John Ratzenberger
{{short description|American actor (born 1947)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| image = John Ratzenberger (27978487885) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Ratzenberger in 2016
| birth_name = John Dezso Ratzenberger{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/158252%7C192988/John-Ratzenberger/#overview | title=John Ratzenberger }}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|4|6}}
| birth_place = Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
| alma_mater = Sacred Heart University
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1973–present
| agent = {{plainlist|
- Saskia Delp-Kullock
- Global Artists
}}
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Georgia Stiny|1984|2004|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Julie Blichfeldt|November 2012}}}}
| children = 2
| party = Republican
| honours = PhD, Humane Letters, Sacred Heart University
| website = {{URL|Ratzenberger.com}}
}}
John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947)[http://www.ratzenberger.com/about-john.php About John] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409020908/http://www.ratzenberger.com/about-john.php |date=April 9, 2010 }} from Ratzenberger's official website is an American actor. He is best known for playing the character Cliff Clavin on the comedy series Cheers, for which he earned two Primetime Emmy nominations. Ratzenberger reprised the role in the short-lived spin-off The Tortellis, an episode of Wings, as well as in an episode of Frasier. He has voiced various characters in several Pixar animated feature films including Hamm in the Toy Story franchise, The Abominable Snowman in the Monsters, Inc. franchise, Mack in the Cars franchise, The Underminer in The Incredibles franchise, Fritz in the Inside Out franchise, and many others.
Ratzenberger began his entertainment career while living in London in the 1970s. He acted in and wrote film and television through the 1970s and early 1980s before returning to America. At an audition for a role in a new sitcom, Ratzenberger created the character of Cliff Clavin. Cheers (1982–1993) was a success and went on to run for 11 years. After Cheers, he began voicing characters for Pixar; Ratzenberger's first role was Hamm in Pixar's debut feature film Toy Story (1995), and he would continue to voice characters in many subsequent Pixar films. Including voice acting and cameos, he is the third highest-grossing actor of all time.
Early life
John Dezso Ratzenberger was born on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947,{{Cite web|url=https://tlarsen2.tripod.com/thomaslarsen/easterdates.html|title=Easter Sunday Dates 1700 - 2299|website=tlarsen2.tripod.com}} in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Bertha Veronica (née Grochowski), and Dezso Alexander Ratzenberger, a WWII veteran who had been a combat engineer in the Philippines.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/91/John-Ratzenberger.html John Ratzenberger Biography (1947–)] from filmreference.com{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1545936_20015453,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328173150/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1545936_20015453,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2007|title=Last Night's Dancing with the Stars: What You Didn't See|work=People}} John's father, Dezso, was of Austrian and Hungarian descent, and John's mother was of Polish ancestry.{{cite web|url=http://www.ratzenberger.net/genealogy/databases/descendants_of_daniel_ratzenberger/d1.htm#i551|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012165535/http://www.ratzenberger.net/genealogy/databases/descendants_of_daniel_ratzenberger/d1.htm#i551|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-10-12|title=The Ratzenberger Attic}} Ratzenberger attended St. Ann's School and Bassick High School in Bridgeport and then Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. In 1969, Ratzenberger worked at the Woodstock Festival as a heavy equipment operator and as part of the crew building the stage.{{cite video|date =May 8, 2008|title =The Mark Levin Show|url =mms://abcrad.wmod.llnwd.net/a49/external/0102cABAAHQAAAAcDle6yKhvE1c0LnEJnNwFajD8QD92LOnSD/levin/levin_insider/levin05082008.wma|format =wma|medium =Radio|access-date =December 6, 2008}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} John moved to London in 1971, where he began his acting, writing, and directing career.
