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Bill Byrge, a mainstay of the Ernest movies who played the lovably quirky and virtually mute character of Bobby, has died. He was 86.

As Bobby, Bill Byrge was most memorable alongside Gailard Sartain’s Chuck, who put himself in the position of leader of the duo even though both were hilariously inept. Byrge really got his start with Sartain in ads, working for the Nashville-based company who was also producing the Ernest P. Worrell series of commercials.

With that, Bill Byrge got his first onscreen credit in Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam. But it would be Ernest Saves Christmas that he and Sartain broke out as the oddball brothers Bobby and Chuck, who have the duty of interpreting packages that contain helper elves (or is it elmes?). Outside of the short-lived series Hey Vern, It’s Ernest!, their other most notable pairing together was in Ernest Goes to Jail...

Bill Byrge, who showed up as the quiet but feisty Bobby on a kids TV show and in four of the goofy Ernest comedies that starred Jim Varney, has died. He was 86.

Byrge died Thursday in the Nashville area, according to a Facebook post from his friend John Ward, host of the web series The Appalachian Channel.

The rubber-faced Varney made his debut as Ernest P. Worrell, a dim-witted Southerner with an unseen neighbor named Vern, in local commercials for a Nashville advertising agency starting in 1980.

Byrge appeared as a gas station attendant when Varney portrayed Ernest and other characters in the horror spoof Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1985), and on the 1988 Saturday morning CBS kids show Hey, Vern, It’s Ernest!, he was Bobby alongside Gailard Sartain as Chuck in a brother shtick.

Byrge returned with Sartain as airport workers in Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) and as...

Bill Byrge, an actor who appeared in many of the “Ernest” comedy films as “Bobby,” died on Thursday at the age of 92 in Nashville, Tenn.

Byrge’s cousin, Sharon Chapman, confirmed his death in a Facebook post.

“My cousin, Bill Byrge, passed away in the Nashville area today at 12pm. He was a beautiful soul who made people laugh without even trying. He was the ‘Bobby’ character in several Ernest movies with Jim Varney. I always teased him of being a ‘star’ in our family. He deserved it as raised poor, but his momma taught him love, respect, and faith which he showed to everyone,” Chapman wrote.

“Heaven gained a sweet soul today. Love you, Billy. See you soon!” Chapman added.

Byrge was born in Tennessee in 1932. He started out working at the Metro Nashville Public Library prior to pursuing a film career. In 1985, he portrayed a gas station attendant...

Bill Byrge, a comedian and actor known for his appearances alongside Jim Varney in various “Ernest” projects, has died at the age of 92. Byrge’s cousin Sharon Chapman confirmed the news on Facebook.

“He was a beautiful soul who made people laugh without even trying. He was the ‘Bobby’ character in several ‘Ernest’ movies with Jim Varney. I always teased him of being a ‘star’ in our family,” she shared on Thursday. “He deserved it as raised poor, but his momma taught him love, respect and faith, which he showed to everyone. Heaven gained a sweet soul today.”

Byrge was born in Campbell County, Tennessee, in 1932. He first appeared in “Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam,” the very first “Ernest” movie, starring Varney and directed by their longtime collaborator John Cherry. Byrge appeared as a gas station attendant.

In 1986, he starred in a series of commercials with...

The 9 Ernest movies showcase growth and humor, blending slapstick comedy with heartfelt storytelling for all ages. Ernest's chronological order of release aligns with story progression, offering insight into character evolution & franchise development. Follow Ernest's journey from camp counselor to army enlistee, exploring themes of adventure, education, sports, and teamwork.

With nine films in the franchise, understanding the Ernest movies in order can be difficult. The Ernest movie franchise is an iconic collection of comedy movies that center around the lovable and bumbling character Ernest P. Worrell, portrayed by the late Jim Varney. Ernest's character is a janitor by trade, but he finds himself in a variety of professions and adventures, each bringing its own set of challenges and comedic scenarios. The franchise's success lies in its ability to blend slapstick comedy with a wholesome storyline, making it appealing to both children and adults alike.

Ernest P. Worrell started as a...

The creation of Ernest P. Worrell, played by actor/comedian Jim Varney, was novel for an advertising-saturated age. The idea was that the character's creators -- John R. Cherry III, his business partner Jerry Carden, and Varney -- would farm out their pre-made mascot to whatever product or service that might want him, and Ernest would hawk their wares. He wasn't invented for any one particular business. He was invented to be a pitchman-for-hire, and the Ernest ads all followed a similar format, making the commercial spots low-budget and instantly universal. Ernest was hired by the Coca-Cola Company to sell Sprite, but would also appear in ads for local businesses like the Cerrito Auto Square. Ernest was very, very popular.

