Earl Hickey

Grew up… in the rural town of Camden, where Earl established himself as a bully and small time thief.

Living... in a motel in Camden. Earl used to live in a trailer with his ex-wife Joy and two kids that weren’t his, but Joy divorced him after he was hit by a car. Now Earl and his brother Randy live in a motel room, eating food from the vending machine downstairs.

Profession... none. Earl spent most of his life as a petty criminal, but after a near death experience he’s working full time to make up for everything bad he’s ever done.

Interests... karma, by way of Carson Daly. Earl says it was the “happiest ten seconds of [his] life” when he won $100,000 in the lottery, but his joy was cut short when a speeding car blindsided him, sending him to the hospital and throwing the scratch card out of his hands. While channel surfing in the hospital bed, Earl came across an interview in which Carson Daly explained karma – what goes around comes around. Maybe it was the drugs, but for Earl, karma was, “the secret of life, coming straight from Carson Daly’s lips to my morphine laced ears.” Scared that life will kill him if he doesn’t turn a new karmic leaf, Earl began his new mission: “I made a list of everything bad I’ve ever done and one by one I'm gonna make up for all my mistakes. I'm just trying to be a better person."

Relationship Status... divorced. The same night that Earl met Joy Turner the two got drunk, drove to Vegas, and got married. It was only when Earl was praying to the porcelain the next morning that he noticed something interesting: Joy was pregnant. Still, Earl stayed by her, and continued staying with her after she had a second child that wasn’t Earl’s. Eventually, it was Joy who ended the marriage, leaving Earl for the irresistibly friendly local crab chef, Darnell. While the two are divorced, Earl and Joy are still in frequent contact with each other – especially as Joy tries to scheme her way into Earl’s lottery winnings.

Challenge... righting his wrongs. While Earl is totally dedicated to turning over a new leaf, he’s caused so much trouble that making up for all of it is a daunting task. He’s done everything from peeing in the back of police cruisers to harming others with secondhand smoke. With such a complicated array of problems to fix, Earl’s resolve is continually tested.

Personality... selfless, patient, loyal, and occasionally capable of exhibiting a surprising level of intelligence. Earl is a testament to the fact that people can change. While his life is still full of problems, Earl is optimistic and believes that through the power of karma his life will eventually get much better.