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| “ | The future is now! Soon, every American home will integrate their television, phone, and computer. You'll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel, or watch female mud wrestling on another. You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend in Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities! | „ |
| ~ Chip Douglas giving an epic speech. |
| “ | I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You seem to prefer the latter. | „ |
| ~ Chip talking to Steven. |
The Cable Guy is the titular main antagonist of the 1996 black comedy film of the same name.
He was portrayed by Jim Carrey, who also played the title character in The Mask, the Riddler in Batman Forever, Hank Evans in Me, Myself, & Irene, The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Count Olaf in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Walter Sparrow in The Number 23, Steve Gray in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series. He was also portrayed by Cameron Starman as a child.
Personality[]
His real name is never actually revealed, not even in the credits. He was known under various aliases from TV sitcoms, his most used one was Ernie 'Chip' Douglas which were the children's names from My Three Sons, other names included Larry Tate (Bewitched), The Big Ragoo also known as Carmine (Laverne and Shirley) and Murray Slaughter (the Mary Tyler Moore show), George Jetson (The Jetsons) and Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek). The Cable Guy claimed that his real name was "Ricky Ricardo" but this is undoubtedly another television reference because he does the Ricky Ricardo laugh and says "Babalú" from I Love Lucy after this.
He suffered mainly from loneliness because of his childhood neglect which is why he was too over keen to make friends, making bad decisions (such as stalking) in the process and when Steven gently turned him down, he went insane and began a series of vengeful acts.
He also likes to joke around, judging by the many times he always teased Steven by sounding serious but then telling him he was just messing with him.
Biography[]
| “ | Slip the cable guy fifty bucks and you'll get the movie channels for free, it's a well honoured urban ritual. But when Steven Kovacs moves into his apartment, he picks the wrong cable guy! This guy doesn't want fifty bucks, he wants a friend for life and won't take no for an answer! Steven is about to learn that there's no such thing as free cable. | „ |
| ~ DVD description |
The Cable Guy was raised in a neglectful home by his mother who worked nights and told him to stay near "Mr. Babysitter" which was what she called the television, which is effectively what raised him. He never met his father. Later in his life, he became a cable installer for an unknown cable company. The company fired him for stalking customers, but he remained undeterred and still used his profession and his knowledge as a cable guy to make friends. Also at some point of his life, he developed a lisp speech impediment.
Meeting Steven and Tormenting Him[]
Chip meeting Steven.
Chip first met Steven Kovacs (the movie's protagonist) when he first installed his cable in his new apartment. Steven tried to bribe him with 50 dollars to get all the channels for free and he refuses the money, but accepted with the condition that they should hang out as friends. He started off as a seemingly nice and enthusiastic guy, he first took Steven to the large Satellite dish where the company sends shows to peoples' televisions and then took him to his favorite restaurant where they had a realistic medieval duel.
However, he soon became a bit of a stalker by spoiling a basketball game that Steven was having with his friends and leaving him one phone message too many on his answering machine.
Chip tried to make up for it by giving Steven a large home system with a deluxe karaoke machine, CD player and a big screen television set. They then had a karaoke jam in Steven's apartment with Steven giving Chip a gift of a book to help lose his lisp, but Chip crossed the line when he allowed Steven to be with a prostitute named Heather making Steven angry because he already had a girlfriend named Robin and ended their friendship.
Steven telling Chip that he doesn't want to be his friend.
Chip decides to make it up to him again by beating up Robin's new boyfriend and installing free cable for her. Steven appreciates what he has done, but tells him gently that he doesn't want to be his friend.
Hurt by these words, Chip then sets out to ruin Steven's life with vengeful acts, firstly by phoning the police saying that Steven was in possession of stolen goods which was the large home system which places Steven in jail, then he is invited by Robin to a visit at Steven's parents' house where he drives him mad and uses blackmail by showing Steven a photo that he took of him and Heather that he would show to Robin if anything happened. Eventually, he pushes Steven too far when he plays a sexualized game of "Password" with the family and then whispers disturbing things to him about Robin, resulting in him being punched in the face and leave.
Chip as an evil stalker with menacing green eyes in Steven's nightmare.
He later sent a video recording of Steven insulting his boss to every computer in the place where Steven worked, resulting in Steven almost being fired and haunting him by setting off all the car alarms at once. He also appears in Steven's nightmare as a menacing figure with green eyes who is a psychopathic stalker.
He finally performs his final act of cruelty by kidnapping Robin and taking her to the same place he showed Steven many days before. When the film reaches its climax, he admits that he didn't really have a plan as such and he was just going from moment to moment. He apologizes to Steven, he claims that he only wanted to be his friend but he screwed it up and that he never intended to go to such great lengths. When the police arrive, Chip gets entranced by the police helicopter searchlight. He makes a speech about how his mother was never there for him and how he was practically raised by the TV. He even goes as far as to claim that he learned the facts of life from watching The Facts of Life.
Chip smiling evilly after befriending a paramedic.
Chip tries committing suicide by throwing himself off the platform that he, Steven and Robin are on by reasoning with Steven despite Steven's promises that he would be his pal if he climbed back up that somebody has to kill the babysitter (a reference to what his mother called the TV when she worked nights). He survives the fall, but destroys the dish receiver, which gives everyone a blackout screen and freedom from the TV. He makes up with Steven and Robin, before the paramedics take him away. Just before he is placed into the helicopter and flown away, Steven asks what his real name was, to which he jokingly replied "Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo" (I Love Lucy reference). A paramedic tells him he'll be alright as they fly to the hospital and he addresses him as 'buddy'. Chip asks him if he's really his buddy. He says "Yeah, sure you are". Chip gives him a happy but dark smile, implying that the paramedic is going to be his next victim.
Quotes[]
| “ | It's the cable guy! | „ |
| ~ Chip's catchphrase. |
| “ | Well, maybe I shouldn't have come at all, JERKOFF!!! I'm just messing with ya. | „ |
| ~ Chip to Steven after showing up to fix Steven's cable. |
| “ | I just want to hang out! No big deal! | „ |
| ~ Chip chasing Steven in his nightmare. |
| “ | It's too late for me. But there are a lot of cable boys and girls out there who still have a chance! Don't you understand, Steven? Somebody has to kill the babysitter... | „ |
| ~ Chip before dropping himself to his supposed death. |
| “ | Am I really your buddy? | „ |
| ~ Chip's last words in the film. |
Trivia[]
- It is never revealed what his true name was as he used various aliases from TV sitcoms so he was credited as Cable Guy.
- His name is not to be confused with Larry the Cable Guy.
- The script of the Cable Guy was original written for the late Chris Farley in the lead role but he turned it down due to scheduling difficulties.
- The late Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Paul Giamatti, the late Phil Hartman and the late Robin Williams were considered for the role of the Cable Guy before Jim Carrey was cast.
- He shared his name for an alias of former police officer turned infamous serial killer, David Stephen Middleton.