Bill Ratner

{{Infobox person

| name = Bill Ratner

| image = Bill Ratner (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_name = William Gerald Ratner

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|2|25}}

| birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

| other_names =

| occupation = Voice actor, author, performance artist

| years_active = 1982–present

| spouse =

| children =

| website =

}}

William Gerald Ratner (born February 25, 1947) is an American voice actor, author and solo performance artist. He is best known as the voice of Flint in Hasbro's syndicated TV cartoon G.I. Joe.

Career

Ratner is best known as the voice of Flint in Hasbro's syndicated TV cartoon G.I. Joe.{{cite web|url=http://www.gijoecon.com/in2013/guest13-ratner.cfm |title=International G.I. Joe Collectors' Convention – GIJoeCon 2012! |publisher=Gijoecon.com |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} His voice was used in numerous movie trailers, including Inside Out, Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory, Kung Fu Panda, Mike Myers's The Love Guru, Monsters vs. Aliens, and many more.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/movies/12heym.html?_r=0|title=In a World of Trailers, Unseen Stars|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 10, 2009 |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |last1=Heyman |first1=Stephen }} He narrates documentaries on Discovery Channel, A&E, The Weather Channel, History, and others. His voice is on Kings Quest, Grand Theft Auto IV, Mass Effect, and others, and he is the narrator in episodes of Ben 10 for the Cartoon Network. Ratner is also a voice-over announcer for television stations across the US.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711839/|title=Bill Ratner|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=March 2, 2014}}

His book, Parenting for the Digital Age: The Truth behind Media's Effect on Children and What To Do About It, winner of the National Indie Excellence Award{{cite web|url=http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-10th-winners.htm|title=Winners of the NIEA 2016 Awards!|publisher=|accessdate=January 23, 2017}} and a Next Generation Indie Book Award{{cite web|url=http://www.indiebookawards.com/winners|title=Next Generation Indie Book Awards|first=Next Generation Indie Book|last=Awards|publisher=|accessdate=January 23, 2017|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225103020/https://indiebookawards.com/winners|url-status=dead}} and Eric Hoffer Award{{cite web|url=http://www.hofferaward.com/Eric-Hoffer-Award-category-finalists.html#.V3P7hJMrLsE|title=Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalists|publisher=|accessdate=January 23, 2017}} finalist, is published by Familius.{{cite web|url=http://familius.com/parenting-for-the-digital-age |title=Parenting in the Digital Age |publisher=Familius |date=November 4, 2014 |accessdate=January 31, 2016}} His personal essays are published in the Baltimore Review,{{cite web|url=http://baltimorereview.org/index.php/spring_2013/contributor/bill-ratner |title=Bill Ratner: Of This Earth |publisher=Baltimorereview.org |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} Blue Lake Review{{cite web|url=http://bluelakereview.weebly.com/primal-screaming.html |title=Primal Screaming – Blue Lake Review |publisher=Bluelakereview.weebly.com |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} and The Missouri Review.{{cite web |url=http://www.missourireview.com/audiovisual/2011/12/17/2011-audio-contest-runner-up-bill-ratner/ |title=2011 Audio Contest Runner-up: Bill Ratner |publisher=Missourireview.com |date=December 17, 2011 |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107033852/http://www.missourireview.com/audiovisual/2011/12/17/2011-audio-contest-runner-up-bill-ratner/ |archive-date=November 7, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

Ratner's performances of his personal essays are featured on KCRW's Strangers{{cite web|url=http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/sg/sg121108bill_ratner_screamin |title=Bill Ratner: Screaming with Professionals – Strangers on KCRW 89.9 FM | Internet Public Radio Station Streaming Live Independent Music & NPR News Online from Los Angeles, CA |publisher=Kcrw.com |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} and National Public Radio's The Business.{{cite web|url=http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tb/tb110822the_drama_of_the_tv_ |title=The Drama of the TV Drama 'Damages;' The Business@The Moth 4 – The Business on KCRW 89.9 FM | Internet Public Radio Station Streaming Live Independent Music & NPR News Online from Los Angeles, CA |publisher=Kcrw.com |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} and Good Food.{{cite web|url=http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/gf/gf110820crack_pie_mark_bittm |title=Crack Pie, Mark Bittman, Good Food at The Moth – Good Food on KCRW 89.9 FM | Internet Public Radio Station Streaming Live Independent Music & NPR News Online from Los Angeles, CA |publisher=Kcrw.com |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} He tours nationally for storytelling conferences,{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment/53464218-81/ratner-voice-store-book.html.csp |title=Utah Local News – Salt Lake City News, Sports, Archive – The Salt Lake Tribune |publisher=Sltrib.com |date=February 9, 2012 |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} and festivals,{{cite web |url=http://www.wccls.org/festival/billratner |title=Art of the Story Festival: Bill Ratner | Washington County Cooperative Library Services |publisher=Wccls.org |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203053340/http://www.wccls.org/festival/billratner |archivedate=February 3, 2014 }} is a regular competitor in The Moth[http://www.themoth.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321182658/http://www.themoth.org/ |date=March 21, 2013 }} Story Slams in Los Angeles, is a nine-time Moth StorySLAM Winner, a National Storytelling Festival Story Slam teller-Jonesborough TN, a National Storytelling Network storyteller.{{cite web |url=http://blog.storynet.org/story-billratner#comment-221 |title=The Boy Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was | National Storytelling Network Blog |publisher=Blog.storynet.org |date=September 20, 2011 |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218212054/http://blog.storynet.org/story-billratner#comment-221 |archive-date=February 18, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

He is a contributing author of the book Secrets of Voiceover Success.{{cite web |url=http://www.sentientpublications.com/catalog/voiceover.php |title=Secrets of Voice-Over Success |publisher=Sentient Publications |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204020051/http://www.sentientpublications.com/catalog/voiceover.php |archivedate=February 4, 2014 }} He is a two-time winner of "Best of the Hollywood Fringe Festival Extension" – Solo Category for "Bobbywood: Whatever Happened to Bobby the Bellboy?"{{cite web|url=http://www.hff13.org/1191 |title=Hollywood Fringe – bobbywood: whatever happened to bobby the bellboy? |publisher=Hff13.org |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} in 2013 and Voices in my Head: A Life.{{cite web|url=http://www.lastagetimes.com/2012/08/the-voiceover-actor-finds-his-own-voice/ |title=The Voiceover Actor Finds His Own Voice |publisher=La Stage Times |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/674 |title=voices in my head: a life*** |publisher=Hollywood Fringe |date= |accessdate=March 2, 2014}} He is a member of Actors Equity Association, and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of TV & Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) where he teaches voiceover.{{cite web |url=http://www.sagfoundation.org/userhome/eventdetails/9591 |title=Event Details |publisher=SAG Foundation |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201184621/http://www.sagfoundation.org/userhome/eventdetails/9591 |archivedate=February 1, 2014 }}