John Ratzenberger

John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947) is an American actor, voice actor, director, producer, writer and entrepreneur. He is one of the most successful actors of all time in terms of box-office receipts. Ratzenberger is known for portraying Cliff Clavin on the popular comedy series Cheers, for which he earned two Primetime Emmy nominations. He is the only voice actor to appear in every Pixar Animation Studios feature film, including Hamm in the Toy Story franchise, The Underminer in The Incredibles franchise, and Mack in the Cars franchise.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Ratzenberger began his entertainment career while living in London in the 1970s. He had minor film and television roles throughout the late 70s and early 1980s before creating, and then landing, the role of the know-it-all mailman Cliff Clavin on Cheers, a role he portrayed throughout the show's eleven seasons. His first Pixar role was the voice of Hamm in Toy Story, and he has voiced Pixar characters in films and video games ever since. From 2004 to 2008 he hosted the TV documentary series Made in America. Outside of acting, he has promoted American entrepreneurship and manufacturing, and campaigned for several Republican candidates.

Biography
Ratzenberger was born on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Bertha Veronica Ratzenberger (née Grochowski), who worked for Remington Arms, and Dezso Alexander Ratzenberger, a Texaco truck driver. His father was of Austrian and Hungarian descent, and his mother was of Polish ancestry. He attended St. Ann's School in Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. In 1969, Ratzenberger was a tractor operator at the Woodstock Festival. He moved to London in 1971 and stayed there for 10 years.

Ratzenberger played mail carrier Cliff Clavin on the sitcom Cheers. He had read for the part of Norm Peterson, but after the audition, he sensed that they were not going to give him the part. Sensing an opportunity, he asked if they had written a bar know-it-all, which the producers decided was a great idea. Ratzenberger also came up with the idea for Cliff's trademark white socks, which he wore as a tribute to French comedian Jacques Tati. Cliff became known for his outlandish stories of plausible half-truths, uninteresting trivia, and misinformation, and in general for being a pretentious blowhard. Cliff and Norm, the primary customer characters, became iconic bar buddies. Ratzenberger provided the voice for an animated version of Cliff on The Simpsons sixth-season episode "Fear of Flying". Ratzenberger was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985 and again in 1986.

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 was manufactured by his company Eco-Pak Industries, which he later sold.

Ratzenberger co-authored We've Got it Made in America: A Common Man's Salute to an Uncommon Country (ISBN 1-931722-84-6), published in 2006.

He also co-founded the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness among young people of skilled trades and engineering disciplines.

In 2010, Ratzenberger became affiliated with and now represents the Center for America (formerly the Foundation for Fair Civil Justice) to further develop his work and increase awareness about the skilled worker shortage facing the United States and the changes needed to positively impact and increase the number of skilled workers. He joined as a board member in 2010. CFA is a 501 nonprofit organization whose mission is to "educate, motivate, and empower the American people to understand they have the greatest stake in removing obstacles to a fair civil justice system, innovation, entrepreneurism, and job creation." CFA creates multi-media educational programs, publications, and website features that reach millions of Americans through radio, television, and the internet."

In 2016, Ratzenberger launched thegiftbox.com, an e-commerce website that allows customers to subscribe to a variety of monthly boxes.

Ratzenberger has two children, James John, and Nina Kathrine, both from a 19-year marriage to Georgia Stiny that ended in divorce in 2004.

After dating for nearly four years, Ratzenberger married Julie Blichfeldt on November 6, 2012. Both Ratzenberger and Blichfeldt are described as "avid outdoors enthusiasts, philanthropists, and activists"

Animated Shorts

 * Tiny Toy Stories (1996) - Hamm

Anime Films

 * Spirited Away (2001) - Aniyaku

Video Game Dubbing

 * Kingdom Hearts III (2019) - Hamm