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. He gained recognition through stand-up comedy before starring in his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway?. These shows significantly boosted his career, leading to appearances in films, TV series, and other media. Since 2007, Carey has been the host of the popular game show The Price Is Right, solidifying his presence in the entertainment industry.
1980: Carey Enlists in the Marine Corps Reserve
In 1980, Drew Carey enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, where he served for six years.
1985: Carey Begins Comedy Career
In 1985, Drew Carey began his comedy career after being encouraged by a friend to learn how to write jokes.
1988: Carey Competes in Star Search
In 1988, Drew Carey gained his first national exposure by competing in Star Search.
November 1991: Carey Appears on The Tonight Show
In November 1991, Drew Carey appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, impressing Carson and earning a spot on the couch.
1993: Carey's Role in Coneheads
In 1993, Drew Carey had a small role as a taxi passenger in the film Coneheads.
1994: Carey Co-Stars in The Good Life
In 1994, Drew Carey co-starred with John Caponera in The Good Life, a short-lived sitcom on NBC.
1994: Drew Carey: Human Cartoon Airs on Showtime
In 1994, Drew Carey wrote and starred in 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: Premiere of The Drew Carey Show
On September 13, 1995, The Drew Carey Show premiered on ABC, revolving around a fictionalized version of Carey and his friends.
1997: Publication of Autobiography
In 1997, Drew Carey published his autobiography, Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined. In the book he shared memories of his childhood, his father's death, his experiences with molestation and depression, suicide attempts, college fraternity life, and his professional career up to that point. It was featured on The New York Times bestseller list for three months in 1997.
November 1998: Carey's Contract with A&W Terminated
In November 1998, Drew Carey's two-year contract with A&W Food Services of Canada was terminated after The Drew Carey Show featured McDonald's.
1998: Carey Included on Forbes List of Highest-Paid Entertainers
Drew Carey's income from Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Drew Carey Show led to his inclusion on the Forbes list of highest-paid entertainers of 1998, at 24th with $45.5 million.
1998: Carey Begins Hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway?
In 1998, while still starring in The Drew Carey Show, Drew Carey began hosting the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
1999: Sounds Dangerous! Attraction Debuts
In 1999, Disney's Hollywood Studios (then "Disney-MGM Studios"), part of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, debuted a 12-minute attraction titled Sounds Dangerous! starring Drew Carey.
1999: Appearance 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".
May 2, 2000: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire winnings
On May 2, 2000, in a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Drew Carey selected the Ohio Library Foundation to receive his $500,000 winnings.
2000: Cameo 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.
2000: Carey Stars in Geppetto
In 2000, Drew Carey starred in the television film Geppetto, which debuted on The Wonderful World of Disney.
January 21, 2001: Carey Enters Royal Rumble
On January 21, 2001, Drew Carey entered the Royal Rumble match as Vince McMahon's guest entrant.
2001: Carey Participates in Royal Rumble
In 2001, Drew Carey briefly participated in professional wrestling by entering the Royal Rumble.
2001: Royal Rumble Appearance
In 2001, Drew Carey was the first television actor to participate in the World Wrestling Federation's 30-man "Royal Rumble" match to promote an improv comedy pay-per-view. He eliminated himself after attempting to bribe Kane in 2001.
2002: Carey Performs at White House Correspondents' Dinner
In 2002, Drew Carey provided the entertainment for the Annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.
September 2003: Carey Leads Comedy Tour of Iraq
In September 2003, Drew Carey led a group of comedians on a comedy tour of Iraq.
2003: World Poker Tour Celebrity Edition
In 2003, Drew Carey competed in the first celebrity edition of the World Poker Tour, placing fifth and winning $2,000 for his charity. He beat the only other actor, Jack Black, in the competition.
2004: Carey Co-Produces 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.
2004: Appearance in "Mexican Wine" Music Video
In 2004, Drew Carey made a cameo appearance in Fountains of Wayne's video for "Mexican Wine," giving an introduction to the video as if it were on a stage.
2005: Carey Appears in Three Films
In 2005, Drew Carey appeared in three films: the animated film Robots (voice-over for Crank), The Aristocrats, and the documentary Fuck.
2005: Drew Carey's Green Screen Show Picked up by Comedy Central
In 2005, Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, which was co-produced and starred Drew Carey, was picked up by Comedy Central after being canceled by The WB.
