Drew Carey is looking back on the impact The Drew Carey Show had on his life and career, three decades after the series’ debut.

“I didn’t know how impactful it was, to me and my life,’ Carey, 66, exclusively told Us Weekly. “It helped me get a house and not have to worry about money anymore and all the things I ever wanted. When I was broke, I was able to take care of [things] thanks to The Drew Carey Show and the writers on The Drew Carey Show.”

The Drew Carey Show first aired on ABC on September 13, 1995, introducing the world to Carey and his arguably one-of-a-kind sense of humor. It also served as a launchpad for the comedian’s career, which has since included stints hosting two beloved game shows — Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Price is Right.

“That got me Whose Line, which got me on a whole other career trajectory,” Carey told Us. “And yeah, it was just crazy – I remember the pilot barely getting picked up.”

Carey went on to explain that on the day his team of writers submitted the pilot to the network, he was almost convinced the powers that be had passed on the show.

“Six o’clock came and went and I was like, ‘Well, it looks like we’re not going to get it,” he explained, adding that it wasn’t until 10-15 minutes later that they “got a call that we were going to be able to make a pilot.”

“After that we were like, ‘Oh, what is going to happen to the pilot?’ And then that barely got picked up, and then we just got picked up for a second season,” he continued. “It just seemed like we were eking our way [through] in the very beginning – just elbowing our way in. It was every person for themself. That’s a tough business — the TV business, and even the writing business. Nothing comes easy out here.”

Whether it was their time on set, working behind-the-scenes or simply grinding in the beginning to make The Drew Carey Show into what it ultimately became, the seasoned host and Marine veteran said he still remains close with many members of the cast.

“We text every once in a while, me and Kathy [Kinney] and Diedrich [Bader], and I see Ryan [Stiles] every once in a while when I do improv,” Carey said. “Yeah, we still keep in touch.”

He added, “Everybody was so great and we were like a family for all those years. We spent all these days together working in high pressure, high stress situations.”

The fast-paced environment of a television sitcom created a high-stress environment that also brought the cast and crew closer together, Carey adds — an environment he doesn’t necessarily miss.

“You’re always fighting the clock, you’re fighting yourself, you’re fighting fatigue — yeah, I don’t miss that part of it,” he explained. “But I do miss the [people]. It was a really good group of people to work with. All the writers were great. Yeah, I had a good time doing that. “

While Carey certainly misses working alongside his former costars, his admiration for the show and the people who made it possible doesn’t mean he takes regular trips down memory lane.

“No, I don’t like to watch myself on television,” Carey said when asked if he ever goes back and watches past episodes of The Drew Carey Show.

“Even as a kid, I didn’t like seeing myself [on video],” he added. “I just don’t like seeing myself moving around … I don’t like to watch myself on TV.”