john ratzenberger

John Dezso Ratzenberger was born on April 6, 1947, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He attended Sacred Heart University and began his performing arts career in London, England, where he lived for 10 years. In the 1970s, he formed the improvisational duo “Sal’s Meat Market” with Ray Hassett, touring throughout Europe. His early film career included roles in European productions such as “The Ritz” (1976), “A Bridge Too Far” (1977) as Lt. James Megellas, “Superman” (1978) as a missile controller, “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) as Major Bren Derlin, and “Gandhi” (1982) as an American lieutenant. Ratzenberger’s early life also saw him work as a heavy equipment operator at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

In 1982, Ratzenberger auditioned for a role in the sitcom “Cheers.” During the audition, he improvised the character of a bar know-it-all, leading to the creation of Cliff Clavin. He portrayed Cliff Clavin for the show’s entire 11-year run (1982–1993), earning two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985 and 1986. Following his success on “Cheers,” Ratzenberger became known for his extensive voice work in Pixar animated films. He is the only actor to voice a character in every Pixar feature film from “Toy Story” (1995) to “Onward” (2020), including iconic roles such as Hamm the piggy bank in the “Toy Story” franchise and Mack the truck in the “Cars” series. He continued his voice acting career with Skydance Animation in “Luck” (2022).

Beyond acting, Ratzenberger is a vocal advocate for American manufacturing and skilled labor. He authored the book “We’ve Got it Made in America,” and has addressed congressional committees on the importance of trades. He founded “Nuts & Bolts and Thingamajigs,” a foundation promoting manufacturing summer camps and scholarships, and was appointed to the President’s Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion in 2017. His entrepreneurial spirit is also evident in his co-founding of Eco-Pak Industries in 1989, which developed biodegradable packaging, and TheGiftBox.com, an online subscription box store launched in 2016. He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife, Julie Blichfeldt, whom he married in 2012.