Before becoming Cliff Clavin on Cheers, John Ratzenberger spent years traveling the world, building houses, performing improvised comedy across Europe, and chasing adventure wherever it led.

In this encore episode, John shares the remarkable story behind his famous Cheers audition, his friendships with Hollywood legends, his long-running relationship with Pixar, and why he believes young people should learn practical skills before pursuing fame.

It's a funny, thoughtful conversation filled with stories only John Ratzenberger could tell.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:52 A Lifetime of Travel and Adventure
04:26 Landing the Role of Cliff Clavin
06:28 Leaving Carpentry for England
07:21 Building an Improv Career in Europe
10:02 Learning to Act Without Training
12:53 Star Wars and Early Film Roles
14:27 Why Building Things Matters
16:48 First Impressions of Los Angeles
19:19 Being Recognized in Public
20:24 The Early Struggles of Cheers
22:56 Working with Hollywood Legends
24:12 Remembering Frances Sternhagen
28:07 The Famous Cheers Audition Story
35:39 Memories of Kirstie Alley
37:43 Inventing and Building Products
41:58 The Importance of Trade Skills
45:05 Advice for Young Actors
47:11 His Son's First Fish, A Shark
48:39 Family, Career and Success
50:18 Dancing With The Stars Challenge
53:34 Toy Story 5 and What's Next
57:38 His Hollywood Heroes
01:03:12 Faking a Foreign Language at an Audition
01:04:51 Leaving Cheers for the Last Time
01:06:05 Advice for Surviving Hollywood
01:08:42 A Frightening Fan Encounter
01:11:08 Final Thoughts

Show Credits

Host/Producer: Steve Kmetko

All things technical: Justin Zangerle

Executive Producer: Jim Lichtenstein

Music by: Brian Sanyshyn

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