Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his stage name Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, singer and radio personality, with a career spanning over 30 years.[3]
| Larry the Cable Guy | |
|---|---|
 Whitney in 2007 | |
| Birth name | Daniel Lawrence Whitney |
| Born | February 17, 1963 Pawnee City, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film, radio, books |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Genres | Character comedy, blue comedy, insult comedy, observational comedy, political satire |
| Subject(s) | Culture of the Southern United States, American politics, obesity, human sexuality, political correctness, self-deprecation, family, personal hygiene, current events |
| Spouse | Cara Whitney ( m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Notable works and roles |
|
| Website | larrythecableguy |
He was one of the members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which included Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Jeff Foxworthy (with whom he has starred on Blue Collar TV).
Larry the Cable Guy has released seven comedy albums, of which three have been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies and in addition has starred in three Blue Collar Comedy Tour–related films, as well as in Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Delta Farce, and Witless Protection, as well as voicing Mater in the Cars franchise. Whitney's catchphrase "Git-R-Done!" is also the title of his book.
On January 26, 2010, the TV channel History announced that it was ordering a series starring Whitney called Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, in which he would explore the country and immerse himself in different lifestyles, jobs, and hobbies.[4] The first episode of the series aired on February 8, 2011.[5] The series finale aired August 28, 2013.
Early life
Whitney was born in Pawnee City, Nebraska on February 17, 1963, where he was raised on a pig farm.[6] He is the son of Tom Whitney – a guitarist, entertainer, and Christian minister – and Shirley Whitney.[7] Whitney attended high school at The King's Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the late 1970s through 1980[8][9][10] where his father was The King's Academy's elementary school principal.[11]
Whitney graduated from Berean Christian School in West Palm Beach in 1982.[12] He went to college at Baptist University of America in Georgia, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He majored in drama and speech. He credits his roommates from Texas and Georgia for inspiring his Southern accent impression.[13] He dropped out after his junior year after trying his hand at comedy.[13]
Career
Radio career
Whitney started his career in radio in the early 1990s when he made regular radio appearances on the nationally syndicated program, The Ron and Ron Show, as well as other radio shows such as "The Bob and Tom show" The Chris Baker Show on KDGE and KEZO's The Todd and Tyler Show in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the Kirk, Mark, and Lopez morning show on WIYY in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a frequent guest on The Johnny Dare Morning Show on 98.9/KQRC, Kansas City.
He also appeared on WJRR in Orlando, Florida. He was brought to New England on Greg and the Morning Buzz on WHEB 100.3 and WGIR-FM 101.1 in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, respectively, doing two commentaries a week.
Stand-up career
Initially performing stand-up under his real name with limited success, he became famous after developing the Cable Guy character, a personality that he now maintains throughout his stage act. The Cable Guy character has a stereotypical redneck appearance and a thick Southern accent, recounts stories about his "family", and uses, among other common expressions, his own catchphrase "Git-R-Done!".
He says in interviews and in his autobiographical book GIT-R-DONE that he deliberately "turns on" the accent both on and off stage, because he may forget it if he kept his normal accent intact.[14] He uses catchphrase humor, including "Lord, I apologize, and be with the starvin' Pygmies in New Guinea. Amen" after telling jokes of questionable taste; and, "I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there" after jokes that evoke raucous laughter.
His first two comedy albums, Lord, I Apologize (2001) and The Right to Bare Arms (2005), have both been certified gold by the RIAA. A third album, Morning Constitutions, and its accompanying TV special were released in 2007.
Other work
Whitney was roasted in a Comedy Central special on March 15, 2009.[15]
On February 8, 2011, the première of his newest travelogue series, Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, was broadcast on the History Channel. A total of 4.1 million viewers, 1.7 million adults 25–54, tuned in, nearly doubling the total for the "Top Shot" season 2 opener.[16] During season two in the episode "Larry Goes To Washington", Whitney was the first on-air talent from a non-news crew allowed in the War Room, also known as the Command Center, as he explained during the program.
