Willard Scott played Ronald McDonald in the first television commercial featuring the McDonald’s mascot in 1963.
Scott was a television personality and weather presenter who had worked as a clown called Bozo. McDonald’s used that experience when developing its own clown character for a Washington, D.C.-area advertising campaign.
The first Ronald McDonald advertisement presented the character as a friendly, hamburger-themed clown. His costume and appearance changed over time, but the initial performance helped establish the character’s association with McDonald’s restaurants.
Ronald McDonald later became the central figure in a larger group of McDonaldland characters. The character’s first performer is sometimes confused with later actors and promotional performers who portrayed Ronald in different markets and periods.