With the opening of both Pixar Pier on the West Coast and Toy Story Land on the East Coast, we will be celebrating with numerous Pixar blog posts over the next few weeks! Aside from the weekly Animated Film Profiles, all other posts will be Pixar focused. Some of the upcoming topics include:
- History of Pixar Studios
- Comparing Toy Story Lands around the world
- Best Pixar movies to watch before a Disney Vacation
- Snacks found at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land
So be sure to follow along for all Pixar fun! I thought a great place to start off would be to talk about the one actor who has voiced a character in every single Pixar film, John Ratzenberger! Some of his characters are some of my favourite Pixar characters and it is always fun to see a new Pixar film and try to pick out his voice. So below are my Top 6 John Ratzenberger Roles in Pixar Films.
1) Hamm from Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), and Toy Story 3 (2010)
Hamm was John Ratzenberger’s very first Pixar role and probably his biggest. He plays Hamm the piggy bank in not only the three Toy Story feature films, but also various Toy Story shorts. Hamm is known for having some snarky one-liners and he has a fun chemistry with Mr. Potato Head and Rex. Some of my favourite quotes from Hamm are:
“You’ve heard of Kung Fu? Well get ready for Pork Chop!”
“Alright, nobody look till I get my cork back in”
“That’s Mr. Evil Dr. Porkchop to you!”
Mr. Potato Head: “I say, we stack ourselves up, push the intercom, and pretend we are delivering a pizza.”
Hamm: “How about a pork sandwich? With fries and a hotdog?”
Rex: “What about me?”
Hamm: “Ahh, you can be the toy that comes with the meal.”
2) P.T. Flea from A Bug’s Life (1998)
P.T. Flea is a hilarious and eccentric ringmaster who really adds a pop of comedy to A Bug’s Life. He was named after P.T. Barnum who founded the Barnum & Bailey circus in 1871. P.T. Flea is said to be John Ratzenberger’s favourite Pixar role. Some of my favourite quotes from P.T. Flea are:
“No refunds after the first two minutes!”
“So I figured it out. You guys burn me twice a night, I take a day off to heal. And then we do it all over again! We’ll be the top circus act in the business!”
Slim: “What’s the point of going out there? They’ll only laugh at me.”
P.T. Flea: “That’s because you’re a clown!!”
Slim: “No… it’s because I’m a prop. You always cast me as the broom, the pole, the stick… a splinter!”
P.T. Flea: “You’re a walking stick! It’s funny! Now go!”
3) The Abominable Snowman from Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)
We first meet the Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc. in the Himalayas where he has been banished, presumably because he tampered with mail as hinted in Monsters University. He passes his time by making snowcones. His stint as a mailroom worker was a homage to John Ratzenberger’s character in Cheers Cliff Clavin, a postal worker. Some of my favourite quotes from the Abominable Snowman are:
“Abominable! Can you believe that? Do I look abominable to you? Why can’t they call me the Adorable Snowman or… or the Agreeable Snowman, for crying out loud? I’m a nice guy.”
“Okay, rule number one out here: Always… no, Never go out in a blizzard.”
“Yak’s milk. Milking a yak isn’t exactly a picnic; but once you pick the hairs out, it’s very nutritious.”
4) The Underminer from The Incredibles (2004) and Incredibles 2 (2018)
The Underminer is both a classic role and John Ratzenberger’s latest Pixar Role. He voiced the villain at the very end of The Incredibles and then again at the very beginning of Incredibles 2, which picks up right where the first film left off. The Underminer is said to be based off of Mole Man from Fantastic Four. He only has one line in the first film, but it is pretty great!
“Behold, the Underminer! I’m always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me! I hereby declare war on peace and happiness! Soon, all will tremble before me!”
5) Mack from Cars (2006), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017)
The Cars franchise might not be the most popular Pixar films, but I do really like Mack. He has some great lines and I love when he addresses all of the other John Ratzenberger roles at the end of the first film:
“Man, whoever does the voice of that piggy truck, I’m telling you, he’s one great actor!”
“Oh, that abominable snowplow is quite the comic thespian!”
“Wait a minute here, they’re just using the same actor over and over! What kind of a cut-rate production is this?”
6) Moonfish School from Finding Nemo (2003)
The school of Moonfish is the only role that John Ratzenberger did not reprise in a sequel, as he played a crab in Finding Dory instead. The Moonfish are very entertaining as they play a game of charades with Dory, who turns out to be terrible at guessing:
Moonfish: “Hey, hey! You like impressions?”
Dory: “Mmm-Hmm”
Moonfish: “Ok, just like in rehearsals, gentlemen!” (takes form of swordfish) “So, what are we? Take a guess!”
Dory: “Oh! Oh! I’ve seen one of those.”
Moonfish: “I’m a fish with a nose like a sword”
Dory: “Wait, wait, ummm…”
Marlin: “It’s a swordfish!”
Moonfish: “Hey, clown boy! Let the lady guess!” (takes form of lobster) “Where’s the butter?”
Dory: “Oh! It’s on the tip of my tongue”
Marlin *coughs*: “Lobster!”
Moonfish: “Saw that.”
Marlin: “What?”
Moonfish: (takes form of octopus) “Lots of legs, swims in the ocean”
Dory: “Clam!”
Moonfish: “Close enough!” (takes form of pirate ship) “Oh, it’s a whale of a tale, I’ll tell you lads!”
Dory: “Oh, they’re good”
Honorable Mentions:
1) Mustafa from Ratatouille (2007)
2) John from Wall-E (2008)
3) Construction Foreman Tom from Up (2009)
4) Gordon the Guard from Brave (2012)
5) Fritz from Inside Out (2015)
6) Earl from The Good Dinosaur (2015)
7) Husband Crab from Finding Dory (2016)
8) Juan Ortodoncia from Coco (2017)
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