Career
File:Made in America film set.jpg
Ratzenberger began his career in the performing arts while living in London, England. Through the 1970s, he performed with Ray Hassett as the comedic theatrical duo Sal's Meat Market, which toured throughout Europe for eight years.{{cite web|url=http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/history/companies/sals-meat-market/ |title=Sal's Meat Market | work=Unfinishedhistories.com |access-date=2016-12-20}} Sal's Meat Market heavily influenced Peter Richardson and Nigel Planer as a duo in The Outer Limits and in The Comic Strip.{{cite book|last=Wilmut|first= Roger|title=Didn't You Kill My Mother in Law?- the story of alternative comedy in Britain from the Comedy Store to Saturday Night Live|year=1989|publisher=Methuen|location=UK|isbn=0-413-17390-9|page=58|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mrQqAAAAMAAJ}} His first role in a major feature film was as a patron in The Ritz (1976). Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ratzenberger appeared in various roles in feature films throughout Europe including: A Bridge Too Far, filmed in Holland, as Lieutenant James Megellas; Superman, as a missile controller; Superman II, as the NASA control man; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as Major Derlin; Outland as a doomed mine worker named Tarlow; and Gandhi, filmed in India, playing an American lieutenant.
= ''Cheers'' =
Ratzenberger played mail carrier Cliff Clavin on the sitcom Cheers. As an improv artist, he asked the producers if they had written a bar know-it-all character; the producers decided it was a great idea, and the character of Cliff Clavin was born.Toasting Cheers, Dennis A. Bjorklund, p.7 Ratzenberger also came up with the idea for Cliff's trademark white socks, which he wore as a tribute to French comedian Jacques Tati.[http://joecookprogram.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/john-ratzenberger-interview/ The Joe Cook Program (Radio)]. July 26, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2012. Cliff became known for his outlandish stories, trivia, and his trademarked (and oft repeated), "It's a little known fact..." Cliff and Norm, the primary customer characters of the iconic bar, Cheers, played buddies who met at Cheers to talk about the day or nothing in particular. Ratzenberger was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985 and again in 1986.{{Cite news|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1985/outstanding-supporting-actor-in-a-comedy-series|title=Nominees/Winners|work=Television Academy|access-date= 2018-01-30|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1986/outstanding-supporting-actor-in-a-comedy-series|title= Nominees/Winners|work=Television Academy|access-date=2018-01-30|language=en}} Ratzenberger provided the voice for an animated version of Cliff on The Simpsons sixth-season episode "Fear of Flying". He also played the role in the short-lived spin-off The Tortellis and in an episode of Wings, which was made by the same creators.
=Voice work=
Ratzenberger has contributed voice work for several animated projects, most notably Pixar productions.
Ratzenberger has voiced characters in 23 Pixar films.[http://www.slate.com/id/2257378/ "Pixar's secret weapon: John Ratzenberger], Slate.com His roles include:
- Hamm the piggy bank in the Toy Story series (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)
- P.T. Flea, the Circus Ring Leader in A Bug's Life (1998)
- Yeti the Abominable Snowman in the Monsters, Inc. series (2001, 2013)
- The school of Moonfish in Finding Nemo (2003)
- The Underminer in The Incredibles series (2004, 2018)
- Mack the truck in the Cars series (2006, 2011, 2017)
- Mustafa the waiter in Ratatouille (2007)
- John the Axiom passenger in WALL-E (2008)
- Tom the construction worker in Up (2009)
- Gordon the Dunbroch palace guard in Brave (2012)
- Fritz the mind worker in the Inside Out series (2015, 2024)
- Earl the Velociraptor in The Good Dinosaur (2015)
- Bill the crab in Finding Dory (2016)
- Juan Ortodoncia the deceased dental patient in Coco (2017)
- Fennwick the cyclops construction worker in Onward (2020)
According to Ratzenberger, Pixar's tradition of including him as a good luck charm in every film beginning with the studio's first film, Toy Story, was due to him being good friends with former Pixar filmmaker John Lasseter,{{Cite web|last=Milo|first=Mr|date=2024-05-18|title=EXCLUSIVE: JOHN RATZENBERGER REVEALS WHY HE STOPPED DOING PIXAR CAMEOS
