John Ratzenberger (Re-Release)

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)"
Episode: John Ratzenberger (Re-Release)
Release Date: April 23, 2025

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Introduction: Celebrating a Legendary Cast Member

In this heartwarming episode of "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," hosts Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson reconnect with their longtime friend and Cheers co-star, John Ratzenberger. The episode serves as a tribute to Ratzenberger’s enduring legacy, both as Cliff Clavin on the iconic sitcom and as a prolific voice actor with over 22 Pixar films under his belt.

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John Ratzenberger: From Audition to Iconic Mailman

Ted Danson kicks off the conversation by expressing his enthusiasm for revisiting Cheers-themed episodes, highlighting John Ratzenberger’s memorable role as Cliff Clavin. Ted introduces John warmly, emphasizing his impressive career and contributions to both television and animation.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [00:32]: “I remember thinking tomorrow's papers are going to say Cliff kills cast of Cheers.”
Woody humorously reflects on his initial skepticism about Cliff’s character becoming a beloved staple of the show.

John shares insightful anecdotes about how he pitched the over-the-top, know-it-all mail carrier personality to the Cheers writers. Without formal acting training, John’s natural knack for quirky, relatable characters shone through, earning him a permanent spot on the beloved sitcom.

Notable Quote:
John Ratzenberger [03:01]: “Perhaps his most famous role was on Cheers as the garrulous mail carrier, Cliff Clavin.”

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Behind the Scenes: Friendship and Shared Memories

The camaraderie among the Cheers cast members is palpable as Woody Harrelson and George Wendt join John on the show. They reminisce about their days on set, the spontaneous laughs, and the deep bonds formed during the long hours of filming.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [04:14]: “We’re running out of people that know how to use tools. Literally. The airlines were running out of pilots of all things.”
Woody touches on his advocacy for reinstating shop classes, tying it back to their shared past and the practical skills that often go unnoticed.

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Woody Harrelson’s Adventures: From Carpentry to Nearly Fatal Escapes

Woody delves into his diverse experiences outside the acting world, recounting a 4,000-mile driving trip across the United States. From trap and skeet shooting in Montana to rafting the Rogue River in Oregon, Woody’s tales are as adventurous as they are insightful.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [07:01]: “We were in big trouble when these idiots take over the country.”
Woody humorously reflects on a chaotic festival experience, showcasing his knack for storytelling.

He shares multiple near-death experiences, including a harrowing motorcycle crash and a terrifying incident on an oyster boat. These stories not only highlight his adventurous spirit but also his resilience and the role of fate in his life.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [35:36]: “And I knew enough that because of what I had on, I’d sink like a stone cold water, all that. But God in his wisdom sent a wave on the other side of the boat that tipped the boat more my way.”
Woody describes his miraculous survival during a perilous oyster boat storm, attributing his escape to divine intervention.

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Creating Cliff Clavin: Inspiration and Execution

The discussion shifts to the creation of Cliff Clavin’s character. Without formal training, Woody recounts how he improvised during auditions, blending traits from his own life and observations of real-life know-it-alls.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [17:37]: “I just picked up on that kind of character. And I think I used a ballpoint pen from the desk in there and explained why the Bic pen was originally called a bitch pen and why they had to take the H off.”
Woody humorously details his inventive approach to developing Cliff’s backstory, adding a layer of authenticity to the character.

John praises Woody’s creativity, noting how Cliff’s character has remained a fan favorite over the years.

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Life Beyond Cheers: Pixar and Personal Pursuits

The conversation naturally veers towards their post-Cheers endeavors. John proudly discusses his extensive work with Pixar, voicing characters in numerous beloved animated films.

Notable Quote:
John Ratzenberger [55:56]: “They go, that's great, man. You should be doing this a lot then. I never hear from them. It's kind of I kind of love it because it feels like I'm starting over in one area, but I cannot get arrested.”
John humorously touches on his consistent roles in Pixar projects, underlining his unique niche in the animation industry.

Woody shares his own ventures, including his foray into environmentally-friendly packaging with Sizzle Pack and collaborations with animation studios. Their mutual respect for each other’s work underscores the strength of their friendship.

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Parenting and Personal Anecdotes: Laughs and Lessons

Both Woody and John share lighthearted stories about parenting, illustrating their playful and sometimes embarrassing antics designed to elicit laughter from their children.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [51:08]: “I would look for ways to embarrass them in public. I would go, honey, honey, I'm over here. I'm right here by the car. Come on, honey.”
Woody describes his intentional efforts to make his daughter laugh, highlighting his humorous approach to parenting.

