Blond and bespectacled comedian Drew Carey hit paydirt in 1995 as the star of his own sitcom, “The Drew Carey Show” (ABC, 1995-2004), but the comic’s road to stardom was marked by a difficult childhood and a long struggle to make his name in the stand-up business. After the Cleveland-based series left the airwaves, the comic brought his affable, “life-of-the-party” persona to several series and game shows – most notably “The Price is Right” (CBS, 1972- ), where after a highly publicized search, he replaced the venerable Bob Barker.

The youngest of three brothers born to Lewis and Beulah Carey,