Who played Ronald McDonald in McDonald's earliest television advertisements?

Willard Scott played Ronald McDonald in McDonald's earliest television advertisements.

Before becoming widely known as a television weather presenter, Willard Scott performed the early version of McDonald's clown mascot. He appeared as Ronald in advertisements during the character's introduction in the 1960s. The performances helped establish the visual personality that McDonald's used to make its advertising more appealing to children and families.

Scott should not be confused with Ronald McDonald himself. Ronald is the fictional advertising character, while Scott was the actor and presenter who portrayed him in early commercials. Later performers played the character as McDonald's campaigns developed.

The early advertisements formed part of a broader shift in McDonald's branding. The company had used Speedee and architectural arches as earlier identity elements, but Ronald introduced a humanlike character who could anchor television stories and later fictional characters.