# The Ubiquity of John Ratzenberger **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955 "2009-03-10T14:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/1 "2009-03-10T14:17:30Z")
I was just looking up John Ratzenberger on the IMDb, and I’m amazed about where he’s shown up. Of course, it’s well-known that he’s been in all the major Pixar releases (and they even made a joke about it), but I hadn’t realized he was in **The Empire Strikes Back, Outland, Firefox, Superman,** and \*\* Gandhi\*\*. And he’s appeared as **Cliff Clavin** on _six_ TV series _besides_ **Cheers**. St. Elsewhere The Tortellis “Disneyland’s 35 Birthday” (And “Mickey’s 60th birthday”) Wings The Simpsons Frasier > **[John Ratzenberger | Actor, Director, Producer](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001652/)** > > Known for: Cheers, Toy Story, Cars I would say that’s a record, but **George Wendt** beats him by appearing as **Norm** in all those, as well as in **Family Guy**. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/2 "2009-03-10T14:26:29Z")
I think you could make any movie into a pretty decent comedy by recasting the male lead as Cliff Claven. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_Tightlips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Joey\_Tightlips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_Tightlips)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/3 "2009-03-10T14:33:32Z")
That IS a little known fact. Anyone care to shed some light on his role in Empire? I don’t remember him at all, and the name Major Derlin isn’t ringing any bells. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/4 "2009-03-10T15:23:32Z")
I saw _The Empire Strikes Back_ a few months ago. John Ratzenberger didn’t surprise me, but I recognized one of the rebel generals as being the same actor who played the obnoxious American who wanted a Waldorf Salad on an episode of _Fawlty Towers_. George Wendt loses the crown to Richard Belzer, who has played Detective John Munch on: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit The Wire Arrested Development Law & Order: Trial by Jury The Beat Law & Order Homicide: Life on the Street The X Files ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/5 "2009-03-10T15:28:04Z")
Also little-known fact; John pitched his own character on Cheers. He explained that every bar has a ‘loud-mouthed know-it-all’ and proceeded to rattle off some of Cliff’s ‘shtick’, which was apparently impressive enough that he got added on. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/6 "2009-03-10T16:04:40Z")
> [@Joey\_Tightlips](#): > > That IS a little known fact. Anyone care to shed some light on his role in Empire? I don’t remember him at all, and the name Major Derlin isn’t ringing any bells. He’s the guy who tells Leia that they have to shut the Hoth base shield doors for the night while Luke and Han are still missing… ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/7 "2009-03-10T16:11:48Z")
His role in Empire is very small, I don’t think he’s in more than 1 or 2 scenes in the first 20 minutes. I was surprised when I found out he was in it. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/8 "2009-03-10T16:42:12Z")
I’ve seen him in Empire. Where was he in Superman? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/9 "2009-03-10T16:59:37Z")
Brush with Greatness Mention. John grew up three blocks away from me. I know his brother better than him. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/10 "2009-03-10T17:02:47Z")
I recognized him in _A Bridge Too Far_. He had a very small part (it was one of his first movies when he was still basically an extra) but now that he’s well known you’ll spot his face in a crowd. He was one of the soldiers rowing a raft across a river. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/11 "2009-03-10T17:15:11Z")
He doesn’t play cliff, but a swash-buckling plumber in **House II: The Second Story**. Not a big fan of that genre, but when I ran across this one day I just loved it, in a very campy sort of way. Plus the title is so stupid, yet so great. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/12 "2009-03-10T17:26:55Z")
Ah, yes, Bill the Electrician. What every D&D player wants to be when he grows up. “What you have here is your basic Alternate Dimension. I’ve seen this kind of thing before. You’re going to need some special tools for this.” {Goes back to his toolbox, and gets a roll of string. And a cutlass.} ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/13 "2009-03-10T18:22:44Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > George Wendt loses the crown to Richard Belzer, who has played Detective John Munch on: > > Law & Order: Special Victims Unit > The Wire > Arrested Development > Law & Order: Trial by Jury > The Beat > Law & Order > Homicide: Life on the Street > The X Files I heard he’s also Munch on a French version of L&O, and may extend that with the UK one as well. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/14 "2009-03-10T18:36:39Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > He’s the guy who tells Leia that they have to shut the Hoth base shield doors for the night while Luke and Han are still missing… Although he appears in the movie, his line (“Your highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed”) has been dubbed by someone else’s voice. In _Superman_, IIRC, he’s one of the military guys in the missile convoy that gets reprogrammed during the Luthor diversion. Ratzenberger has been a castmember of no less than 10 Oscar-winning films that have accumulated no fewer than 22 individual golden guys. That’s more than Bette Davis, Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Gene Hackman, Robert DeNiro, or Anthony Hopkins. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/15 "2009-03-10T18:40:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Although he appears in the movie, his line (“Your highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed”) has been dubbed by someone else’s voice. According to IMDb, they dubbed him over in **Gandhi** , as well, where he plays a driver. ---
**Author:** ![FalconFinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@FalconFinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalconFinder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/16 "2009-03-10T19:53:23Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Although he appears in the movie, his line (“Your highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed”) has been dubbed by someone else’s voice. Thanks for stating this. I could never figure out why Cliffy sounded so \*different \*in ESB! I guess Cliff’s voice wouldn’t really sound very authoritative! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/17 "2009-03-10T20:31:36Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > In _Superman_, IIRC, he’s one of the military guys in the missile convoy that gets reprogrammed during the Luthor diversion. I can’t remember if he was in that scene. But I do know that he was in _Superman 2_, as one of the Mission Control guys communicating with the joint US-Soviet moon mission that is attacked by General Zod and his minions. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/18 "2009-03-10T21:11:04Z")
What’s the reason for his appearances in all the Pixar movies? Was it simply that he was in Toy Story initially, and they chose to cast him again? (Now, of course, it’s something people expect.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/19 "2009-03-10T21:15:22Z")
I’m just guessing, but he has an amazingly unique voice. There is something in it that says, “I’m a blowhard who doesn’t really know anything but I will tell you everything there is to know”. What surprizes me is why, or how oftern, he appears in things with his voice overdubbed by someone else. Maybe he’s a really nice guy and has a lot of friends in the industry who cast him? ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955/20 "2009-03-10T23:06:25Z")
Having seen Empire at least a dozen times like any good little Gen Xer, while I do recall hearing a completely different voice saying they have to close the shield doors, I’m pretty sure they use his real voice after Leia dismisses the pilots following her evacuation instructions. He says something like “Ok, get to your stations! Let’s go!” or whatever. Is it possible he wasn’t the actor delivering the shield door lines? I can hear the voice, but I can’t picture the scene. Otherwise, why would they dub only half his scenes? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ubiquity-of-john-ratzenberger/488955.md?page=2)