Why John Ratzenberger Is Pixar’s Good Luck Charm

It just isn’t a Pixar movie without John Ratzenberger. The actor has become the unofficial good-luck charm for Pixar animation, having worked on every one of their films from ‘Toy Story’ to their latest, ‘Inside Out’. Check out this list of wonderful characters he’s voiced for the animation giant over the years.

Inside Andy’s room is a universe filled with toys that magically come to life when no one’s looking. Ratzenberger plays Hamm, the funny piggy bank who loves to ‘ham’ it up for his friends. ‘Toy Story’ was such a hit that Ratzenberger ended up reprising his role in both ‘Toy Story 2’ and ‘Toy Story 3’.

When an oddball inventor ant goes in search of bugs to help his colony fight a group of grasshoppers, he returns with a menagerie of misfit circus bugs. Ratzenberger plays P.T. Flea, the master show-bug and bug-circus owner who’s always in search of his next big act.   

After kids go to sleep at night the monsters from ‘Monsters, Inc.’ sneak into their rooms to capture the power contained in their screams. As ‘The Abominable Snowman’ Ratzenberger lends his voice to a stellar cast that includes Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Bonnie Hunt. He also reprised the role for its sequel ‘Monsters University’ in 2013.

After his son Nemo goes missing, Marlin the clown fish must risk everything in order to get him back. Journeying through uncharted waters, Marlin meets all sorts of wild creatures, including ‘Fish School’ - the continuously morphing school of moonfish played by John Ratzenberger.

When a family of retired superheroes is called back into action to fight evil, anything can happen. Playing a villain called ‘The Underminer’ John finds himself voicing his first bad guy for Pixar - and he does an excellent job!

When Lightning McQueen falls out of his travel trailer on the way to a big race, it’s Ratzenberger’s ‘Mack’ the truck who unknowingly leaves him behind in Radiator Springs.  Ratzenberger also reprised the role for its sequel, ‘Cars 2,’ in 2011.

Donning a French accent, Ratzenberger plays Mustafa, a waiter at a fine Parisian restaurant whose chef, Remy, just happens to be a rat. 

In the beautiful and poignant ‘Wall-E,’ Ratzenberger plays a character named John who would like nothing more than to be friends with Wall-E, the lovable robot whose adventures bring him to outer space…. and us to tears.

In ‘Up’ Ratzenberger plays Construction Forman Tom, a guy who has his sights set on tearing down Carl Fredricksen’s house… that is, until it floats away.

As Gordon the Guard in ‘Brave,’ Ratzenberger announces all those who come to the castle, though he can’t always get the entire announcement out before being interrupted.