Drew Carey biography

His persistence paid off, and in 1991 he bolstered his career with a celebrity-making appearance on The Tonight Show. The audience loved Carey, and his performance earned the respect of host Johnny Carson.

The Drew Carey Show

After multiple cable specials and a few small film and television roles, ABC gave Carey his shot at an eponymous sitcom. He was cast as the average, amiable, assistant director of personnel at a department store in Cleveland, Ohio. Filled with everyman humor, a likable ensemble cast, and several forays into musical theater, The Drew Carey Show debuted in 1995. By its second season, it was a ratings favorite.

In 1997, Carey published his autobiography, Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined. The book gave the public a glimpse of Carey's hard-partying, adult-entertainment-enjoying side. Carey's already-adoring public embraced the flaws. The book became a New York Times best-seller list mainstay, and helped establish Carey's bad-boy persona.

The following year, Carey began hosting the American version of the wildly popular British improv show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which featured comedic luminaries like Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady. Carey took members of this talented collective on the road in 2001, billing the group as "The Improv All Stars." In addition to these cabaret performances, his hosting duties, and multiple big-screen appearances, Carey was chosen as the host for the 2002 White House Correspondents Dinner, a prestigious and much-envied post.

When The Drew Carey Show wrapped in 2004, and Carey's tenure with Whose Line Is It Anyway? ended in 2006, the comedian took time to develop a passion for sports photography—specifically, soccer. He didn't stray far from the small screen, however. In 2007, he was tapped to helm the CBS game show, The Power of 10, and handpicked to replace Bob Barker as the host of the long-running The Price is Right. That same year, he proposed to his girlfriend, culinary-school graduate Nicole Jaracz.

In recent years, Carey has become even more outspoken in his Libertarian views. An active supporter of personal freedoms, including gun rights and the legalization of medical marijuana, Carey is slated to star in multiple videos for the Reason Foundation, a like-minded non-profit group.

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