In June 2012, Disneyland's California Adventure theme park's "Cars Land" features a ride called "Mater's Junkyard Jamboree" that features Whitney's voice as his character Mater from the Disney/Pixar Cars movies.[17]
Bektrom Foods of North Dakota developed a line of Larry the Cable Guy food products, such as boxed hamburger dinners, with some of the proceeds from its sales benefiting the "Git-R-Done Foundation".[18][19]
Personal life
Whitney resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, on an 180 acre (73 ha) farm. In 2005, he married his wife, Cara. They have a son and a daughter.[20] His hometown of Pawnee City, Nebraska has a street named after him. Whitney also donated money to buy new theatrical equipment for the local high school.[21]
Whitney is an avid Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan. His signature camouflage hat has the University of Nebraska–Lincoln nickname "HUSKERS" emblazoned on it, as seen in the 2007 film Delta Farce. He is also frequently seen with a gold Nebraska "N" on a chain around his neck. On October 1, 2016, in his luxury suite at Memorial Stadium during the Nebraska vs. Illinois football game, Whitney was challenged to an arm wrestling match by an Army veteran and Nebraska Army National Guard member, John O'Connell, who lost the match in less than one minute with his arm (humerus) broken by Whitney.[22][23][24]
Whitney is also an avid REO Speedwagon fan. In 2013, he appeared with the group, including a benefit concert in Bloomington, Illinois for tornado disaster relief.[25]
In September 2010, Whitney donated $5 million to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida. The gift was for further development of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute at the Orlando hospital. After Dr. Chad Price at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children helped cure their son, Wyatt, of his dysplasia when he was an infant, Whitney and his wife, Cara, made private donations to the hospital and Whitney raised money through appearances on Family Feud and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.
The hospital opened a new wing called the Wyatt Whitney Wing in May 2012.[26]
Whitney is a close friend of contemporary comedian Lewis Black, despite their dissimilar political views, background, and comedic material.[27]
Radio shows
Whitney formerly worked as a radio personality on Blue Collar Radio on Sirius XM Radio.
Discography
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock 100 Diz Presents: Larry the Cable Guy | US Comedy | US Country | US | ||
| Law and Disorder[28] |
|
— | — | — | |
| Salutations and Flatulations[29] |
|
— | — | — | |
| Lord, I Apologize |
|
1 | 53 | — |
|
| A Very Larry Christmas |
|
1 | 8 | 43 |
|
| The Right to Bare Arms |
|
1 | 1 | 7 |
|
| Morning Constitutions |
|
1 | 5 | 16 | |
| Christmastime in Larryland |
|
1 | 12 | 42 | |
| Christmas Time In Larray land (Original Release on DJT)A |
|
7 | 50 | — | |
| Tailgate Party |
|
1 | 19 | 71 | |
| The Best of Larry the Cable Guy |
|
4 | 72 | — | |
| Them Idiots: Whirled Tour (with Bill Engvall and Jeff Foxworthy) |
|
1 | 45 | — | |
| We've Been Thinking (with Jeff Foxworthy) |
|
— | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
1994 – Rock 100 Diz Presents
1998 – A Very Larry Christmas (Original Version) (DJT Records)
- A Box set consisting of The Right to Bare Arms, Christmastime in Larryland, and Morning Constitutions.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie | Larry | Documentary |
| 2004 | Larry the Cable Guy: Git-R-Done | TV movie | |
| Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again | TV documentary | ||
| 2006 | Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector | Himself | |
| Cars | Mater | Voice | |
| Mater and the Ghostlight | Voice; Short film | ||
| Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | Himself | TV movie | |
| 2007 | Delta Farce | Larry | |
| 2008 | Witless Protection | Deputy Larry Stalder | |
| 2009 | The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy | Himself | |
| Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau | TV movie | ||
| 2010 | Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party | ||
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Mater | Voice |
| 2012 | Them Idiots: Whirled Tour | ||
| Tooth Fairy 2 | Larry Guthrie | ||
| 2013 | A Madea Christmas | Buddy | |
| 2014 | Jingle All the Way 2 | Larry Phillips | Direct-to-video |
| CMT Artists of the Year | Host | ||
| 2016 | Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking | Himself | Documentary |
| 2017 | Cars 3 | Mater | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–06 | Blue Collar TV | Cast member | |
| 2008–12 | Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales | Mater | Voice; 11 episodes |
| 2009 | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? | Himself | Episode: "3.13" |
| 2011–13 | Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy | Host | |
| 2013 | Bounty Hunters | Larry | |
| 2013–14 | Cars Toons: Tales From Radiator Springs | Mater | Voice; 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Larry the Cable Guy: Morning Constitutions | TV movie |
| Larry the Cable Guy's Christmas Spectacular | ||
| 2008 | Larry the Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza | TV special |
| 2009 | The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy | TV documentary |
| Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau | TV movie | |
