John Robert Cherry III (October 11, 1948 – May 8, 2022) was an American film director and screenwriter, most notable for creating the character of

Ernest P. Worrell Ernest P. Worrell is a fictional character portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series (''Hey Vern, It's Ernest!'') as well as a series of feature films. Ernest was created with ...

, played by

Jim Varney James Albert Varney Jr. (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his broadly comedic role as Ernest P. Worrell, for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award, as well as appearing in films and ...

Career

A native of

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, Cherry attended the

Ringling School of Art and Design Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) is a Private college, private art school, art and design school in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded by Ludd M. Spivey as an art school in 1931 as a remote branch of Florida Southern College, Southern Coll ...

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

. He was the executive vice president and co-namesake of the Nashville-based Carden and Cherry advertising agency, for which the "Ernest" character was developed. He based the character on a man who worked for his father, about whom Cherry said, that he thought he knew everything but did not know anything. Ernest was portrayed for 15 years by

, who at the time of the character's debut was an up-and-coming stand-up comic; after a string of successful commercials and sketches, Cherry directed a television series ('' Hey, Vern! It's Ernest'') and several movies. Cherry made three

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

s in his own films: in ''

Slam Dunk Ernest ''Slam Dunk Ernest'' is a 1995 American direct-to-video sports comedy film, and the eighth full-length feature film starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. It was released direct-to-video, and was directed by long-time Ernest collaborator J ...

'' as a basketball spectator, ''

Ernest Goes to Africa ''Ernest Goes to Africa'' is a 1997 American direct to video comedy film written and directed by John Cherry. It stars Jim Varney, and is the ninth film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell. In this film, Deacon County, Ohio resident E ...

'' as a customer, and in ''

Ernest in the Army ''Ernest in the Army'' is a 1998 American direct-to-video comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the tenth and final film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell before Varney's death in February 2000. In this ...

'' as Sergeant Ben Kovsky. In addition to Varney, Cherry also introduced the comic duo of Chuck and Bobby (

Gailard Sartain Gailard Sartain (born September 18, 1946) is an American retired actor, often playing characters with roots in the South. He was a regular on the country music variety series ''Hee Haw''. He is also known for his roles in three of the Ernest mo ...

and

Bill Byrge Bill Byrge (born July 16, 1932) is an American character actor and comedian, best known for his work as Bobby in various Ernest P. Worrell projects. Career In 1986, Byrge began appearing alongside longtime co-star Gailard Sartain in a series o ...

respectively), who were integrated into the Ernest films as supporting characters. Cherry retired the Ernest character after Varney's declining health made it impossible for him to continue in the role (Varney died in 2000). He directed two other films without Ernest: '' For Love or Mummy'', a collaboration with

Larry Harmon Lawrence Weiss (January 2, 1925 – July 3, 2008), better known by the stage name Larry Harmon and as his alter ego Bozo the Clown, was an American entertainer.Dennis McLellanLarry Harmon, 83; entrepreneur made Bozo the Clown a star ''Los ...

that sought to reintroduce the long-deceased

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

comic team with new actors (with Hardy portrayed by Sartain); and ''

Pirates of the Plain ''Pirates of the Plain'' is a 1999 independent family adventure film, directed and written by John R. Cherry III, and starring Tim Curry and Seth Adkins. ''Pirates of the Plain'' details the adventure of Jezebel Jack (Tim Curry), a pirate that i ...

'', for which Cherry had intended to include Varney but could not.

Personal life

Cherry had three children from two marriages. His son Josh appeared in ''Ernest in the Army'' as Corporal Davis. Cherry was a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Death

Cherry died from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

on May 8, 2022, aged 73.

Director

* 1983 ''

Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album ''Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album'' is an anthology of comedic short subjects directed by John R. Cherry III, and released direct-to-video in 1983. It was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee. As a whole, it is the first film to feature th ...

'' * 1985 ''

Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam ''Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam'' is a 1985 American science fiction comedy film starring Jim Varney. It was written and directed by John R. Cherry III, John Cherry. It is the first film to feature the Ernest P. Worrell character. How ...

'' * 1986 ''The Ernest Film Festival'' (video) * 1987 ''

Ernest Goes to Camp ''Ernest Goes to Camp'' is a 1987 American comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the second film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell and was shot at Montgomery Bell State Park. It was also the first "Ernes ...

'' * 1987 ''Hey, Vern, Win $10,000'' (video) * 1988 ''

Ernest Saves Christmas ''Ernest Saves Christmas'' is a 1988 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. This is the third film to feature Varney's character Ernest P. Worrell, and chronicles Ernest's attempt to help find a replaceme ...

'' * 1990 ''

Ernest Goes to Jail ''Ernest Goes to Jail'' is a 1990 American comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the fourth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell. It was shot in Nashville and Tennessee State Prison. Plot Ernest P. Worr ...

'' * 1991 ''

Ernest Scared Stupid ''Ernest Scared Stupid'' is a 1991 American comedy horror film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. It is the fifth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell. In the film, Ernest unwittingly unleashes an evil troll upon a smal ...

'' * 1993 ''

Ernest Rides Again ''Ernest Rides Again'' is a 1993 American comedy film written and directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. The sixth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, the fifth in the ''Ernest'' series. The plot follows Ernest and a hist ...

'' * 1995 ''

'' * 1997 ''

'' * 1998 ''

'' * 1999 '' The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy'' * 1999 ''

'' * 2009 ''Stake Out'' (video short) * 2009 ''Denton Wants His Mummy'' (video short) * 2009 ''Denton Rose Paranormal Levitation Trick'' (video short) * 2011 ''Denton Rose's Shorts'' (video)

Actor

* 1997 ''

'' as Customer * 1998 ''

'' as Sergeant Ben Kovsky

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry, John R., III 1948 births 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American screenwriters American male screenwriters Deaths from Parkinson's disease Film directors from Tennessee Film producers from Tennessee People from Franklin, Tennessee American Christians Screenwriters from Tennessee Writers from Nashville, Tennessee 2022 deaths