|url=https://www.piratesandprincesses.net/exclusive-john-ratzenberger-reveals-why-he-stopped-doing-pixar-cameos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exclusive-john-ratzenberger-reveals-why-he-stopped-doing-pixar-cameos|access-date=2024-06-20|website=Pirates & Princesses|language=en-US}} who directed or executive-produced each of the first 20 Pixar films. Ratzenberger's tenure at Pixar was parodied during the end credits of Cars, where his character, Mack, watches car-themed versions of Pixar films (Toy Car Story, Monster Trucks, Inc., and A Bug's Life, the latter of which references the Volkswagen Beetle). Mack notes that all the characters that John Ratzenberger has played had excellent voice actors until he realizes that they are performed by the same actor, at which point he remarks, "They're just using the same actor over and over," and asks, "What kind of a cut-rate production is this?!" Ratzenberger stated his favorite Pixar role was Hamm from the Toy Story series,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yOqXCiR5FIw|title=John Ratzenberger sharing his favorite character he has voiced and doing an impression|website=YouTube Shorts|date=August 1, 2022|access-date=June 20, 2024}} and he has given honorable mention to P.T. Flea from A Bug's Life.{{Cite web|title=What's John Ratzenberger's Favorite Pixar Voice?|url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/john-ratzenbergers-favorite-pixar-voice-27763099|date=December 22, 2014|access-date=June 20, 2024|website=Good Morning America}}
Following Lasseter's exit from Pixar, Ratzenberger revealed he was not a fan of the regime that replaced Lasseter or the studio's subsequent films, claiming "[...] they suck", and was critical of the political messaging that he felt was being placed in the films.{{Cite web|date=2025-03-05|last=Borg|first=Max|title=When Pixar Lost Its Lucky Charm|url=https://crookedmarquee.com/when-pixar-lost-its-lucky-charm/|access-date=2025-03-06|website=Crooked Marquee |language=en-US}} Pixar's 23rd feature film, Soul (2020), was the first Pixar film that did not involve Ratzenberger himself, though it featured a character animated in his likeness as a cameo according to the film's co-director Kemp Powers;{{cite news|title= The John Ratzenberger Easter Egg in Pixar's 'Soul' has Been Found!|url=https://www.pixarpost.com/2021/01/john-ratzenberger-soul-easter-egg.html|access-date=January 5, 2020|newspaper=Pixar Post|date=January 1, 2020|author=Julie & T.J.}} the cameo was also confirmed by director Pete Docter on the film's audio commentary track. After having voiced a character in every Pixar film from Toy Story (1995) through Onward (2020), Ratzenberger would not have another role in any Pixar film until their 28th feature film, Inside Out 2 (2024).{{cite web|last=Palmer|first=Roger|date=March 7, 2024|title=First Look At Pixar's "Inside Out 2" New Emotions |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/first-look-at-pixars-inside-out-2-new-emotions/|access-date=March 7, 2024|website=What's On Disney Plus?}}
Ratzenberger has continued to work with Lasseter, who produces all feature films and executive-produces all series at Skydance Animation.{{Cite web|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=February 17, 2021|title=Apple & Skydance Animation Set Multi-Year Feature Film & TV Deal|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/apple-skydance-animation-set-multi-year-feature-tv-deal-1234695506/|access-date=June 20, 2024|website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}} His roles include:
- Rootie the bad luck root in Luck (2022),{{cite web |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |title=Skydance, Apple Push Back 'Luck' to August, Set Additional Voice Cast |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/skydance-apple-luck-aug-5-1235081549/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 3, 2022 |date=January 26, 2022}} the studio's first feature film
- Caruncle the alien in the first season of WondLa (2024),{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjlmCQ6-BDc&t=4m5s|title=Teri Hatcher, Jeanine Mason: WondLa Cast & Creatives Talk Stunning Animation, Sci-Fi World, & More|website=YouTube|date=June 14, 2024|access-date=June 20, 2024}} the studio's first series
- Milo the monster handler in Spellbound (2024),{{Cite web|last=Reif|first=Alex|date=2024-11-21|title=From "Shrek" to "Spellbound:" Vicky Jensen Discusses Her Return to Animated Fairytales |url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/entertainment/spellbound-vicky-jensen-interview/|access-date=2024-11-21|website=LaughingPlace.com|language=en-US}} the studio's second feature film
