John Ratzenberger

John Ratzenberger
Name	John Ratzenberger
Caption	Ratzenberger in 2010
Birth date	6 April 1947
Birth place	Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, entrepreneur
Years active	1976–present
Spouse	Georgia Stiny (m. 1985; div. 2004), Julie Blichfeldt (m. 2012)

John Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur best known for his role as the know-it-all mail carrier Cliff Clavin on the long-running NBC sitcom Cheers. He has achieved further widespread recognition as a Pixar lucky charm, providing voice work for every feature film produced by the studio since Toy Story in 1995. His career spans television, film, and stage, and he has also been an outspoken advocate for American manufacturing and skilled trades.

Early life and education

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he was raised in the city's Black Rock neighborhood, the son of a truck driver and a model. He attended St. Ann's School and later graduated from St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Connecticut. After high school, he worked a variety of jobs, including as a Teamsters union truck driver and a carpenter, before deciding to pursue acting. He moved to London, England, in the early 1970s, where he performed with various theater groups, including the fringe comedy troupe Sal's Meat Market, and wrote for the BBC.

Acting career

His early film roles included appearances in several major productions of the late 1970s and 1980s, such as The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, and Gandhi. His breakthrough came in 1982 when he was cast as Cliff Clavin on the ensemble sitcom Cheers, a role he played for the show's entire eleven-season run, earning two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Following the conclusion of Cheers, he starred in and co-produced the CBS sitcom The John Ratzenberger Show and later hosted and produced the Travel Channel series Made in America, which highlighted U.S. manufacturing. Other notable television credits include guest appearances on Frasier, 8 Simple Rules, and The Simpsons.

Voice acting

He has become an integral part of the Pixar legacy, holding the distinction of being the only actor to voice a character in every one of the studio's feature films. His iconic roles include Hamm the piggy bank in the Toy Story franchise, the Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc., The Underminer in The Incredibles, and Mack in the Cars series. This recurring collaboration began with director John Lasseter and has made his voice one of the most recognizable in animation. His voice work extends beyond Pixar to other projects like the video game Kingdom Hearts II and the animated series The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers.

Other ventures and public life

A passionate advocate for revitalizing American craftsmanship, he founded the Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs foundation to inspire young people to pursue careers in the skilled trades and manufacturing. He has been a frequent speaker on the topic, testifying before Congress and appearing on news programs like Fox & Friends. He also served as a national spokesperson for the ShopRat Foundation and has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America. In 2018, he launched the online platform "Ratzenberger's American Made" to promote products manufactured in the United States.

Personal life

He married his first wife, Georgia Stiny, in 1985; they had two children together before divorcing in 2004. In 2012, he married Julie Blichfeldt. An avid sailor, he has participated in several Newport Bermuda Races. He is also a licensed pilot. Politically, he has been a supporter of the Republican Party, endorsing candidates like Mitt Romney and speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Filmography

A selected list of his extensive work includes: *The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as Major Bren Derlin *Cheers (1982–1993) as Cliff Clavin *Toy Story (1995) as Hamm (voice) *A Bug's Life (1998) as P.T. Flea (voice) *Monsters, Inc. (2001) as The Abominable Snowman (voice) *Cars (2006) as Mack (voice) *The Incredibles (2004) as The Underminer (voice) *WALL-E (2008) as John (voice) *Up (2009) as Construction Foreman Tom (voice) *Inside Out (2015) as Fritz (voice) *Coco (2017) as Juan Ortodoncia (voice) *Onward (2020) as Fenwick (voice) *Lightyear (2022) as (voice)

Category:American male television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Pixar people Category:1947 births Category:Living people