These anecdotes not only provide comedic relief but also offer a glimpse into their nurturing sides, emphasizing the importance of joy and laughter in family life.

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Advocacy and Environmental Concerns: Woody’s Passion Projects

Woody passionately discusses his environmental activism, particularly concerning the preservation of national forests. He details his efforts to combat clear-cutting practices and the impact of governmental policies on natural resources.

Notable Quote:
Woody Harrelson [57:02]: “We were creating no jobs, except for the...”
Woody expresses his frustration with environmental policies that seemingly benefit large corporations at the expense of sustainable practices.

Through these discussions, listeners gain insight into Woody’s commitment to environmental causes and the personal experiences that fuel his activism.

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Closing: A Tribute to Friendship and Legacy

As the episode draws to a close, Ted Danson thanks John Ratzenberger for his time and contributions to the show. The trio shares heartfelt moments, celebrating their shared history and the lasting impact of their collaborative work on Cheers.

Notable Quote:
John Ratzenberger [62:52]: “Cannot tell you how many times you've made me laugh since my job. I mean, just watching old episodes. You are one funny, funny, funny man.”
John offers a touching commendation to Woody, encapsulating the warmth and camaraderie that defines their relationship.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" serves as both a nostalgic walk down memory lane and an insightful exploration of the lives and careers of three beloved actors. Through engaging storytelling, candid conversations, and shared laughter, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, and John Ratzenberger honor their enduring friendship and the timeless legacy of Cheers.

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Notable Quotes:

• Woody Harrelson [00:32]: “I remember thinking tomorrow's papers are going to say Cliff kills cast of Cheers.”
• John Ratzenberger [03:01]: “Perhaps his most famous role was on Cheers as the garrulous mail carrier, Cliff Clavin.”
• Woody Harrelson [17:37]: “I just picked up on that kind of character. And I think I used a ballpoint pen from the desk in there and explained why the Bic pen was originally called a bitch pen and why they had to take the H off.”
• Woody Harrelson [35:36]: “And God in his wisdom sent a wave on the other side of the boat that tipped the boat more my way.”
• John Ratzenberger [62:52]: “Cannot tell you how many times you've made me laugh since my job. You mean, just watching old episodes. You are one funny, funny, funny man.”

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, providing listeners with a rich and engaging overview of the discussions, insights, and memorable moments shared by the hosts and their guest.

Transcript

[Ted Danson]

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[Woody Harrelson]

And I remember thinking tomorrow's papers are going to say cliff kills cast of Cheers.

[John Ratzenberger]

Right?

[Ted Danson]

Welcome back to where everybody knows your name. All right, so. So I'm loving all these Cheers themed episodes that we've been revisiting. And this one is with your favorite postman, Cliff Clavin, AKA John Ratzenberger. You're going to hear about how John pitched his know it all cheers character to the writers the first time he met them, his time at the original Woodstock, and also his multiple near death experiences. Our buddy has lived quite a life. Here's our friend, John Rathenberger.

[John Ratzenberger]

Okay. Emmy nominee, a voice actor in 22 Pixar movies. A storied actor. Please don't interrupt. This is you.

[Woody Harrelson]

I just realized that that's all you talking about, Woody.

[John Ratzenberger]

No, no, no. A storied acting career in TV and film spanning nearly five decades. Perhaps his most famous role was on Cheers as the garrulous. You can quarrel with the word garrulous mail carrier. Cliff Clavin, please welcome to the show our longtime friend Johnny John Ratzenberg.

[Woody Harrelson]

Gentlemen, so good to see you again. Once again.

[George Wendt]

Great to see you, dude.

[Woody Harrelson]

I want to come back here every day now. I get such a fuzzy feeling. Warm and fuzzy. Seeing you.

[John Ratzenberger]

Wait till we get going.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay.

[George Wendt]

I haven't seen it. Like, I literally. You're the only person from Cheers I haven't seen since the day we wrapped.

[Woody Harrelson]

I've been trying to avoid you.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask.

[Woody Harrelson]

Ducking around corners. There he is. No, I've been out and about. I. I just finished a 4,000 mile driving trip. I just took the spirit of the moment, so I. I don't spend a lot of time here.

[George Wendt]

Where'd you go? From where to where?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, from Rancho Mirage out in the desert to Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Washington state, Oregon, and then back down here. Oh, my God. Well, it didn't walk.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, no, but he thought.