Eventually, the Ernest ads became so huge and ubiquitous that the character began to bleed over into feature films and TV shows. Ernest was a media personality writ large, living...

Jason's terror reign is as over as quickly as it started. 

Bailey got her life back, and they managed to put her future ex-husband behind bars on The Rookie Season 4 Episode 11. The hour also had a Castle alum guest-star, minus an actual reunion. 

And to shake things up, we learned that Harper is pregnant. 

The story arc with Bailey's husband concluded with him getting sent to prison for eight years, and after a few hiccups, everything is wrapped up in a neat bow. 

The momentum and intrigue of The Rookie Season 4 Episode 10 petered out during this installment as the hour rushed through the resolution of an issue that should've taken far longer to settle.

Harper: I'm pregnant.

James: I can't tell if you're joking.

Harper: I'm not. I just found out.

Permalink: I can't tell if you're joking. Added: January 09, 2022

At the top of the hour, they attempted to find...

Whether you wanted to or not, you probably learned a lot of people’s seven favorite films yesterday. #fav7films was the hashtag du jour, presumably because a standard top 10 would have been more likely to go over Twitter’s 140-character limit, and among the many civvies chiming in were a number of actors and filmmakers. Here, for your perusing pleasure, is a sampling of their favorites.

Read More: Emmy Nominees React To Snubs And Surprises On Twitter

#fav7films

(I can’t resist)

24 hr Party People

The Man Who Would Be King

Diner

Sound of Music

Office Space

Kung Fu Hustle

La Dolce Vita

— Adam McKay (@GhostPanther) August 16, 2016

#fav7films Jesus’s son. Shortcuts. Royal tenenbaums. Best in show. City of God. Personal Velocity. The big Lebowski.

— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) August 16, 2016

#fav7films

Singin’ in the Rain

Squid and the Whale

Broadcast News

Hannah and Her Sisters

Bob & Carol...

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From Thomas F Wilson in Back To The Future to Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in Face/Off - when actors play multiple roles...

The dramatic use of actors playing multiple characters is a bold and rather theatrical device that has its ups and downs. It goes at least as far back as Captain Hook being played by the same actor who plays the Darling children's father in stage productions of Peter Pan, a technique largely adopted in film adaptations of the story, too (hello to Jason Isaacs).

It's used a lot in cinema too. Done well, it's impressive, but when it's bad, it's Jack & Jill. Whether used in comedy or drama or outright horror, there are countless examples of actors delivering terrific performances in more than one role at once, and that's before we even get past Cloud Atlas. Still, we've had a go at totting up 25 of the best.

Welcome to Screen Rant’s “Geek Picks,” where we collect the finest movie-related geekery from around the Web. Today you’ll find a trailer mashup of Ernest Goes to Jail and The Shawshank Redemption; Mark Wahlberg as Iron Man; Lego Batman’s Reaction to Ben Affleck’s Casting; Hit Girl’s detachable sword; and a Street Fighter documentary. All that and more on this edition of Sr’s Geek Picks!

To kick things off today, BuzzFeed asks: Which Breaking Bad Character Are You?

If you have any Geek Picks of your own, please send them to srgeekpicks(at)gmail(dot)com and you could be featured in a future post!

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Iron Man: A Film by Mark Wahlberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eho3XkfrsJM

When Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman the Internet was pissed. But when Mark Wahlberg announced he wanted to take over Iron Man nobody noticed.

Do you remember the Ernest movies? If not, you likely weren't a child of the Eighties. I have vivid memories of watching Ernest Goes To Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest Goes To Jail, and even Ernest Scared Stupid. These are not Oscar movies in any way, but they are stupid fun, especially for the kid in you. Ernest P. Worrell was played by the late Jim Varney who originated the role in regional commercials, national ads, and eventually a television show and movies. Ernest was a...

So, it looks like there's going to be another Ernest movie. Yes, that Ernest. The one from Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, Ernest Rides Again, and a handful of direct-to-video releases. "Didn't Jim Varney, the man who played Ernest, die?" you are perhaps wondering. Yes, he did die, in 2000. That's why this new movie is Son of Ernest, which, according to Variety, will focus on the character's long-lost offspring. Just to be really clear, people are making a new Ernest movie.

