Career Timeline of Drew Carey: Major Achievements and Milestones

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, most famously known for his stand-up comedy, his sitcom *The Drew Carey Show*, and hosting *Whose Line Is It Anyway?*. Before his comedy career, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Since 2007, he has been the host of the game show *The Price Is Right* on CBS, maintaining a prominent presence in television entertainment.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1983: Move to Las Vegas and Early Jobs

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

1985: Start of Comedy Career

In 1985, Drew Carey began his comedy career after a suggestion to write jokes.

1988: Star Search Competition

In 1988, Drew Carey's first national exposure was competing in the Star Search competition.

November 1991: The Tonight Show Appearance

In November 1991, Drew Carey appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and impressed Carson, who invited Carey to sit next to his desk.

1993: Coneheads Film Role

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

1994: The Good Life Co-starring Role

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

1994: Drew Carey: Human Cartoon

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

September 13, 1995: The Drew Carey Show Premiere

On September 13, 1995, The Drew Carey Show premiered on ABC.

1997: Publication of Autobiography

In 1997, Drew Carey published his autobiography, Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined, where he shared memories of his early childhood, his father's death, molestation, bouts of depression, and suicide attempts.

November 1998: Contract Termination with A&W

In November 1998, Drew Carey's two-year contract with A&W Food Services of Canada was cut short, leading to a lawsuit for compensation.

1998: Hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Friars' Club Roast

In 1998, Drew Carey began hosting the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and was inducted into the New York Friars' Club Comedy Central Roast.

1999: Sounds Dangerous! Attraction Debut

In 1999, Disney's Hollywood Studios debuted a 12-minute attraction titled Sounds Dangerous! starring Drew Carey.

1999: Weird Al Yankovic Music Video Cameo

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

May 2, 2000: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Winnings

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.

2000: Geppetto Television Film

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

2000: Cameo in The Sims

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

January 21, 2001: Royal Rumble Appearance

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

2001: Royal Rumble Participation

In 2001, Drew Carey briefly participated in professional wrestling, entering the Royal Rumble.

2001: Entered Royal Rumble

In 2001, Drew Carey entered the World Wrestling Federation's 30-man "Royal Rumble" match to promote an improv comedy pay-per-view, eliminating himself by jumping over the top rope.

2002: White House Correspondents' Dinner Entertainment

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

September 2003: Comedy Tour of Iraq

In September 2003, Drew Carey led a group of comedians on a comedy tour of Iraq.

2004: Drew Carey's Green Screen Show

In 2004, Drew Carey co-produced and starred in Drew Carey's Green Screen Show on the WB.

2004: Fountains of Wayne Music Video Cameo

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

2005: Film Appearances in Robots, The Aristocrats, and Fuck

In 2005, Drew Carey appeared in three films: Robots (voice-over), The Aristocrats, and Fuck (interview).

2005: Continued Production of Drew Carey's Green Screen Show

In 2005, Drew Carey continued to co-produce and star in Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, which was later picked up by Comedy Central after cancellation by the WB.

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

On June 8, 2006, Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures debuted on the Travel Channel.

2006: Press Photographer at FIFA World Cup

In 2006, Drew Carey was at the FIFA World Cup in Germany as a press photographer for his television show Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures.

2006: Cancellation of Whose Line Is It Anyway?

In 2006, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which Drew Carey hosted, was cancelled after 220 episodes.

June 2007: FIFA Soccer 07 Challenge

In June 2007, Drew Carey offered to donate up to $100,000 to the Mooch Myernick Memorial Fund if anyone could beat him at FIFA Soccer 07, ultimately donating $160,000.

August 7, 2007: Power of 10 Debut

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

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

On August 15, 2007, Drew Carey taped his first episode of The Price Is Right.

October 15, 2007: The Price Is Right Hosting Debut

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

January 23, 2008: Power of 10 Finale

On January 23, 2008, the CBS game show Power of 10, which Drew Carey hosted, aired its final episode.

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 later increased his offer to $100,000 under certain conditions.

December 31, 2009: Livestrong Donation Offer

On December 31, 2009, Drew Carey offered to donate $1 million to the Livestrong Foundation if his follower count reached one million.

April 2, 2011: WWE Hall of Fame Induction

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

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

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

2011: WWE Hall of Fame Induction

In 2011, Drew Carey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

2013: Whose Line Is It Anyway? Returns

In 2013, Whose Line Is It Anyway? returned with Aisha Tyler as host.

March 4, 2014: Dancing with the Stars Announcement

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

September 2014: Offered Reward in Ice Bucket Challenge Prank

In September 2014, Drew Carey promised $10,000 to help find the perpetrators of a faked "ice bucket challenge" prank involving an autistic 15-year-old.

August 2018: The Friday Night Freak Out Debut

In August 2018, Drew Carey turned his monthly SiriusXM show into a weekly show called "The Friday Night Freak Out".

2018: NCIS Appearance

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

2020: The Masked Singer Appearance

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

2021: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Participation

In 2021, Drew Carey participated in Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, winning the first bonus round but failing to solve the final puzzle.

2022: Fifteenth Anniversary as Host

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

March 24, 2023: Experimenting with AI Voice Clone

On March 24, 2023, Drew Carey experimented with an artificial clone of his voice on his "The Friday Night Freak Out" Underground Garage radio show using ElevenLabs and ChatGPT-generated jokes. Listeners found the AI voice "soulless".

April 21, 2023: Featured in ABC News Documentary

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