Career Timeline of Drew Carey: Major Achievements and Milestones

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Drew Carey

Discover the career path of Drew Carey, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Drew Carey is an American comedian, actor, and game show host, notable for his stand-up comedy, starring in his sitcom *The Drew Carey Show*, and hosting *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before his entertainment career. Currently, he hosts *The Price Is Right* since 2007, showcasing his continued presence in television. He has also appeared in various films, television series and other media, solidifying his status as a versatile entertainer.

1983: Move to Las Vegas and Employment

In 1983, Drew Carey moved to Las Vegas and briefly worked as a bank teller and a waiter at Denny's.

1985: Start of Comedy Career

In 1985, Drew Carey started his comedy career by studying joke writing from library books.

1988: National Exposure on Star Search

In 1988, Drew Carey gained his first national exposure by competing in Star Search.

November 1991: Appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

In November 1991, Drew Carey appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, receiving the rare honor of sitting on the couch next to Carson.

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1993: Role in Coneheads

In 1993, Drew Carey had a small role as a taxi passenger in the film Coneheads.

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1994: Co-Starring in The Good Life

In 1994, Drew Carey co-starred with John Caponera in The Good Life, a short-lived sitcom on NBC.

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1994: Drew Carey: Human Cartoon

In 1994, Drew Carey wrote his stand-up comedy special, Drew Carey: Human Cartoon, which aired on Showtime and won a CableACE Award for Best Writing.

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September 13, 1995: Premiere of The Drew Carey Show

On September 13, 1995, The Drew Carey Show, a sitcom revolving around a fictionalized version of Drew Carey, premiered on ABC.

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1997: Published Autobiography

In 1997, Drew Carey published his autobiography, Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined, where he shared his childhood memories, his father's death, his experiences with molestation and depression, and his suicide attempts. The book was featured on The New York Times bestseller list for three months.

Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined
Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined

1998: Hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway?

In 1998, Drew Carey began hosting the American version of the improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

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1999: Sounds Dangerous! Attraction Debuts

In 1999, Disney's Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios) debuted the 12-minute attraction Sounds Dangerous!, starring Drew Carey.

1999: Cameo in "It's All About the Pentiums" Music Video

In 1999, Drew Carey made a cameo appearance in "Weird Al" Yankovic's music video for "It's All About the Pentiums".

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1999: Participated in Browns Pregame Ceremonies

In 1999, Drew Carey was part of the pregame ceremonies at the first game of the return of the Cleveland Browns, which was televised on ESPN.

May 2, 2000: Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Winner

On May 2, 2000, Drew Carey selected the Ohio Library Foundation to receive his $500,000 winnings on a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

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2000: Appearance in Geppetto

In 2000, Drew Carey appeared in the television film Geppetto, which debuted on The Wonderful World of Disney.

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2000: Cameo Appearance in The Sims: House Party

In 2000, Drew Carey made a cameo appearance in the House Party expansion pack of the computer game The Sims.

January 21, 2001: Entry in the Royal Rumble

On January 21, 2001, Drew Carey entered the Royal Rumble match as Vince McMahon's guest entrant.

2001: Entered WWE's Royal Rumble

In 2001, Drew Carey became the first television actor to enter the World Wrestling Federation's 30-man "Royal Rumble" match to promote an improv comedy pay-per-view. He bribed Kane but ultimately eliminated himself.

2002: Entertainment for White House Correspondents' Dinner

In 2002, Drew Carey provided the entertainment for the Annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.

September 2003: Comedy Tour of Iraq

In September 2003, Drew Carey led a group of comedians, including Blake Clark and Kathy Kinney, on a comedy tour of Iraq.

2003: Competed in World Poker Tour

In 2003, Drew Carey competed in the first celebrity edition of the World Poker Tour. He placed fifth, winning $2,000 for his charity.

2004: Drew Carey's Green Screen Show

In 2004, Drew Carey co-produced and starred in Drew Carey's Green Screen Show for the WB's prime time schedule.

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2004: Cameo in "Mexican Wine" Music Video

In 2004, Drew Carey made a cameo appearance in Fountains of Wayne's music video for "Mexican Wine".

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2005: Film Appearances in 2005

In 2005, Drew Carey appeared in three films: the animated film Robots, The Aristocrats, and the documentary Fuck.

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2005: Drew Carey's Green Screen Show picked up by Comedy Central

In 2005, Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, after being cancelled by WB, was picked up by Comedy Central.

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June 8, 2006: Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures Debuts

On June 8, 2006, Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures debuted on the Travel Channel, showcasing Carey's travels through Germany to photograph FIFA World Cup soccer games.