Aside from the Pixar and Skydance productions, Ratzenberger voiced Harland the jet tug in Disneytoon Studios' Planes (2013){{cite news|last=Hill|first=Jim|title=World premiere of Disney "Planes" turns Hollywood Boulevard into a celebrity-filled landing strip|url=http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2013/08/06/disney-quot-planes-quot-world-premiere.aspx|access-date=January 24, 2014|newspaper=Jim Hill Media|date=August 6, 2013}} and Brodi the plane in its sequel, Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014),{{cite web|title=Planes Fire & Rescue (2014)|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/53c99d98514fb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514084301/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/53c99d98514fb|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 14, 2015|publisher=British Film Institute| access-date= August 24, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/03/25/planes-dane-cook/1998599/|title=Look! Up in the sky! It's an exclusive peek at 'Planes'!| work= USA Today}} which are spin-offs of Pixar's Cars series and executive-produced by Lasseter.{{cite news|title=Disney's "Planes" Hi-res Stills, Fun Facts and Activity Sheets|url=http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-planes-stills-fun-facts-activity-sheets-62551/|access-date= May 11, 2013|newspaper=Stitch Kingdom|date=May 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630145040/http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-planes-stills-fun-facts-activity-sheets-62551/|archive-date=June 30, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} Additionally, Ratzenberger provided the voice for Aniyaku the assistant manager in the English dub version of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away (2002),{{cite web|url=https://jimhillmedia.com/the-making-of-hayao-miyazakis-spirited-away-part-3/|title=The Making of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" — Part 3|last1=Hill|first1=Jim|newspaper=Jim Hill Media|date=16 April 2003|access-date=3 March 2024}} which Lasseter also executive-produced.
Ratzenberger also reprised his role as Yeti (now named Adorable) and voiced a new character named Bernard in the Disney Television Animation series Monsters at Work, which is set after the main events of Pixar's Monsters, Inc.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/monsters-voice-cast-return-disney-series-1200367/|title='Monsters, Inc.' Voice Cast to Return for Disney+ Series (Exclusive)|first=Lesley|last=Goldberg|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 9, 2019}}
Personal life
Ratzenberger lived in London for 10 years.{{cite web | url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/revealed-cheers-star-john-ratzenbergers-1051299 | title=Revealed: Cheers star John Ratzenberger's secret love.. The bagpipes | date=February 22, 2010 }} Since 1994, he has lived in Vashon, Washington.{{cite news |last=Payne |first=Patti |date=August 26, 2016 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/08/26/patti-paynes-cool-pads-4m-vashon-island-waterfront.html |title=Patti Payne's Cool Pads: $4M Vashon Island waterfront compound 'Cheers' actor John Ratzenberger built hits market |work=Puget Sound Business Journal}} Ratzenberger married Georgia Stiny in 1984; during their 20-year marriage they had two children together before divorcing in 2004. He then married Julie Blichfeldt in November 2012.{{cite web|title=John Ratzenberger weds Julie Blichfeldt|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2012/11/30/John-Ratzenberger-weds-Julie-Blichfeldt/UPI-23841354326181/|publisher=UPI|access-date=September 19, 2014|date=November 30, 2012}}
Ratzenberger developed a packaging-alternatives product made from biodegradable and non-toxic recycled paper as a safe alternative to foam peanuts and plastic bubble wrap. This product, SizzlePak, was manufactured by his company Eco-Pak Industries, which Ratzenberger co-founded in 1989.{{cite web |last1=Bukro |first1=Casey |title=Packaging Gets Leaner, 'Greener'At Technology Expo |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-11-10-9204120054-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=4 June 2020 |date=November 10, 1992 |quote="I jumped on the environmental bandwagon in 1967", says Ratzenberger, who in 1989 co-founded Eco-Pak Industries in Kent, Wash.}} In 1992, he sold Eco-Pack to Ranpak Corp.
