Willard Scott played Ronald McDonald in the 1963 television commercials that established McDonald’s best-known mascot.
Scott, who later became a familiar television weather presenter, appeared as the original Ronald McDonald in Washington, D.C.-area advertising. The character wore a red-and-yellow costume and a hamburger-themed hat, helping give the growing restaurant chain a recognizable personality for children.
McDonald’s later redesigned Ronald’s appearance and expanded his role within a larger fictional cast. The modern character is associated with the McDonaldland advertising universe, but the earliest television version was more simply a clown promoting the restaurant.
People sometimes identify the character only with the later Ronald seen in national campaigns. The 1963 performer, however, was Scott, whose earlier portrayal predates the fully developed McDonaldland setting.