John Ratzenberger

John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947) is an American actor known best for his role as Cliff Clavin on the sitcom Cheers, earning him two Primetime Emmy nominations. Clavin was not just a character but a creation of Ratzenberger himself. Hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Ratzenberger embarked on an impressive entertainment career, mostly in London, where he lived during the 1970s. His credits include writing, acting in, and directing films and TV shows. On the set of Cheers, he suggested the character of Cliff Clavin and also conceptualized iconic elements of the character like Cliff's trademark white socks. Beyond television, Ratzenberger has made a significant impact through his extensive collaboration with Pixar, beginning with the role of Hamm in Toy Story (1995). Today, his filmography boasts an array of Pixar characters, from Hamm to Mack in the Cars franchise and Fritz in the Inside Out movies, making him the third-highest grossing actor of all time, including voice acting and cameos.

Ratzenberger's work extends to stage performance in Europe as part of a comedic theatrical duo Sal's Meat Market. Besides his other small and large screen credentials, he appeared in significant film projects across Europe, like A Bridge Too Far, Superman, Superman II, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Outland, and Gandhi. His voice work also includes reprising his iconic role of Cliff on The Simpsons, and contributing to several animated projects, especially under Pixar – Ratzenberger has voiced characters in all Pixar films from 1995 through 2020. Beyond Pixar, however, his work with Skydance Animation has been equally noteworthy, debuting with Rootie the bad luck root in the studio's first feature film Luck (2022). He's also the voice of Harland the jet tug in Disneytoon Studios' movie Planes (2013) and its sequel.