=Political views=
Ratzenberger is a Republican. During the 2008 presidential race, Ratzenberger campaigned for John McCain, appearing with former Cheers co-star Kelsey Grammer at several Republican party events.Ratzenberger and Grammer greeted McCain supporters, called voters on behalf of the Republican ticket, participated in voter-registration activities at the local campaign headquarters, and held a McCain victory rally in Henderson, Nevada. {{cite news|url=http://www.lvrj.com/news/30835704.html|title= Political emissaries descend on valley: Richardson, Grammer rally voters at events|publisher=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=October 11, 2008|access-date=October 16, 2008}}{{cite news|url=http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9161824&nav=15MUUi4B|title=Stars stump in Las Vegas Valley|publisher=NBC-affiliated KVBC website|date=October 11, 2008|access-date=October 16, 2008|archive-date=December 20, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220060840/http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9161824&nav=15MUUi4B|url-status=dead}} Ratzenberger was outspoken in opposition of the 2010 health care reform bill, referring to it as socialism.{{cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/05/tea-party-activists-hit-the-hill-arrested-outside-pelosis-office/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107063752/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/05/tea-party-activists-hit-the-hill-arrested-outside-pelosis-office/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2009|title= Tea Party activists hit the Hill, arrested outside Pelosi's office|publisher= CNN Political Ticker|date=November 5, 2009|access-date=November 5, 2009}} On January 17, 2010, he appeared and endorsed Scott Brown for the United States Senate at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ratzenberger campaigned for Republican Josh Mandel of Ohio for state treasurer in 2010 and served as master of ceremonies for Mandel's inauguration into the position in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.the-review.com/story/news/2011/01/11/cheer-s-john-ratzenberger/19252850007/|title='Cheer's' John Ratzenberger helps treasurer take oath|work=The Alliance Review|date=January 10, 2011}} He considered running for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2012.{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/69137852.html?page=1&c=y|title=Pawlenty draws wallets fat ... and famous|author=Rachel E. Stassen-Berger|work=Minneapolis Star Tribune|date=November 5, 2009|access-date=November 6, 2009|archive-date=July 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725073147/http://www.startribune.com/politics/69137852.html?page=1&c=y|url-status=dead}}
Ratzenberger endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012.[https://archive.today/20130128150443/http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21877306/obama-romney-turn-star-power-help-nv Obama, Romney turn to star power for help in NV – San Jose Mercury News] He appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto to support Donald Trump's candidacy during the 2016 presidential race, shortly after Trump was declared the presumptive Republican nominee.{{cite news|url=http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/05/11/pixar-voice-actor-john-ratzenberger-supports-donald-trump|title='The Only Candidate for Me': Pixar Icon Throws Support Behind Donald Trump|work=Fox News Insider|date=May 11, 2016|access-date=November 18, 2016}} He praised his performance as president in 2017, saying he had done "a wonderful job as far as manufacturing is concerned".{{cite web|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-critics-will-apologize-in-four-years-cheers-actor-john-ratzenberger|title=Trump critics will apologize in four years: 'Cheers' actor John Ratzenberger|work=Fox Business|date=August 15, 2017}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ratzenberger expressed his support for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 2020 via Cameo and suggested people who wished to help them donate and buy presents for Christmas early.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/08/17/usps-postal-service-taylor-swift-tom-hanks-mark-hamill/5598559002/|title='The Postman' star Kevin Costner calls for US Postal Service support amid mail-in voting concerns|first=Hannah|last=Yasharoff|website=USA Today}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/john-ratzenberger-played-mailman-cliff-201436525.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819195443/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/john-ratzenberger-played-mailman-cliff-201436525.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 19, 2020|title=Rolling Stone on Yahoo! - "John Ratzenberger, Who Played Mailman Cliff on 'Cheers,' Has a Plan to Help USPS"}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes | |||
