Willard Scott was the original human performer who played Ronald McDonald in his first television appearances.
Before becoming a long-running corporate character, Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 through television advertising in the Washington, D.C., area. Scott, then a local television personality and weatherman, portrayed the clown in those early commercials.
The early version of Ronald's costume differed from the later standardized appearance. His character was designed to appeal directly to children and to make McDonald's more memorable as the chain expanded its family-oriented identity.
McDonald's later developed Ronald into a nationally and internationally recognized mascot, using him in advertising, restaurant events, and charitable activities. The character is often associated with the company itself, but his first portrayal was tied to Scott's local television work in Washington, D.C.