Willard Scott first portrayed Ronald McDonald in a 1963 McDonald's television commercial.
Scott was already known as a television personality and weather presenter in the Washington, D.C., area. The early Ronald was built around familiar fast-food imagery, including a tray used as a hat and a cup-shaped costume element, before the character's appearance became standardized.
McDonald's later refined Ronald's design and made him the central figure of a much larger family-oriented brand world. He appeared in television advertising, live events, packaging, and McDonaldland stories alongside characters such as Grimace and the Hamburglar.
The first portrayal is sometimes confused with the later, more familiar Ronald costume. Scott's 1963 version was an early television interpretation, while subsequent performers and designers helped establish the enduring appearance recognized by audiences worldwide.