# Blake Clark
**Blake Clark** (born 1946) is an American stand-up comedian and character actor from [Macon, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/macon-georgia), known for his raspy Southern drawl, his recurring sitcom roles of the 1990s, his frequent collaborations with [Adam Sandler](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-sandler), and his voice role as Slinky Dog in the *Toy Story* franchise.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946, Macon, Georgia, USA[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) |
| Military service | Decorated Infantry Platoon Leader in Vietnam before his acting career[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) |
| Signature film role | Farmer Fran in *The Waterboy* (1998), his first collaboration with Adam Sandler[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) |
| Voice role | Slinky Dog in the *Toy Story* franchise, inheriting the role from his friend Jim Varney[3](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog) |
| Sitcom recurring roles | Harry on *Home Improvement* (over 20 appearances, 1994–1999), Chet Hunter on *Boy Meets World*, Jules Lambermont on *The Drew Carey Show*, Bob Nelson on *The Jamie Foxx Show*[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) |
| Output | Over 50 feature films and hundreds of episodic TV appearances, per his IMDb biography[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) |
| Recent work | Daddy John on the series *Leanne* (2025– ) and Slinky Dog in *Toy Story 5* (2026)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) • [4](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/toys-face-off-with-technology-in-the-nostalgia-filled-1st-trailer-for-toy-story-5) |
## Early life and military service
Clark was born in 1946 in Macon, Georgia.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) Before entering entertainment he served in the [Vietnam War](https://www.edgepedia.org/vietnam-war) as an Infantry Platoon Leader, and his IMDb biography describes him as decorated in that role.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) In the 1980s he brought the experience of the [Vietnam veteran](https://www.edgepedia.org/vietnam-veteran) to American audiences in comic form, and numerous veterans' organizations around the United States, in the words of that biography, "adopted" him.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703)
## Stand-up comedy
Clark worked the stand-up circuit for roughly 30 years, appearing on *The Tonight Show*, on HBO comedy specials, and on *Late Night with Conan O'Brien* in 1993.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) After moving from Georgia to Hollywood he landed a spot on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) His material drew on observations of the military conflicts of his day and on his Georgia roots.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) He later traveled abroad for comedy, including an extended USO tour of Iraq with [Drew Carey](https://www.edgepedia.org/drew-carey).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) A 2022 podcast appearance on *The Big Bad Broadcast* traced his career from a job as a doorman at the Comedy Store to more than 40 years in the business.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21268542/)
## Television career
Clark's first recurring television role was as Fred the [Chauffeur](https://www.edgepedia.org/chauffeur) on *Remington Steele*.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) According to Rotten Tomatoes, his first acting role was on *The Greatest American Hero*, followed by appearances on *M*A*S*H* and *Moonlighting*.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) Through the 1980s and 1990s he appeared across situation comedy, most steadily as Harry, a hardware store owner who supplied [Tim Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-allen)'s "Tool Man" on *Home Improvement*, a part he played more than 20 times between 1994 and 1999.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) He also held recurring parts as Chet Hunter on *Boy Meets World*, Jules Lambermont on *The Drew Carey Show*, Bob Nelson on *The Jamie Foxx Show*, and roles on *Grace Under Fire*.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) Later television work includes Coach Bogner on *Community* (2009), Chet Hunter again on the sequel series *Girl Meets World* (2014), Wayne on *[United States of Al](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-of-al)* (2021), and a 2021 appearance on *Hacks*.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/blake-clark/)
## Film work and the Sandler collaborations
Clark made his feature film debut in *St. Elmo's Fire*.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) In 1998 he began what became a long association with Adam Sandler in *The Waterboy*, playing Farmer Fran, the role for which he is perhaps best known.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) The collaboration continued through *Little Nicky* (2000), *[Mr. Deeds](https://www.edgepedia.org/mr-deeds)* (2002), *[50 First Dates](https://www.edgepedia.org/50-first-dates)* (2004), in which he played Marlin Whitmore to critical acclaim, *I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry* (2007), and *That's My Boy* (2012).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) Other film credits include *The Mask* (1994), *Rango* (2011, as the voice of Buford), *The Ridiculous 6* (2015), *Hubie Halloween* (2020), *[Between Two Ferns: The Movie](https://www.edgepedia.org/between-two-ferns-the-movie)* (2019), and *Happy Gilmore 2* (2025).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [7](https://mooveedb.com/actor/blake-clark/167070)
## Slinky Dog and voice acting
Clark's most durable role is a voice part. Slinky Dog, the stretchable toy dachshund of Pixar's *Toy Story* films, was voiced by [Jim Varney](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-varney) in *Toy Story* and *Toy Story 2*; Varney died of lung cancer in 2000, and Clark has voiced the character since.[3](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) The handoff was eased by friendship: Clark met Varney on the set of the 1980 film *Fast Food*, and the two had been good friends before Varney's death.[3](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog) Clark had already recorded lines as Slinky for the 2001 Disney On Ice show *Disney Pixar's Toy Story 2*, and one fan-maintained franchise database traces his first turn in the role to 2008's *Toy Story: The Musical*.[3](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog) • [8](https://auteurgraph.com/person/blake-clark/ratings) His credited Slinky performances include *Toy Story 3* (2010), the *Toy Story Toons* shorts, *Toy Story 4* (2019), and *Toy Story 5* (2026), in which he is among the returning original voice cast alongside [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks), Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, and [Tony Hale](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-hale).[3](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog) • [4](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/toys-face-off-with-technology-in-the-nostalgia-filled-1st-trailer-for-toy-story-5) Slinky's catchphrase, "Golly bob-howdy!", is a tribute to Varney's best-known character, Ernest P. Worrell.[3](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog) Clark's other voice work includes the Radio Shack walkie-talkie voice in *Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights* (2002) and Golfer #1 in the animated film *Leo* (2023).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark) • [7](https://mooveedb.com/actor/blake-clark/167070)
## Recent work
In 2025 Clark joined the cast of the Leanne Morgan sitcom *Leanne* as Daddy John, a role he plays across the 2025–2026 seasons.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) He also appeared in *Happy Gilmore 2* (2025) as Beach Man and continues as Slinky Dog in *Toy Story 5*, released in 2026.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703) • [4](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/toys-face-off-with-technology-in-the-nostalgia-filled-1st-trailer-for-toy-story-5)
## References
1. [Blake Clark Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/blake_clark)
2. [Blake Clark (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163703)
3. [Slinky Dog, OfficialToyStory Wiki (Fandom)](https://officialtoystory.fandom.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog)
4. [It's toys vs technology in the 1st 'Toy Story 5' trailer, Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/toys-face-off-with-technology-in-the-nostalgia-filled-1st-trailer-for-toy-story-5)
5. ["The Big Bad Broadcast" Blake Clark (Podcast Episode 2022), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21268542/)
6. [Blake Clark, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/blake-clark/)
7. [Blake Clark, MooveeDB](https://mooveedb.com/actor/blake-clark/167070)
8. [Blake Clark Ratings, AuteurGraph](https://auteurgraph.com/person/blake-clark/ratings)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames C to Cl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license