Actor John Ratzenberger was born on April 6, 1947 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A graduate of Sacred Heart University, he began his career in the mid-1970s, appearing in several movies such as Superman, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Gandhi. He also appeared as a guest on television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Secret Army and Private Schulz.
However, Ratzenberger is best known for his role as mail carrier Cliff Calvin in the classic sitcom Cheers. He originally auditioned for the role of Norm Peterson, which eventually went to George Wendt. He was rejected, but quickly asked the show’s producers whether they have written a bar know-it-all. The idea clicked, and he found himself taking on the role. The character is known for his outrageous stories of irrelevant trivia, half-truths and other random information. The character, along with Norm, became somewhat iconic in the program.
Ratzenberger was part of Cheers in its entire run, and also played his role in the last Cheers reunion program on its spin-off Frasier, as well as on The Simpsons. He was critical of Frasier, however, because he believed it lacked the working-class appeal that its predecessor had; thus, he didn’t appear in the show’s other episodes, like his fellow cast members.
After Cheers, he continued taking on guest roles on television, but his most significant work during the period is not seen by the eye. Ratzenberger has been part of the cast of every Pixar film, beginning from 1995’s Toy Story. One of the animation studio’s directors, Andrew Stanton, even claimed that Pixar has a rule stating that Ratzenberger must appear in all of their films; he has voiced prominent roles in A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc. and Cars.
Ratzenberger was also a participant in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars, acting as the replacement for Vincent Pastore. Paired up with professional Edyta Sliwinska, he entered with the least experience, but was nevertheless the sixth eliminated from the show.