[John Ratzenberger]

Wondered if Taking the motorcycle question.

[Woody Harrelson]

Huh?

[George Wendt]

He wondered if you were taking a motorcycle.

[Woody Harrelson]

Right. Oh, no. My daughter want me on motorcycles anymore. Motorcycles.

[George Wendt]

But what. But what kind of.

[Woody Harrelson]

I got a pickup truck.

[John Ratzenberger]

Nice.

[Woody Harrelson]

It's Red.

[John Ratzenberger]

By yourself? Was it just you?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wow.

[John Ratzenberger]

What do you do when you pull into a town?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I bring one of my friends that I stopped to see. He ex vinter winery guy who just sold his winery. But he's got a big property up in Montana and his thing is trap and ski. So I brought a couple of shotguns with me and so we, you know, did some trap and skeet shooting and. And then. Then I got friends in Oregon. We went down the Rogue river, you know, one of those boats, the rapids and all that stuff. And I, I, you know, I never have an agenda. Yeah, this one I did. The first stop was for with and Pueblo, Colorado. I gave a talk there and I've been doing quite a bit of that speechifying.

[George Wendt]

And what are you speechifying about?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, what I actually what I bent you your ear about all those years ago to get kids shop classes. To get shop classes reinstated because the. We're literally running out of people that know how to use tools. Literally. The airlines were running out of pilots of all things. Railroads. You know, the railroads falling off of the tracks. That's because they don't have enough people to fix what's going wrong and.

[John Ratzenberger]

Are you raising the alarm or are you.

[Woody Harrelson]

I've been trying for. I spoke in front of Congress twice already and brought in witnesses from construction firms who said they have to close down because they can't find a simple carpenters and bricklayers and I don't know if you remember. I don't know if you're talking about. I was a carpenter before I got into this acting game.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. No, because, you know, they give you. Even though we hung out a thousand hours. Well, more. You know, you look at. There's a thing in here that. You were at Woodstock as one of the crew.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[George Wendt]

Now you must have told me that. But I forgot about this.

[Woody Harrelson]

I don't.

[John Ratzenberger]

I never heard that either.

[Woody Harrelson]

Isn't that amazing? Yeah, well, I. You know, I guess I. I don't know.

[George Wendt]

What were you. So what were you doing?

[Woody Harrelson]

I was a carpenter. I was living up in. In the area up in Bearsville. I was building a studio for a mine. Give him mime lessons. So I traded my carpentry skills for mime lessons and breakfast and a bed. The great businessman. And then the word went out in town that there's some kind of festival going on. They're looking for people. So I trundled on down there and stood in line and the guy says, can you drive a tractor? I said, yeah. I never in my Life. So I. Here are the keys at the. So when I started up as they went, I almost flipped it, but then. So I was doing a heavy equipment operation and pounding nails at the stage.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

And did you have to leave after you built it before the festival?

[Woody Harrelson]

No, no, they're right through the festival. Oh, my God. That's there like a week and a half before the festival, during the festival, and about a week after the festival.

[John Ratzenberger]

Did you have any idea that. Oh, this is huge. This is big, or. No, I.

[Woody Harrelson]

My first thought was, we're in big trouble when these idiots take over the country.

[John Ratzenberger]

Johnny, Johnny.

[Woody Harrelson]

I mean, it's like, wow, these people are idiots. They're college educated, but they're idiots.

[John Ratzenberger]

The crowd.

[Woody Harrelson]

The crowd.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, the crowd. Yeah. All right, all right.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, who did you think I was talking about?

[John Ratzenberger]

Musicians?

[Woody Harrelson]

All right.

[John Ratzenberger]

Okay, them too.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, I didn't get to hear a lot of music, but I was wandering just on the road kind of thing.

[John Ratzenberger]

Hey, can we back up a second? We've been talking about. Because we've all known each other, but we knew each other while we were rehearsing and laughing and giggling. So I had no idea what Woody was like when he was the 7, 8, 9, 12, whatever year old. What was that age? What were you doing at that age? What was your life like? Were you running out the door and coming back and you know it. That was a nice sound. Nice sound.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was me running out the door.

[John Ratzenberger]

No, Johnny, come back. Yeah. What were you. What was that like?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, I don't. Bridgeport, which is a factory town, but we grew up right on the water. But, you know, there was nothing sumptuous about it. Say we grew up on the water. Yeah. But there was a shipyard right across the street and one down the end of the street. One down the end of this street. So it was mostly utilitarian water things.

