Character comic Bill Byrge, who played Bobby Tulip in the low-brow Ernest movies, died at his Nashville home on Jan. 9. He was 92. Byrge was picked off the streets of Nashville for a part in Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1985), spotted by a casting director for his unusual looks. He went on to play Bobby Tulip (who filled various roles for Ernest: cop, school scientist, con man) in Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, Ernest Goes to School, and the TV series Hey, Vern, It’s Ernest! Byrge also appeared in Harry the Dirty Dog, and lastly, the 2010 Billy & Bobby the Whacky Duo on Vacation! He had earlier worked as a librarian, and after his Ernest fame wore off (Jim “Ernest” Varney died in 2000), he returned to that profession. Byrge’s cousin Sharon wrote on Facebook “He was a beautiful soul who made people laugh without even trying. I always teased him about being a ‘star’ in our family. He deserved it as raised poor, but his momma taught him love, respect, and faith, which he showed to everyone” (is there a non-crazy alternative to Facebook, now that Mark Zuckerberg has publicly gone evil?).
Related Posts
