Cheers Vet John Ratzenberger to Play Ball With CBS’ The McCarthys
John Ratzenberger is saying “Cheers” to The McCarthys. The TV vet has landed a potentially recurring role on CBS’ freshman sitcom, TVLine has learned exclusively. The McCarthys centers on openly gay (and athletically challenged) Ronny, who is hired as the assistant to his father, a high-school basketball coach. Ratzenberger will play Charlie Ellis, the school’s athletics director. In addition to playing Cliff Clavin on Cheers from 1982 to 1993, Ratzenberger has also landed recurring roles on 8 Simple Rules, Legit and Drop Dead Diva. The McCarthys premieres Thursday, Oct. 30, at 9:30/8:30c on...
Former ‘Cheers’ Star Advocates for Manufacturing Jobs
When John Ratzenberger spoke at the Wentworth By The Sea Hotel, it was about a topic he feels very passionate about, that being how important it is for this country to recognize the need for, and to provide the training to produce skilled laborers. Before he was a star on the sitcom “Cheers,” and before he went on to other roles that included being a voice in every Pixar movie ever made, Ratzenberger had a number of jobs, among them as a journeyed carpenter. His most recent stint has been as the producer and star of the show “Made in America,” featured on the Travel Channel. “My mother used to give us old radios and toasters, with the cords cut off,” said Ratzenberger. “She told us to take them apart. Growing up, everyone we knew could make something, knew how to fix things. We are losing that and we need to get it back.” Ratzenberger was the featured speaker at Great Bay Community College’s “Advanced Manufacturing’s Night Out,” their third annual Distinguished Leaders Awards night and fundraiser. Proceeds from the annual event, about $400,000, go to support scholarships for Great Bay Community College students enrolled at the college’s Portsmouth campus and its new Advanced Technology & Academic Center in Rochester, which offers industry-based programs in advanced composites manufacturing developed in partnership with Albany Engineered Composites and Safran Aerospace Composites. To date, 168 students have received over $335,500 in scholarship from funds raised at the annual event. Ratzenberger talked about growing up in a thriving factory town. He likened the sights and sounds of his childhood to the crickets and bullfrogs of a farm family’s life. “Kids today are not making things,” he said. “Instead they are going to college to get degrees and can’t get a job. There are plenty of jobs out there. We just need to teach kids the skills. Many today, do not even know how to use simple tools, hammers and screwdrivers. Manufacturers say they can’t even read a ruler. How are they going to build airplanes?” The average age of today’s skilled laborer is 58, said Ratzenberger. He wonders what will happen when they all retire. “I did a talk at a high school and asked how many were going to college,” said Ratzenberger. “Everyone raised their hand, except one boy. I asked what he was going to do and he said he was going to be an auto mechanic. The kids laughed. I said laugh, but you are going to college and will come out in great debt. He will already own a house and you will be paying him to fix your...
In the News: Screen star John Ratzenberger stumps for Tripp
This article was written by Donald Eng and published on TheValleyGazette.com on October 21, 2014. Click here to read the full article online. The Phil Tripp Senate campaign brought in a familiar face (and voice) to drum up support for his campaign Monday, with actor John Ratzenberger the guest of honor at a meet-and-greet at Ansonia’s St. Sebastian Club. Ratzenberger is best known for his portrayal of postal worker Cliff Clavin in the long-running show Cheers. He also has voiced numerous characters in Pixar movies Toy Story and Cars, and hosts the Travel Channel show Made in America, a documentary series that takes viewers inside modern factories. During the two-hour event, Ratzenberger shook hands with fans of all ages, speaking to children in his Pixar character voices and spending time speaking to veterans about how humbling it was to portray military men in such movies as A Bridge Too Far and Yanks. Ratzenberger said he supported Tripp because the two shared a common outlook, particularly about the role of industry in the state and national economy. “He’s like Mr. Made in America,” Raztenberger said. “He’s a big supporter of trade schools, and that’s the real strength of America, our manufacturing base.” Tripp’s life experience also was attractive to Ratzenberger. “He’s not like a lot of politicians that have a background in theory. Phil comes from a place that’s real,” Ratzenberger said. “He’s a lietenant colonel that served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It doesn’t get any more real than...
Cooking Video Cabbage & Bacon with John Ratzenberger
One of John’s favorite dishes from living in England is the spicy, smoky, and crunchy cabbage & bacon dish seen here. To view the recipe, click here >>
John Ratzenberger is Featured Speaker at Mississippi Energy Institute
John Ratzenberger will participate in the 2014 Governor’s Energy Summit at the Jackson Convention Complex. In its third year, the summit’s goal is to highlight the inextricable relationship between energy and the economy. The summit is presented by the Mississippi Energy Institute, a non-profit policy group that seeks to diversify and expand Mississippi’s economic energy base. One of the summit’s featured events is a special address regarding workforce development by John Ratzenberger, the actor from the television series Made in America, which celebrated the USA’s manufacturing industry. Ratzenberger is also well known for his role in the iconic TV show Cheers as well as lending his voice to several blockbuster Pixar motion pictures. See below for the full event...
Great Bay Community College hosts John Ratzenberger
Great Bay Community College will host John Ratzenberger, actor and U.S. manufacturing advocate, on Thursday, Oct. 2. Ratzenberger, who is best known for his roles as “Cliff Clavin” on Cheers and host of the cable program “Made in America,” will tour the college’s Advanced Technology & Academic Center in Rochester and then serve as featured speaker at the college’s Distinguished Leaders Award that night. The event, themed “Advanced Manufacturings Night Out” is the college’s annual fundraiser and is slated to raise more than $300,000 in student scholarships. The college’s Distinguished Leaders Award event is from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Wentworth by the Sea hotel in New Castle. GBCC opened ATAC in May 2012 to offer traditional academic programs as well as a certificate program in Advanced Composites Manufacturing. ATAC is the largest single project under the statewide Advanced Manufacturing Partnership in Education initiative, formed by the Community College System of New Hampshire under the federal TAACCCT-NH grant. AMPed NH is sponsored by a $19.97 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration. Proceeds from the Distinguished Leaders Award event will support scholarships for GBCC. To date, 168 students have received more than $335,500 in scholarship from funds raised at the annual event. In 2013, more than $200,000 was raised with support from 250 industry, education and community leaders. The third annual event is expected to raise in excess of $300,000 in student...