How did Drew Carey go from the Marines to comedy and TV?

Drew Carey. Former Marine Corps Reserve sergeant who started telling jokes on Cleveland radio while serving and went on to star in The Drew Carey Show, host Whose Line Is It Anyway? and succeed Bob Barker on The Price Is Right.

In the military

1980 to 1986, enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve after being expelled twice from Kent State; field radio operator (MOS 2531) with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines in Ohio; left as a Sergeant. No combat service.

The transition

• Joined the Reserve in 1980 with, in his words, no job skills, after dropping out of Kent State.
• In 1986, a DJ friend asked him to write comedy bits for a radio show; that year he won a Cleveland Comedy Club open-mic contest and became its emcee.
• Spent the late 1980s working comedy clubs across the country, moved to Los Angeles, and appeared on Star Search.
• Breakthrough: 1991 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, about 5 years after leaving the Reserve.
• Kept the Marine buzz cut and standard-issue glasses that became his signature look.

What came next

• Star of The Drew Carey Show on ABC, 1995 to 2004 (9 seasons).
• Host of Whose Line Is It Anyway? from 1998.
• Host of The Price Is Right since 2007, succeeding Bob Barker.
• Made Forbes’ list of highest-paid entertainers in 1998.
• Repeated USO tours, including headlining a 2005 Armed Forces Entertainment tour in Afghanistan.

In Carey’s own words

“I didn’t have any job skills, really. I showed up at the recruiting office, and I joined the Marine Corps, and that was it.” (Quoted in Together We Served profile of his)

“I went from not being able to afford to eat or clothe myself to getting three meals a day. I had an instant family.” (On joining the Marines)

“I had something to be proud of every day.” (On his Marine Corps service, WKYC Cleveland)

“I play down my time in the Marine Corps all the time. I was just in the reserves.” (WKYC Cleveland)

“When you’re in the service, any small thing means a lot.” (On visiting troops, WKYC Cleveland)

“I enjoyed the regimen and camaraderie. I knew that once I left the Reserves, I would give back to the military, so I teamed up with the USO.” (Quoted in Together We Served profile)

Lessons for your own transition

• Start the next career before the uniform comes off: Carey was writing and performing comedy around his Reserve duty, so he had momentum on the day he left.
• Expect a long runway: about 5 years of clubs and small TV spots separated his discharge from the Carson breakthrough, and another 4 from his own sitcom.
• Structure can be the foundation, not the cage: he credits the Marines’ routine and sense of family with steadying him when he had no direction.

More veterans who made the leap

See them all, and practical steps for leaving after a long career: How do I transition from the military to civilian work after 30 years?.