In the doldrums of August, it’s slim pickings for new DVDs and Blu-rays, as well as decent films in the theaters. Sure, we could give you a drinking game for Jodie Foster’s famous flop The Beaver, but that’s likely to put you in a depression in which you can only communicate with a hand puppet. Luckily, some true cinema classics are getting a new release. Jim Varney’s films Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Goes to Jail and Ernest Scared Stupid are getting their first Blu-ray release, and we invite you to toast with a glass of authentic Bulgarian miak. And now, to cover our butts… This game is only for people over the age of 21. Please drink responsibly, and don’t start monologuing to Vern, knowhutImean? Take A Drink When… Ernest falls down Ernest starts monologuing Someone yells or screams Someone gets hit in the face Take A Drink When You See… Fire...

Rank the week of August 23rd’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Blitz

(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #9439

Win Percentage: 51%

Times Ranked: 215

Top-20 Rankings: 5

Directed By: Elliott Lester

Starring: Jason Statham • Paddy Considine • Aidan Gillen • Zawe Ashton • David Morrissey

Genres: Crime • Crime Thriller • Police Detective Film • Thriller

Rank This Movie

The Beaver

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #5199

Win Percentage: 52%

Times Ranked: 858

Top-20 Rankings: 6

Directed By: Jodie Foster

Starring: Mel Gibson • Jodie Foster • Anton Yelchin • Jennifer Lawrence • Zachary Booth

Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Psychological Drama

Rank This Movie

Win Win

(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #2107

Win Percentage: 61%

Times Ranked: 2455

Top-20 Rankings: 6

Directed By: Thomas McCarthy

Starring: Paul Giamatti • Amy Ryan • Bobby Cannavale • Jeffrey Tambor • Burt Young

Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Sports Comedy • Sports Drama

Rank This Movie

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #5643

Win Percentage: 49%

Times Ranked: 725

Top-20 Rankings:...

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"Meskada" (2010)

Directed by Josh Sternfeld

Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment

When this thriller premiered at Tribeca this past spring, Alison Willmore wrote, "the second film from writer/director Josh Sternfeld ("Winter Solstice") has ambitions reaching beyond being a straightforward police procedural," though critics, including her, were mixed about the end result. Nick Stahl and Rachel Nichols star as small-town sleuths who investigate a botched home invasion case that claims the life of a young child in an affluent community and enflames class divisions when the main suspects are from the poorer community nearby. Grace Gummer, Meryl Streep's second daughter to go into the family profession, makes her film debut.

"Anywhere USA" (2008)

Directed by Chusy Haney-Jardine

Released by Cinevolve Studios

Winner of a Spirit of Independence prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Chusy Haney-Jardine's collection of three comic vignettes involves a...

Your Weekly Source for Blu-Ray and DVD Release News Blu-Ray for Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer (2010) Alien 2 On Earth: Midnight Legacy Collection (1980) Double Feature: Alpha Dog/Assault On Precinct 13 20th Century Fox’s animated Anastasia (1997) Asylum’s Battle Of Los Angeles (2011) Because Of Winn-dixie (2005) Beyond The Darkness: Buio Omega (1979) Devolved (2010) Eddie Murphy is Dr. Doolittle (1998) The End Of Poverty? (2008) Double Feature: Ernest Goes To Camp/Ernest Goes To Jail Cartoon Network’s CGI Feature Firebreather (2010) Tim McGraw in Flicka (2006) Football Double Feature: Friday Night Lights/The Express

Sci-Fi Double Feature: Galaxina/Crater Lake Monster Double Feature: Garfield 1 & 2 Happiness Is A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011) How Do You Know (2010) Jet Li Double Feature: Fearless/Unleashed Buster Keaton’s Our Hospitality: Ultimate Edition (1923) Harrison Ford in Random Hearts (1999) Riddick Collection: Pitch Black/Chronicles Of Riddick (Unrated Director’s Cuts) 20th Century Fox’s Robots (2005) The Sandlot (1993) Scary Movie 4...

