Willard Scott played Ronald McDonald in the original 1963 television commercial that introduced the character.
Scott was a television personality and weatherman who appeared as the fast-food clown in an early McDonald’s advertisement. The commercial helped establish Ronald as a recognizable character rather than merely a costumed performer appearing at local restaurant events.
The original design was notably different from the later version familiar to generations of customers. Scott’s costume incorporated McDonald’s food packaging, including a cup worn as a hat, reflecting the playful advertising style of the period.
Ronald McDonald later became the central figure in McDonaldland, a fictional advertising world populated by additional characters. Some accounts incorrectly identify a later Ronald performer as the original. The question refers specifically to the first nationally remembered television-commercial portrayal, not every actor who later appeared in the costume.