August 12, 2006: Threw First Pitch at Cleveland Game

On August 12, 2006, Drew Carey threw the first pitch at a Cleveland baseball game against the Kansas City Royals. He was honored with a personal bobblehead doll, which he compared to getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2006: Attended FIFA World Cup in Germany

In 2006, Drew Carey attended the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

2006: FIFA World Cup as Press Photographer

In the summer of 2006, Drew Carey attended the FIFA World Cup and worked as a press photographer for his television show, Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures. His images were sold via wire services under the pseudonym Brooks Parkenridge.

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June 2007: Donation Challenge for Mooch Myernick Fund

In June 2007, Drew Carey offered to donate up to $100,000 (in $10,000 increments) to the Mooch Myernick Memorial Fund if anyone could beat him at the video game FIFA Soccer 07 for the Xbox 360. He donated $100,000, plus $60,000 for losing two games.

Xbox 360 250GB Slim Console - (Renewed)
Xbox 360 250GB Slim Console - (Renewed)

August 7, 2007: Premiere of Power of 10

On August 7, 2007, Drew Carey began hosting the CBS game show Power of 10.

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August 15, 2007: Taping First Episode of The Price Is Right

On August 15, 2007, Drew Carey taped his first episode of The Price Is Right after succeeding Bob Barker as host.

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October 15, 2007: Hosting The Price Is Right

On October 15, 2007, Drew Carey began hosting The Price Is Right on CBS, taking over from Bob Barker.

March 19, 2009: Seattle Sounders FC began playing in Major League Soccer

On March 19, 2009, the Seattle Sounders FC, in which Drew Carey is a minority owner, began to play in Major League Soccer.

October 2009: Charity Auction Bid for Twitter Account

In October 2009, Drew Carey made a bid of $25,000 in a charity auction for the @drew Twitter account and increased his offer to $100,000 if his account @DrewFromTV reached 100,000 followers by the end of the auction.

December 31, 2009: Proposed $1 Million Donation to Livestrong

On December 31, 2009, Drew Carey said he would donate $1 million to the Livestrong Foundation if his follower count on Twitter reached one million.

April 2, 2011: Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

On April 2, 2011, Drew Carey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Kane.

2011: Hosting Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza

In 2011, Drew Carey began hosting Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza, a primetime improv show filmed in Las Vegas.

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March 4, 2014: Announcement of Dancing with the Stars Participation

On March 4, 2014, it was announced that Drew Carey would compete on season 18 of Dancing with the Stars.

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September 2014: Offered Reward for "Ice Bucket Challenge" Perpetrators

In September 2014, Drew Carey promised $10,000 to help find the perpetrators of a faked "ice bucket challenge" involving an autistic 15-year-old Ohio boy who received a shower of feces, urine, tobacco spit, and cigarette butts instead of water and ice cubes.

2016: Seattle Sounders Won First MLS Cup

In 2016, Seattle Sounders FC, where Drew Carey is a minority owner, won their first MLS Cup.

August 2018: Weekly Show on SiriusXM

In August 2018, Drew Carey transformed his monthly show "Drew Carey's Friday Night Dance Party" on SiriusXM into a weekly show called "The Friday Night Freak Out".

2018: Appearance on NCIS

In 2018, Drew Carey appeared in an episode of NCIS as a retired Marine sergeant.

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2019: Seattle Sounders Won Second MLS Cup

In 2019, Seattle Sounders FC, where Drew Carey is a minority owner, won their second MLS Cup.

2020: Appeared on The Masked Singer

In 2020, Drew Carey appeared as the "Llama" on season three of The Masked Singer, but was the second contestant eliminated from the show.

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2021: Participated in Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

In 2021, Drew Carey participated in Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, alongside Teri Hatcher and Chrissy Metz. While he won the first bonus round, he did not solve the final puzzle.

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2022: 15th Anniversary as Host of The Price Is Right

In 2022, Drew Carey celebrated his fifteenth anniversary as host of The Price Is Right.

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March 24, 2023: Experimented with AI Voice Clone

On March 24, 2023, Drew Carey used a beta version of ElevenLabs and ChatGPT to generate jokes with an artificial clone of his voice on his Underground Garage radio show "The Friday Night Freak Out". Listeners responded negatively to the soulless clone voice.

April 21, 2023: Announced Feature in ABC News Documentary

On April 21, 2023, it was announced that Drew Carey would be featured in the four-part ABC News documentary The Game Show Show about the history of game shows.

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May 10, 2023: Premiere of The Game Show Show

On May 10, 2023, the four-part documentary, "The Game Show Show", which featured Drew Carey, premiered on ABC News.

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2023: Provided Meals for Striking Writers

During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, Drew Carey arranged to pay for free meals for striking writers at two Los Angeles restaurants. His tab at Swingers was averaging $10,000 per week.