| 2010 | Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party | |
| 2013 | Bounty Hunters | TV series; 8 episodes |
| 2011–13 | Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy | 50 episodes |
| 2016 | Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking | TV documentary |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Cars | Mater |
| Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures | ||
| 2007 | Cars Mater-National Championship | |
| 2009 | Cars Race-O-Rama | |
| 2010–12 | The World of Cars Online | |
| 2011 | Cars 2 | |
| 2012 | Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure | |
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | |
| 2014 | Cars: Fast as Lightning | |
| Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes | ||
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | |
Theme park attractions
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012–present | Radiator Springs Racers | Mater |
| Mater's Junkyard Jamboree | ||
| 2019–present | Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Raspberry Awards | |||||
| 2007 | Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector | Worst Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Witless Protection | Worst Actor | Nominated | ||
| Worst Screen Couple (with Jenny McCarthy) | Nominated | ||||
| 2014 | A Madea Christmas | Worst Screen Combo (with Tyler Perry) | Nominated | ||
| Worst Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Grammy Award | |||||
| 2006 | The Right to Bare Arms | Best Comedy Album | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road | Nominated | |||
| Visual Effects Society | |||||
| 2007 | Cars | Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture | Won | ||
References
- "Larry the Cable Guy gives $5 million to hospital". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- "Cara Whitney Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- "Larry the Cable Guy". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- "History orders Larry the Cable Guy series". Reuters. January 26, 2010.
- "Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy – episodes". History Channel.
- "Larry The Cable Guy Biography". Cmt.com. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- "For Pig Farmer-Turned Superstar, Life is All About Faith, Family and Football - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Huskers.com. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- "5 Reasons to See Larry the Cable Guy at the Kravis". Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- "The King's Academy 1980 Yearbook, page 59" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- "The King's Academy 1979 Yearbook, page 63" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- "The King's Academy 1980 Yearbook, page 23" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- "Larry the Cable Guy brings football back to alma mater". Ireport.cnnc.om. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- William Booth (September 5, 2004). "Guffaw Guys". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- An Interview with Larry the Cable Guy, Dead-Frog.com, June 15, 2005
- "Comedy Central To Rip More Than Flannel Sleeves – Network To Roast Larry The Cable Guy". Comedycentral.com. May 26, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- ‘Only In America with Larry the Cable Guy’ Premieres to 4.1 Million Viewers; 'Top Shot' S2 Premieres to 2.8 Million. Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com (February 9, 2011). Retrieved on July 23, 2012.
- Mater's Junkyard Jamboree Archived May 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Disneyland.disney.go.com. Retrieved on July 23, 2012.
- "Bektrom Foods, Inc.: Larry the Cable Guy". Bektrom Foods, Inc. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
- Hatt, Elizabeth Louise (January 4, 2012). "Store Brands Stay Strong". Grocery Headquarters. New York City. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
- "Larry the Cable Guy and family at home". Parents. People. Meredith Corporation. March 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- Jeff Korbelik / Gzo (July 3, 2009). "Larry the Cable Guy still has hometown pride". Journalstar.com. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- Ernst, Douglas (October 7, 2016). "Larry the Cable Guy breaks Army vet's humerus while arm wrestling: 'I'm retiring from arm wrestling after this'". Washington Times. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- Huff, Steve (October 8, 2016). "Arm-Wrestling Larry the Cable Guy". Maxim. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- Matteson, Cory (March 30, 2017). "Larry the Cable Guy recounts arm wrestling that went awry". Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- Taylor, Gary. (September 26, 2010) Larry the Cable Guy gives , million to hospital – Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved on July 23, 2012.
- Ullman, Ethan (March 24, 2010). "Interview with comedian Lewis Black - Albany Student Press - University of Albany". Albany Student Press. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014.
- "Law and Disorder". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
- "Salutations and Flatulations". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
- "American album certifications – Larry the Cable Guy – The Right to Bare Arms". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
External links
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