What was the name of McDonald's first Ronald McDonald television performer?

Willard Scott was the first performer to portray Ronald McDonald on television.

Scott played Ronald in a 1963 advertisement made for the Washington, D.C., area. His costume was built from McDonald's items, including a paper cup worn as a hat and a food tray used as part of the outfit.

The advertisement introduced a clown character who could speak directly to children and invite them into the McDonald's brand world. Ronald's appearance was later standardized and became more polished as the campaign expanded nationally.

Willard Scott is also widely known for his later career as a television weather presenter. That separate career can make his connection to McDonald's easy to overlook, but he was the performer behind the earliest television Ronald.