Many film connoisseurs are well aware of the prestigious Criterion Collection, an assortment of cinema's finest and most influential films from prominent filmmakers around the world. While there's always some dissension amongst fans regarding what films deserve the honor being included in the collection (especially Michael Bay's Armageddon, a film that is actually in the collection), there are plenty that will almost never, ever be considered for the prestigious series. Well, a Tumblr called Fake Criterions takes "classic" films like Ghost Dad and Ernest Goes to Jail and imagines what the Criterion DVD cover art might look like. These are just a few of our favorites, and there's more great work featuring The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift and It's Pat: The Movie over at Fake Criterions Tumblr page as well. This venture looks to be a fairly recent creation that only goes back as far as November...

If you’re like me, you want your visual comedy to make fun of everybody. A shotgun blast that sprays all involved in a certain undertaking with at least a few pellets that will sting later. From the filmmakers, to the films, to the audience, to Criterion itself (and its high falutin’ collection), that’s exactly what this new Tumblr blog Fake Criterions achieves. Plus, the photoshop ain’t half bad. The art is pitch-perfect in showcasing the Criterion cover design style. Plus, there are some great cinematic gems here that seem to have been overlooked by Criterion. When will we finally see Ernest Goes to Jail get the deluxe disc treatment it deserves? When, Criterion, when? Check out some of our favorite fake Criterion DVD covers: Fingers crossed for a Criterion of Zeus and Roxanne. What do you think?...

The Criterion Collection does an amazing job releasing important foreign and art house films on DVD, from the plethora of bonus features they include to the immediately recognizable and very classy art that graces the covers. The only problem? As prolific as they are, there are still always a number of movies still waiting to get the Criterion treatment. But a new blog is here to rectify that. "Fake Criterions" boasts a growing collection of fan-made Criterion cover art for classics that the company has yet to release. You know, classics like Ghost Dad, Soul Man and Ernest Goes to Jail...

With the E*Trade babies headed for the big screen, it's surely only a matter of time before the singing car insurance middle man gets a bigger vehicle. What other 30 seconds have you wished were an hour and a half longer?

The worst thing, obviously, about television commercials is their brevity. Sure, the webuyanycar.com advert is fun, but just imagine how incredible it'd be if it was extended into a feature-length version. Two hours of that jingle, repeated relentlessly over and over like some sort of dotcom-era Clockwork Orange rehabilitation video. It would be a stone-cold sensation. Watch out, Avatar.

Fortunately, 20th Century Fox has picked up on the public's desire to see unnecessarily long television commercials, which is why it has just hired a writer to pen a screenplay based on the E*Trade baby advertising campaign. If you're unfamiliar with the E*Trade babies, they're basically some...

If you watch a lot of television, particularly if you can't find your DVR remote, you're bound to see a lot of commercials, and in those commercials over a period of time, you're also likely to see some of the same actors rotate through different commercials for different products. (There was an interesting article on this phenomenon a few years ago on Slate, which I can't seem to find.) More often than not, you have no idea what that actor's name is, at least until you see him or her on a television show or up on the big screen, at which point you exclaim, "Hey! That's the guy from that commercial."

Today's Seriously Random List explores the always under-appreciated "guy from that commercial." It's not about famous actors who appeared in commercials before they were stars, or even current celebrities, like Sam Waterston, who are inextricably linked to a certain product.

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! Now that I've done my job for the year and brought all of you selfish jerks the presents you requested (except for you Johnny W. We all saw what you did to your sister while she was asleep. Shame on you. Especially for not recording it.) I have one more gift I'd like to slide under your tree before I leave to go sit in my house and listen to Mrs. Claus gripe and complain about not going anywhere sunny for another 12 months.Look woman, I've told you a million times that I have 500 Elves I have to look after. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep the morale up all year for these little morons? If I leave for a two week trip to the Bahamas, the place is going to be a mess of toy parts, blood and more than likely,...

For this week's final Halloween movies list, I decided to turn hit up the real superstars: my co-workers here in the MTV Newsroom who keep this great ship moving every damn day. After the jump you'll find recommendations and reminiscences from around the office. If you're game for some heavy reading, make sure to check out the last write-up, detailing Joel Hanek's pick: "Ernest Scared Stupid." Oh yes, he went there.

As for myself (MTV Movies Blog editor Adam Rosenberg), it's a toss-up. To this day I still have occasional nightmares relating to "Candyman," the Bernard Rose-directed, Virginia Madsen-starring horror flick based on a tale by novelist Clive Barker. There's something uniquely terrifying about the Candyman's ability to attack at any time, day or night. When horror can touch you even in the relative safety of sunlight, that's something to fear.

The other one that still gets me,...