Ernest Earle Anderson, professionally known as Ernie Anderson, was born on November 12, 1923, in Lynn, Massachusetts. He started his career in radio at WSKI-AM in Burlington, Vermont, in 1946. Anderson's journey in the entertainment industry continued at WHK-AM in Cleveland, where he met Tim Conway and began writing with him.
The duo was later hired by WJW-TV in Cleveland in 1961, where they created the popular daytime show "Ernie's Place", featuring a combination of movies and comedy sketches. Anderson's iconic character, Ghoulardi, was born during this period, characterized by his distinctive appearance, which included a lab coat, fright wig, fake goatee beard, and mustache.
Ghoulardi became a huge success, introducing WJW-TV's Friday night horror movie show Shock Theater in 1963. Anderson's talent did not go unnoticed, as Rose Marie, a renowned actress, recommended him to Steve Allen, who later recruited him for his own show.
However, Anderson's time in Cleveland was not without controversy, and he had several run-ins with his management. He eventually moved to California full-time in 1966. Anderson made appearances in two episodes of Conway's television series Rango in 1967 and later formed a comedy act with his long-time friend.
In the late 1970s, Anderson was hired as "the voice of ABC", a role he continued to fulfill well into the 1980s. He also lent his voice to the previews of current episodes during the first three seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987.
Ernie Anderson passed away on February 6, 1997, at the age of 73, due to cancer in Los Angeles, California.
