08/29/2026
The Lisa Lax Agency deeply regrets to announce the passing of one of our favorite actors & wonderful human beings, Ernie Salera.
Ernie was such an energetic soul and full of life and always happy! And the fact is that anyone who met him was instantly drawn to his good nature, his kindness, and his gift for performing.
He had an unforgettable smile and could always be counted on to elevate the mood of the room.
Ernesto S. Salera was born on November 7th, 1957 and was a Senior Product Manager at FedEx Express. He attended Millington Central High School and received his Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in Quantitative Methods and Business Systems from the University of Memphis.
But he especially loved acting and appeared in films, on television, and in commercials. He was in at least a dozen films, from local indie projects to Hollywood productions including Nothing But the Truth, Soul Man,
and My Blueberry Nights.
His commercials included work for Kroger, Wonder Bread, J.G. Wentworth, Bank Corp. South, Right Choice Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ashley Furniture, and Perkins Restaurants.
He was especially proud of his appearance in the video for country singer Tim McGraw's "Here On Earth" where he said: "We should be walking hand in hand with each other. We should be looking out after each other." Those words were part of the song, but they were authentically Ernie.
His daughter, Jeddah-Danielle Salera, started a GoFundMe when Ernie was diagnosed with cancer. She describes his battle with the disease and writes something that everyone who knew Ernie will agree with: “If you know my dad, you know he is one of the strongest, kindest, most selfless people you could ever meet, and has always been there for others.”
Ernie leaves his wife, Debie, Jeddah, son-in law Francis, and two grandchildren, Kiffin Brooks and Penelope. The GoFundMe is still active. In a Facebook post, Jeddah said that she would share arrangements as they become available.
(the GoFundMe link is in the text, but here it is if you need it)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/standing-with-ernie-through-his-treatments