Photo: David Shankbone / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have a soft spot for John Ratzenberger because he perfected something deceptively hard: being reliably, unobtrusively great. Cliff Clavin on Cheers could have been a one-joke barfly, yet he sustained the know-it-all mailman for over a decade and earned two Emmy nominations doing it. His long second act as a voice actor proves the point — a voice so trustworthy that studios kept calling. Born in working-class Bridgeport, he carries an everyman authenticity that cannot be taught. He will never headline a retrospective, but for me, character actors like him are the load-bearing walls of American comedy.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- John Ratzenberger
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョン・ラッツェンバーガー
- Reading
- じょん・らっつぇんばーがー
- Born
- April 6, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Boar
- Origin
- Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
- Height
- 177 cm
- Occupation
- voice actor / stage actor / film actor / television actor / screenwriter
2. Background
- University
- Sacred Heart University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Cheers | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was John Ratzenberger born?
Born April 6, 1947 (age 79).
Where is John Ratzenberger from?
John Ratzenberger is from Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States.
What does John Ratzenberger do?
John Ratzenberger works as voice actor, stage actor, film actor, television actor, screenwriter.
How tall is John Ratzenberger?
John Ratzenberger is 177 cm.
What is John Ratzenberger known for?
Notable works include Cheers.
Voice actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.