Who played Ronald McDonald in the 1963 McDonald’s television commercials?

Willard Scott played Ronald McDonald in McDonald’s 1963 television commercials.

Before Ronald became a large-scale national mascot, Scott portrayed the character in early Washington, D.C.-area advertising. Scott was already a television personality and weather presenter, and his appearance helped establish Ronald as a friendly, recognizable figure for children. The early costume included a tray-like hat and other food-related visual elements that were later changed.

McDonald’s developed Ronald as part of a broader effort to make the restaurant memorable to families. The character’s role expanded beyond the original commercials into print advertising, restaurant appearances, toys, and the fictional McDonaldland setting. Later performers and redesigned costumes shaped the public image most people associate with Ronald today.

People sometimes assume that Ronald McDonald was created and first performed by a single corporate executive or that the character began nationally in exactly the form seen in later campaigns. The early television version was more experimental, and Scott’s portrayal belongs specifically to Ronald’s 1963 advertising debut.