Jim Varney

James Albert Varney Jr. (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his Emmy Award winning comedic role as Ernest P. Worrell, originating in a series of television commercial advertising campaigns, and later growing into a film and television franchise. He played Jed Clampett in the 1993 The Beverly Hillbillies film adaptation, and also covered a song for the film titled "Hot Rod Lincoln". He voiced Slinky Dog in the first two films of the Toy Story franchise (1995–1999). He died of lung cancer on February 10, 2000, leaving two posthumous releases, Daddy and Them and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.