John Ratzenberger

John Ratzenberger is a multi-Emmy-nominated actor, writer, director, producer, entrepreneur and longtime advocate for American manufacturing and the skilled trades. Best known as mail carrier Cliff Clavin on the landmark television series Cheers, he is also one of the most recognizable voices in animation, having brought to life Hamm in the Toy Story films, Mack in the Cars franchise and memorable characters throughout Pixar's history.

John began his career in the early 1970s, when he formed the improvisational theater duo Sal's Meat Market. The pair performed throughout Europe, including 634 consecutive performances. During those years, John also worked as a house framer, archery instructor and deckhand on a fishing boat. His experience in the trades allowed him to support himself while pursuing acting and later shaped his commitment to skilled labor.

In 1982, while in Los Angeles for a writing assignment, John auditioned for a role on a new NBC comedy called Cheers. As he was leaving the audition, he asked the show's creators, "Do you have a bar know-it-all?" He improvised the character in a Boston accent, and Cliff Clavin was born. John portrayed Cliff throughout the series' 11-season run, earning two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Decades later, Cheers and Cliff remain fixtures of American television.

For more than 25 years, John was known as Pixar's good-luck charm, voicing a character in each of the studio's first 22 feature films, from Toy Story through Onward. His best-known characters include Hamm in the Toy Story films, Mack in the Cars franchise, Yeti in Monsters, Inc., P.T. Flea in A Bug's Life and the Underminer in The Incredibles. He returned as Fritz in Inside Out 2 and as Hamm in Toy Story 5, released in June 2026.

John has continued his animation work with Skydance Animation. His recent credits include Rootie in Luck, Milo in Spellbound, Caruncle in the Apple TV+ series WondLa and Elder Javan in the Netflix feature Swapped. He has also recorded a role in Brad Bird's animated science fiction film Ray Gunn. His live-action film credits include Superman, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Gandhi and The Woodcarver.

Beyond entertainment, John is a prominent advocate for American manufacturing, vocational education and the skilled trades. He hosted and produced the Travel Channel series John Ratzenberger's Made in America, spending five years visiting factories and communities across the country. Those experiences inspired his book, We've Got It Made in America: A Common Man's Salute to an Uncommon Country.

John has addressed the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus, the House Small Business Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee about the need to strengthen America's skilled workforce. He has worked with leaders from both parties to promote trades education, apprenticeships for returning veterans and the return of manufacturing jobs to the United States. In 2017, he was appointed to the President's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, which developed recommendations for expanding apprenticeship programs in industries facing worker shortages.

"Our country's infrastructure is falling apart and there aren't enough skilled tradesmen to fill the jobs. Parents are encouraging their kids to go deep into debt to pay for a college education while more than half of our graduates are working jobs that don't require a college degree," John has said. He also emphasizes that students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math need experience in welding, machining, carpentry and other manual arts to turn ideas into tangible products.

He also helped establish Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, a foundation that supports manufacturing summer camps and scholarships designed to introduce young people to careers in the trades. After the program was established, its operation was transferred to the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association.

"My mother used to give me old radios and toasters," John recalled. "She told us to take them apart and put them back together. Growing up, everyone we knew could make something and knew how to fix things."

John credits that early, hands-on problem-solving experience with inspiring his work as an entrepreneur. He later co-founded Eco-Pak Industries and helped develop a biodegradable, recycled-paper alternative to foam packaging. The material became widely known for the accordion-cut paper often used to cushion products and fill gift bags.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, John attended St. Ann's School and Sacred Heart University. Away from work, he enjoys sailing, fishing, shooting and billiards. He also plays the drums and has performed with an Emerald Society bagpipe band.