P.T. FLEA

About Him:

P.T. Flea lends his voice to the
pint-sized proprietor of a run-down
flea circus, which features some of
the lousiest acts in the history of
show business. A sucker for
punishment, this prickly parasite is
motivated by an overwhelming
sense of greed and will do anything
for a buck -- including allowing
himself to be burnt to a crisp at the end of each show as part of the big finale.

 

About The Actor That Does His Voice: (John Ratzenberger)

Having previously voiced the pigheaded piggy bank Hamm in "Toy Story,"
Ratzenberger is a favorite with the Pixar filmmakers. The actor has a similarly high
opinion of them. "Anything Pixar would offer me, I would take a good serious look
at," says the actor. "I like working with John and the gang. I also feel very lucky to
have been a part of entertainment industry history with my role in 'Toy Story.'

"P.T. Flea is an excitable little fellow," he adds. "He's got a lousy little circus and
he just wants to be the richest, most powerful circus entrepreneur ever. That's his
driving force. The filmmakers know that when they hire me, I'm gonna be coming
up with a few lines of my own that may or may not work. I've been improvising
comedy now for 28 years. It's fun to improvise within the structure of the script. I
know it's working when I see John go back in that chair. OK, that's a good one."

Ratzenberger's background and acting experience are quite varied. To most
people, he is best known as mailman extraordinaire and trivia king Cliff Clavin from
"Cheers." Born in Bridgeport and raised in Black Rock, Connecticut, Ratzenberger
attended Sacred Heart University, where he was an English major, studied karate,
and taught archery. In his spare time he joined the drama club, where he made his
stage debut in "Summer and Smoke." He followed up that part with leading roles
in "West Side Story" and "Waiting for Godot."

He left school after four years, taking a job on an oyster boat, until he discovered a
group of his former college chums waiting at the dock. His pals had tracked him
down to replace the lead actor in their production of Murray Schisgal's comedy
"Luv" at the Stowe Playhouse. He stayed on with the playhouse and performed in
various one-man shows before he decided to take a job as a blacksmith and
carpenter in North Wolcott, Vermont. After almost two years there, he went to
England for a three-week visit and remained there for 10 years.

In London, he formed an improvisational theater group, Sal's Meat Market, for
which he cowrote, directed, and acted, portraying as many as 15 characters per
show. After attracting the attention of the British Arts Council, he and a partner
were given a grant to tour clubs and theaters throughout Europe.

He signed on for his first motion picture role in 1974 in "The Ritz," which starred
Rita Moreno. He has since appeared in 22 motion pictures, including "A Bridge
Too Far," "Yanks," "Superman," "Superman II," "Ragtime," "The Empire Strikes
Back," "Outland," and "Gandhi."

On his return to the U.S. in 1981, Ratzenberger became involved in television
series and telefilms such as "Hill Street Blues," "Code Red," and the NBC
television movie "Wedding Bell Blues."

His interests are furniture building, sailing, and antique collecting. He and his wife,
Georgia, son, James John, and daughter, Nina, reside in the Los Angeles area.

 

Click Image To go Back