| 1976 | The Ritz | Patron | |
| rowspan = "3" |1977 | Twilight's Last Gleaming | Sgt. Kopecki | |
| A Bridge Too Far | Lt. James Megellas | ||
| Valentino | Newshound | ||
| rowspan = "2" | 1978 | Warlords of Atlantis | Fenn | |
| Superman | Missile controller | ||
| rowspan = "4" | 1979 | Hanover Street | Sergeant John Lucas | |
| Arabian Adventure | Achmed | ||
| Yanks | Corporal Cook | ||
| The Bitch | Hal Leonard | ||
| rowspan = "3" | 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Major Bren Derlin | |
| Motel Hell | Drummer | ||
| Superman II | Controller No. 1 | ||
| rowspan = "4" | 1981 | Outland | Tarlow | |
| Ragtime | Policeman | ||
| Reds | Communist Leader | ||
| The Good Soldier | Jimmy | ||
| rowspan = "3" | 1982 | Battletruck | Rusty | AKA Warlords of the 21st Century |
| Firefox | Chief Peck | ||
| Gandhi | American Lieutenant | ||
| 1984 | Protocol | Security Guard on TV | rowspan = "2" | Uncredited |
| 1985 | The Falcon and the Snowman | Detective | |
| rowspan="2" | 1987 | House II: The Second Story | Bill Towner: Electrician & Adventurer | |
| Timestalkers | General Joe Brodsky | ||
| 1988 | She's Having a Baby | Himself | |
| 1995 | Toy Story | Hamm | Voice |
| rowspan = "3" | 1997 | That Darn Cat | Dusty | |
| Bad Day on the Block | Al Calavito | ||
| One Night Stand | Phil | ||
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | P.T. Flea | rowspan="6" | Voice |
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | Hamm | |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Yeti | |
| 2002 | Spirited Away | Aniyaku | |
| 2003 | Finding Nemo | Fish School | |
| 2004 | The Incredibles | The Underminer | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2006 | Something New | Brian's Father | |
| Cars | Mack; Hamm Truck, Abominable Snowplow, P.T. Flea Car | Voice; Additional Voices | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2007 | Ratatouille | Mustafa | Voice |
| Your Friend the Rat | P.T. Flea | Voice; Short film; direct-to-video; archive footage from A Bug's Life | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2008 | The Village Barbershop | Art Leroldi | |
| WALL-E | John | rowspan = "3" | Voice | |
| 2009 | Up | Construction Foreman Tom | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2010 | Toy Story 3 | Hamm | |
| What If... | Mike | ||
| rowspan = "3" | 2011 | Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation | Hamm | Voice; Short film |
| Cars 2 | Mack | Voice | |
| Toy Story Toons: Small Fry | Hamm | Voice; Short film | |
| rowspan = "3" | 2012 | The Woodcarver | Ernest | |
| Brave | Gordon | Voice | |
| Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex | Hamm | Voice; Short film | |
| rowspan = "4" | 2013 | Monsters University | Yeti | rowspan = "2" | Voice |
| Planes | Harland | ||
| Super Buddies | Marvin "Gramps" Livingstone | Direct-to-video | |
| [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3040412/ In the Name of God] | Reverend Thomas | ||
| 2014 | Planes: Fire & Rescue | Brodie | Voice |
| rowspan = "3" | 2015 | Russell Madness | Mick Vaughn | |
| Inside Out | Fritz | rowspan = "3" | Voice | |
| The Good Dinosaur | Earl | ||
| rowspan = "2" | 2016 | Finding Dory | Husband Crab (Bill) | |
| Pup Star{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/John-Ratzenberger/|title = John Ratzenberger (Visual voices guide)}} | Mutt | rowspan = "2" | Voice; direct-to-video | |
| rowspan = "3" | 2017 | Pup Star: Better 2Gether | Salty | |
| Cars 3 | Mack | rowspan="2" | Voice | |
| Coco | Juan Ortodoncia | ||
| rowspan = "2" | 2018 | Shifting Gears | Conrad Baines | |
| Incredibles 2 | The Underminer | rowspan="6" | Voice | |
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 | Hamm | |
| 2020 | Onward | Construction Worker Fennwick | |
| 2022 | Luck | Rootie | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2024 | Inside Out 2 | Fritz | |
| Spellbound | Milo the Monster Handler |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes | |||
