Drew Allison Carey was born on May 23, 1958, in Cleveland, Ohio. He is an American comedian, actor, and television host best known for hosting The Price Is Right.
Before that, he starred in his own hit sitcom and helped bring improv comedy to American television.
Who is Drew Carey?
Drew Carey is one of the most recognizable faces in American television. He built his career on stand-up comedy before becoming a sitcom star in the 1990s. That early success opened the door to decades of steady work as an actor and host.
Carey is best known today as the host of The Price Is Right. He took over the long-running CBS game show in 2007. Before that, he hosted the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway.
His career has also included time in the Marine Corps Reserve, ownership in Major League Soccer, and even a run in professional wrestling, according to his IMDb profile.
Few entertainers have careers that stretch across so many different worlds. Carey has managed to stay relevant across four decades of television.
Early Life of Drew Carey
Drew Carey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Lewis Carey and Beulah Carey. He was the youngest of three sons and grew up in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland. His father worked to support the family before his early death.
Carey was only eight years old when his father died of a heart attack. That loss shaped much of his difficult childhood. He has spoken openly in interviews about the depression he struggled with as a young man.
He graduated from James Ford Rhodes High School in Cleveland in 1976. During high school, he played cornet and trumpet in the marching band. Music and performance were part of his life well before comedy became his career.
Drew Carey Age
Drew Carey is 68 years old as of 2026, born on May 23, 1958. He remains active as the host of The Price Is Right.
At this age, Carey is well-known for his physical appearance; his height is around 5 feet 10 inches, or 178 cm or 1.78 m.
Drew Carey Ethnicity and Nationality
Drew Carey is an American entertainer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds American nationality.
Specific details about his ethnic background are not revealed.
Drew Carey Education
Drew Carey attended Kent State University after high school. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity during his time there. However, he struggled academically and was expelled twice before leaving the university after three years.
He never completed a college degree. Instead, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1980. He served for six years as a field radio operator in the 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio.
That period gave him structure during a difficult stretch of his life. Carey has since credited the Marine Corps with helping him find direction. It was after his military service that he began pursuing comedy seriously.
Drew Carey Career
Drew Carey’s rise in entertainment took years of steady effort. He worked small jobs while building his stand-up act around Ohio.
That persistence eventually turned into one of the more varied careers in television.
Stand-Up Beginnings
Carey began performing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. He became master of ceremonies at the Cleveland Comedy Club in 1986. Around this time, he also competed on the televised talent competition Star Search.
His stand-up career picked up momentum through the early 1990s. He appeared on HBO’s Young Comedians Special in 1991. That same year, he made a memorable appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
That appearance proved to be a turning point.
The Drew Carey Show
Carey landed his own sitcom in 1995. The Drew Carey Show aired on ABC and starred Carey as a fictionalized version of himself. The series was set in his hometown of Cleveland and ran for nine seasons.
The show made Carey one of the highest-paid entertainers of the era. He reportedly earned around 750,000 dollars per episode by the final seasons. That success placed him on Forbes’ list of highest-paid entertainers in 1998.
The sitcom ended its run in 2004 after 233 episodes. Carey appeared in every season of the show. It remains the project most associated with his rise to fame.
Whose Line Is It Anyway
While still starring in his sitcom, Carey took on a second major role. He began hosting the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1998. The improv comedy show ran on ABC alongside his sitcom for several years.
Carey directed the games and often joined in the final improv segment himself. The show ran for 220 episodes before ending in 2006. It returned years later on The CW with a different host.
His work on both shows at once was a rare feat in television. Few performers have anchored two hit programs during the same period.
The Price Is Right
Carey took over hosting duties on The Price Is Right in 2007. He succeeded Bob Barker, who had hosted the show for 35 years. The transition was closely watched by longtime fans of the program.
Carey brought his own comedic style to the role while respecting the show’s format. The series continues to air on CBS and remains the longest-running game show in American television history. As of 2026, Carey continues in the role.
That stability has made The Price Is Right a defining part of his career.
Drew Carey Awards and Recognition
Drew Carey has received recognition across several parts of his career. His comedy special, Drew Carey: Human Cartoon, won a CableACE Award for writing in 1994. That early honor came before his sitcom made him a household name.
He was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. The honor recognized his brief but memorable appearance in the 2001 Royal Rumble. It reflected the wide range of projects he has taken on throughout his career.
His work as a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders FC has brought him further recognition in sports circles. The team won the MLS Cup in 2016 and again in 2019 during his ownership tenure. Carey has remained closely involved with the club since its founding.
Drew Carey Girlfriend and Relationship History
Drew Carey has never married. He was engaged to Nicole Jaracz starting in 2007, but the couple ended their engagement in 2012. The relationship lasted several years before it came to a close.
In January 2018, Carey announced his engagement to therapist and author Amie Harwick. That engagement ended later the same year, in November. Their relationship had drawn public attention due to Carey’s fame.
Harwick died in February 2020 after being found at her home in the Hollywood Hills. Authorities arrested an ex-boyfriend of hers in connection with her death. Carey has spoken about the loss as one of the hardest experiences of his life.
Drew has no biological children.
Drew Carey Net Worth
Drew Carey’s estimated net worth is $165 million as of 2026. His wealth comes from decades of work across television, comedy, and business ventures.
His salary from hosting The Price Is Right alone reportedly reaches over 12 million dollars per year.
His fortune also includes earnings from The Drew Carey Show and his years hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway. Beyond television, his ownership stake in the Seattle Sounders FC has grown substantially in value since the team’s founding.
Real estate holdings in Los Angeles and Cleveland add further to his overall wealth.
Carey’s career shows how long-running, stable roles can outperform short bursts of fame. His net worth reflects more than three decades of consistent work.
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The Bottom Line
Drew Carey turned a difficult childhood and a rocky start in college into one of the most varied careers in American entertainment.
From stand-up clubs in Cleveland to hosting the longest-running game show on television, his career has spanned comedy, sitcoms, sports ownership, and more. Few hosts have matched his staying power on screen.
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