Willard Scott portrayed Ronald McDonald in McDonald's first television commercial featuring the character. The commercial aired in the Washington, D.C., area in 1963.
Scott was already known locally as a television personality and weather presenter. His Ronald McDonald costume was based partly on fast-food imagery, including a tray-like hat and a cup-shaped nose. The character was presented as a friendly clown who could appeal to children.
McDonald's later refined Ronald's appearance and used other performers, so Scott is best understood as the first actor to play the advertising character, not the permanent face of Ronald McDonald. Ronald subsequently became the central figure in McDonaldland, the fictional setting used in decades of children's advertising.