June 8, 2006: Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures Debuts
On June 8, 2006, Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures debuted on the Travel Channel.
2006: Cancellation of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
In 2006, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, hosted by Drew Carey, was cancelled after a total of 220 episodes.
June 2007: FIFA Soccer 07 Challenge for Charity
In June 2007, Drew Carey offered to donate up to $100,000 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 out of six in June 2007.
August 7, 2007: Power of 10 Premieres
On August 7, 2007, Drew Carey began hosting the CBS game show pilot Power of 10.
August 15, 2007: Carey Tapes First Episode of The Price Is Right
On August 15, 2007, Drew Carey taped his first episode of The Price Is Right, succeeding Bob Barker as host.
October 15, 2007: Drew Carey's Debut as Host of The Price Is Right
On October 15, 2007, Drew Carey debuted as the host of The Price Is Right on CBS, taking over from Bob Barker.
January 23, 2008: Final Airing of Power of 10
On January 23, 2008, the final episode of Power of 10, hosted by Drew Carey, aired.
October 2009: Charity Auction Bid for @drew Twitter Account
In October 2009, Drew Carey made a bid of $25,000 in a charity auction for the @drew Twitter account, later increasing his offer to $100,000 if his account reached 100,000 followers.
December 31, 2009: Livestrong Donation Pledge
On December 31, 2009, Drew Carey stated he would donate $1 million to the Livestrong Foundation if his Twitter follower count reached one million.
April 2, 2011: Induction into WWE Hall of Fame
On April 2, 2011, Drew Carey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Kane.
2011: Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza Premieres
In 2011, Drew Carey began hosting a primetime improv show, called Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza, filmed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, and first aired on April 11.
2011: Carey Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame
In 2011, Drew Carey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
2013: Whose Line Is It Anyway? Returns with New Host
In 2013, Whose Line Is It Anyway? returned with Aisha Tyler as the host.
March 4, 2014: Carey Announced as Contestant on Dancing with the Stars
On March 4, 2014, Drew Carey was announced as a contestant on season 18 of Dancing with the Stars.
September 2014: Reward for Information on Ice Bucket Challenge Prank
In September 2014, Drew Carey offered $10,000 to help find the perpetrators of a faked "ice bucket challenge" where an autistic teen was doused with feces, urine, tobacco spit, and cigarette butts.
August 2018: Carey's Radio Show Changes to Weekly Format
In August 2018, Drew Carey turned his monthly radio show on SiriusXM channel, Little Steven's Underground Garage, into a weekly show called "The Friday Night Freak Out".
2018: Carey Appears in NCIS as Retired Marine
In 2018, Drew Carey appeared in an episode of NCIS as a retired Marine, reflecting his real-life military service.
2020: Appearance on The Masked Singer
In 2020, Drew Carey appeared as "Llama" on season three of The Masked Singer, a costume with a centaur-like build. He was the second contestant eliminated from the show in 2020.
2021: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Participation
In 2021, Drew Carey competed on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune alongside Teri Hatcher and Chrissy Metz. He won the first bonus round but did not solve the final puzzle in 2021.
2022: Carey Celebrates 15th Anniversary as Host of The Price Is Right
In 2022, Drew Carey celebrated his fifteenth anniversary as the host of The Price Is Right.
March 24, 2023: Experiment with Artificial Voice Clone
On March 24, 2023, Drew Carey experimented with an AI clone of his voice on his "The Friday Night Freak Out" Underground Garage radio show using ElevenLabs and ChatGPT-generated jokes. Listeners found the voice "soulless," indicating preference for his genuine personality on March 24, 2023.
April 21, 2023: Announcement of Game Show Documentary Feature
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.
May 10, 2023: Premiere of The Game Show Show Documentary
On May 10, 2023, the four-part documentary The Game Show Show, featuring Drew Carey, premiered on ABC News, exploring the history of game shows in America.
August 26, 2023: Carey Hosts Special on Bob Barker After His Death
On August 26, 2023, Bob Barker died at the age of 99, and Drew Carey hosted a one-hour special detailing the life and career of his predecessor.
2023: Support for WGA Strike
During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, Drew Carey paid for free meals for striking writers at two Los Angeles restaurants. His tab at Swingers was averaging $10,000 per week in 2023.
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