| 1979 | Secret Army | Staff Sergeant Drexler | Episode: "The Execution" |
| 1980 | ITV Playhouse | Tom Phillips | Episode: "Friends in Space" |
| rowspan = "4" | 1981 | The Good Soldier | Jimmy | rowspan = "2" | Television film |
| Goliath Awaits | Bill Sweeney | ||
| Private Schulz | American Newsreel Commentator | Uncredited voice; episode #1.5 | |
| Code Red | Inspector Ray Allen | Episode: "All That Glitters" | |
| 1982 | Hill Street Blues | Phony Cop | Episode: "Some Like it Hot-Wired" |
| 1982–93 | Cheers | Cliff Clavin | 274 episodes; directed 4 episodes |
| 1983 | Wizards and Warriors | Archie | Episode: "The Dungeon of Death" |
| 1984 | Magnum, P.I. | Walt Brewster | Episode: "The Legacy of Garwood Huddle" |
| rowspan = "2" | 1985 | St. Elsewhere | Cliff Clavin | Episode: "Cheers" |
| The Love Boat | Marty Elder | Episode: "A Day in Port" | |
| 1986 | Combat Academy | Mr. Barnett | rowspan = "2" | Television film |
| rowspan = "2" | 1987 | Timestalkers | General Joe Brodsky | |
| The Tortellis | Cliff Clavin | Episode: "Frankie Comes to Dinner" | |
| rowspan = "2" | 1988 | Small World | Morris Zapp | 6 episodes |
| Mickey's 60th Birthday | rowspan = "4" | Cliff Clavin | Television film | |
| rowspan = "4" | 1990 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Episode: "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration" | |
| Wings | Episode: "The Story of Joe" | ||
| The Earth Day Special | rowspan = "2" | Television film | ||
| Camp Cucamonga | Marvin Schector | ||
| 1990–92 | Captain Planet and the Planeteers | Rigger | Voice; 24 episodes |
| 1992 | Nurses | Mr. Hafner | Episode: "Illicit Transfers" |
| 1993 | Bill Nye the Science Guy | Host of Ferns | Episode: “Dinosaurs" |
| 1993 | Moon Over Miami | Norman Rust | Episode: "Farewell, My Lovelies" |
| 1994, 2014 | The Simpsons | Cliff Clavin, CGI Homer Simpson | Voices; 2 episodes: "Fear of Flying", "Treehouse of Horror XXV" |
| rowspan = "2" | 1995 | Murphy Brown | Felix | Episode: "A Rat's Tale" |
| Sister, Sister | Gus Kiamilikimaka | 2 episodes | |
| rowspan = "2" | 1996 | Caroline in the City | Mr. Berman | Episode: "Caroline and Richard's Mom" |
| Toy Story Treats | Hamm | Voice; Interstitials | |
| rowspan = "3" | 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Hinky | Voice; episode: "The Pied Piper" |
| Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Bob/Santa Claus | Episode: "Sabrina Claus" | |
| The Detectives | Edsel | Episode: "Go West Old Man" | |
| 1998 | Remember WENN | Mr. Abernathy | Episode: "And If I Die Before I Sleep" |
| rowspan = "2" | 2000 | Touched by an Angel | Merl | Episode: "Monica's Bad Day" |
| Pigs Next Door | Ike Stump | Recurring voice | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2001 | That '70s Show | Glen | Episode: "Holy Craps" |
| The Drew Carey Show | Himself/Various | Episode: "Drew Live III" | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2002 | Frasier | Cliff Clavin | Episode: "Cheerful Goodbyes" |
| The Pennsylvania Miners' Story | Thomas "Tucker" Foy | Television film | |
| 2003 | 8 Simple Rules | Fred Doyle | 4 episodes |
| 2004–08 | Made in America | rowspan="2" | Himself | Host; 97 episodes |
| rowspan = "2" | 2006 | Rodney | Episode: "Celebrity" | |
| Mystery Woman: Redemption | Jim Carter | rowspan="2" | Hallmark movie | |
| 2008 | Our First Christmas | Joe Noll | |
| 2011 | Melissa & Joey | Arnie | Episode: "A House Divided" |
| 2012 | Matchmaker Santa | George | Hallmark movie |
| 2012–14 | Drop Dead Diva | Larry Kaswell | 3 episodes |
| rowspan = "2" | 2013 | Bones | Bill Schumacher | Episode: "The Cheat in the Retreat" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Stu Kirchoff | Episode: "Torch Song" | |
| rowspan = "2" | 2013, 2014 | Legit | Walter Nugent | 10 episodes |
| Franklin & Bash | Judge Elliot Reid | 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | How Murray Saved Christmas | Officer Bender | Voice; television special |
| rowspan = "2" | 2015 | The McCarthys | Charlie Ellis | Episode: "Hall of Fame" |
| Hell's Kitchen | Himself | Episode: "11 Chefs Compete" | |
| 2017 | Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures | Major Bren Derlin | Voice; episode: "The Storms of Taul" |
| rowspan = "3" | 2019 | Mom | Stan | Episode: "Audrey Hepburn and a Jalapeño Pepper"{{cite web|title=Mom - Episode 7.01 - Audrey Hepburn and a Jalepeño Pepper - Promos + Press Release|url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/08/mom-episode-701-audrey-hepburn-and.html|website=SpoilerTV|access-date=October 3, 2019}} |
