Willard Scott played Ronald McDonald in one of the character’s earliest television commercials in 1963.
Scott was working as a television personality in Washington, D.C., where he portrayed the clown character for local McDonald’s advertising. His version helped establish Ronald McDonald as a recognizable on-screen representative of the restaurant chain.
Ronald’s costume and appearance changed over time. The earliest version was more elaborate and included visual references to McDonald’s products, while later designs became simpler and more standardized for national advertising.
The character’s early history is sometimes attributed to one single national performer, but Ronald McDonald was portrayed by multiple actors in different periods and markets. Scott’s importance is specifically tied to an early television portrayal, not to creating the character’s entire later identity.