling Federation's 30-man " Royal Rumble" match, which he did to promote an improv comedy pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
at the time. He appeared in a few backstage segments before his brief participation in the match. Upon entering the ring, Carey stood unopposed for more than half a minute, but after the next entrant, Kane, refused a monetary bribe, Carey eliminated himself from the match by jumping over the top rope and retreating from ringside. On April 2, 2011, Carey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Kane.
Carey competed against five other celebrities in the first celebrity edition of the 2003 World Poker Tour. He placed fifth, beating the only other actor, Jack Black. Carey won $2,000 for his charity.
On May 15, 2011, Carey completed the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in 1:57:02; then, on September 4, 2011, completed the Disneyland Half Marathon in 1:50:46. On October 30, 2011, he finished the Marine Corps Marathon with a chip time of 4:37:11, placing 10,149th out of 20,940.
Philanthropy
Carey is a supporter of libraries crediting them for beginning his successful comedy career. On May 2, 2000, in a celebrity edition of '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'', he selected the Ohio Library Foundation to receive his $500,000 winnings. He later went on to win an additional $32,000 on the second celebrity ''Millionaire'', making him one of the biggest winning contestants on ''Millionaire'' who did not win the top prize. He also has played on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games for the Cleveland Public Library charity. In June 2007, he offered to donate up to $100,000 (in $10,000 increments) to the Mooch Myernick Memorial Fund if anybody could beat him at the video game FIFA Soccer 07 for the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
. He dared five players from both the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams to compete against him. Carey ended up donating $100,000, plus $60,000 for losing two games out of the six he played.
In October 2009, Carey made a bid of $25,000 in a charity auction for the @drew Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account. He later increased his offer to $100,000 if the number of followers of his account @DrewFromTV reached 100,000 by the end of the auction. In an interview with CBS News, he said he would instead donate $1 million to the charity Livestrong Foundation if his follower count reached one million by December 31, 2009.
In September 2014, Carey promised $10,000 to help find the perpetrators of a faked "ice bucket challenge" involving an autistic 14-year-old Ohio boy who, instead of being doused in ice cubes and water, received a shower of feces, urine, tobacco spit, and cigarette butts. Shortly thereafter, celebrities Donnie Wahlberg, Jenny McCarthy and Montel Williams matched Carey's offer. Several teens were eventually charged and admitted to the prank, though they denied that there was feces in the bucket or that they knew the victim was diagnosed with autism.
Filmography
Carey has starred in only a few television shows and films, but has made numerous guest-star appearances in a variety of sitcoms and comedy shows.
Film
Television
Awards and honors
220px, Carey's star on the ">Hollywood Walk of Fame
* 1994: Cable Ace Award for Best Writing: ''Drew Carey: Human Cartoon''
* 1995: TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...
"10 Hottest New Faces of 1995"
* 1998: Satellite Award
The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take plac ...
for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series
* 2000: Honorary DHL from Cleveland State University
* 2000: People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Television Performer
* 2003: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
* 2004: Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy program ...
's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time (#84)
* 2011: Southern California Journalism "Best Advocacy Journalism" Award winner
* 2011: WWE Hall of Fame
*
* Two-time MLS Cup champion (as co-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC - 2016, 2019)
* 2021: United States Navy Memorial Foundation
The United States Navy Memorial is a memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring those who have served or are currently serving in the Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for ...
Lone Sailor Award (presented on the July 2, 2021 episode of ''The Price is Right'')
References
External links
*
Drew Carey's blog
*
*
Drew Carey's WWE Hall of Fame Profile
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carey, Drew
1958 births
Living people
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
21st-century Buddhists
American Buddhists
American game show hosts
American libertarians
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male singers
American male television actors
American photographers
American soccer chairmen and investors
American stand-up comedians
Comedians from Ohio
Kent State University alumni
Major League Soccer executives
Major League Soccer owners
Male actors from Cleveland
The Price Is Right
United States Marine Corps reservists
United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers
WWE Hall of Fame inductees