| The Goldbergs | Digby Yates | Episode: "Food in a Geoffy"{{cite web|last=Dawn|first=Randee|title=A mini-'Cheers' reunion is coming to TV! See the pics|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/mini-cheers-reunion-coming-goldbergs-t162763|website=Today|access-date=September 18, 2019|date=September 17, 2019}} | |
| Forky Asks a Question | Hamm | Voice; Short films: "What is Money?", "What is a Friend?" | |
| rowspan=2|2020 | Just Roll with It | Grandpa | 4 episodes |
| Bob Hearts Abishola | Hank | Episode: "Randy's a Wrangler" | |
| 2021–24 | Monsters at Work | Adorable (Yeti) / Bernard | Voices; 8 episodes |
| 2023 | Poker Face | Abe | Episode: "The Night Shift" |
| 2024 | WondLa | Caruncle | Voice; Episodes: "Chapter 3: Bargain", "Chapter 4: Ghosts" |
= Video games =
| class="wikitable" | ||
| style="background:#b0c4; text-align:center;"
! Year !! Title !! Voice role | ||
| 1995 | Toy Story | rowspan = "5" | Hamm |
| rowspan = "2" | 1996 | Toy Story: Activity Center | |
| Disney's Animated Storybook: Toy Story | ||
| 1999 | Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue | |
| 2001 | Toy Story Racer | |
| 2002 | Monsters, Inc. | Yeti |
| 2004 | Trivial Pursuit: Unhinged | Himself |
| 2005 | The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer | The Underminer |
| 2006 | Cars | rowspan = "2" | Mack |
| 2009 | Cars Race-O-Rama | |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3: The Video Game | rowspan = "6" | Hamm |
| 2012 | Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure | |
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | |
| 2014 | Disney Infinity 2.0 | |
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | |
| 2016 | Disney Magic Kingdoms | |
| 2018 | Lego The Incredibles | The Underminer |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | Hamm |
=Musical=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| style="background:#b0c4; text-align:center;"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes | |||
| 2008–16 | Toy Story: The Musical | Hamm | Voice |
Production credits
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Crown Court | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | rowspan = "3" | 1 episode |
| 1980 | ITV Playhouse | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| 1990 | Sydney | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | |
| 1988–91 | Cheers | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | rowspan = "2" | 4 episodes |
| 1990, 1991 | Down Home | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | |
| rowspan = "4" | 1994 | Madman of the People | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | 3 episodes |
| Locals | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | TV Movie | |
| Evening Shade | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | rowspan = "3" | 1 episode | |
| Sister, Sister | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | ||
| rowspan="2" | 1996 | Pearl | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | |
| The World's Most Incredible Animal Rescues | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | rowspan = "3" | TV Special | |
| 1997 | The World's Most Incredible Animal Rescues: Part 2 | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1998 | The World's Most Incredible Animal Rescues: Part 3 | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2010 | Industrial Tsunami | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | Documentary |
Awards and nominations
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|John Ratzenberger}}
- [https://ratzenberger.com/ Official website]
- {{IMDb name|1652}}
- {{tcmdb name|id=158252|name=John Ratzenberger}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratzenberger, John}}
Category:20th-century American male actors
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Category:American male comedians
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Category:American male television actors
Category:American male video game actors
Category:American male voice actors
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Category:American sketch comedians
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Category:Comedians from Connecticut
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Category:Male actors from Bridgeport, Connecticut
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