[John Ratzenberger]

Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

So I was around people, you know, building boats, repairing boats, buying boats, selling boats.

[John Ratzenberger]

At what, age?

[Woody Harrelson]

Zero. Right on.

[George Wendt]

That's where you learn the carpentry skills, working on boats.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, well, that's where I was, I guess in thinking about. That's probably where my interest started. But then when I got to middle school, we actually had shop classes and Mr. Banny said, oh, no, here. Uses crosscut saw for that or a rip saw. And you started learning about tools. And you tried to do it right, too, because he had really bad breath. So when he was leaning over your shoulder, you know, your eyes would water. And so he wanted to do it right. But I always enjoyed that when I went to England. I don't know how old I was, 20, but that's how I made a living over there. It was a carpenter. I go to different building sites.

[John Ratzenberger]

Was that before you got bitten by the acting bug or the comedy or whatever? How did that fit in? Because I know you traveled around the acting bug.

[Woody Harrelson]

I had done some in college, but I never thought you could make a living at this stuff. And in England, a buddy of mine from college, Ray Hassett, who went on later years to become a very, well, highly decorated sheriff policeman in New Haven, Connecticut. But he and I toured Europe.

[George Wendt]

Oh, this is the sow's meat market.

[Woody Harrelson]

Sow's meat market, yeah. And so we, we got a pretty good reputation. The Monty Python guys had come to our shows and remember Bob Hoskins? You know, he'd always be in our audience, guys like that. And. But then I came over here. Ray went another direction, but I mean, he's a movie, that guy. Undercover stuff and. Yeah, but you know, the cheers.

[John Ratzenberger]

But before that you also did every, you played every American soldier in every war movie known to man.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, because the dollar was very strong against the pound when I was over there. So they were making a lot of American movies. So I was the right height, weight, size, look to fit into a uniform. So every movie I did the 30 something movies over there and everyone was a uniform, like Ragtime, I was a fireman, Bridge Too Far, Gandhi, yada yada yada. It was always a uniform of some kind. Yeah.

[George Wendt]

But then the ultimate uniform, the mailman.

[Woody Harrelson]

The, the garrulous bellman.

[George Wendt]

The garrulous.

[John Ratzenberger]

That's not fair. He was way more than Gerald.

[George Wendt]

Gerald is interesting. Yeah, but, but I, I love the way your audition went because then you come in and audition for the George part, for Norm part.

[Woody Harrelson]

I don't know, I. Or different, I guess. Yeah, I just. Because I never auditioned. I'd been working 10 years straight in Europe non stop. Not once did I ever audition. And I didn't go to acting school, so I didn't know who taught me what I was supposed to do. So I walked into the office, remember there was Jimmy, Les and Glenn, a couple other people, but you know, they're sitting there like, show me your stuff. And I remember thinking, oh, that's probably why they gave me this script. So I did a horrible job, you know. Yeah. So I was walking out the door, literally walking out the door. And I don't know whether this is my fantasy or it happened in reality, but I could have sworn that my 8 by 10 was going like this into the waste basket. But I stopped and said, do you have a bar? Know it all? But that was the writer part of me asking. And it was Glenn who said, what are you talking about? I said, every bar that I've ever been in in New England anyway has some horse's ass who pretends to know everything. But everybody defers to that person anyway. And because, you know, when I'd go find my dad, tell him the dinner was ready, you know, there's always one guy in the bar, and my father's was this guy named Sarge. Hey, Sarge, what's the length of a whale's intestine? Baleen or blue? And he was a kid. I thought that was hysterical. So, yeah, so I just picked up on that kind of character. And I think I used a ballpoint pen from the desk in there and explained why the Bic pen was originally called a bitch pen and why they had to take the H off. Which is a true story, by the way.

[John Ratzenberger]

No.

[Woody Harrelson]

Two brothers, French brothers, the bitch brothers, B, I, C, H and somebody. So they started a pen company. And somebody goes, you know, you might want to. You might want to take the H off of that.

[John Ratzenberger]

Okay, now you have to raise your hand. Is this a true story? All right, all right. Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

I remember.

[John Ratzenberger]

That's a great story.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, well, I've always been a collector of arcane thoughts and facts, so I get a kick out of it.

[Ted Danson]

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[George Wendt]

When you did the audition, you're leaving and then you go, Then you say the thing about the bar. Know it all. So what was their response?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, well, they were laughing. That was the only reason I did that because again, I had a great career going in Europe and you know, big audiences and know I was toast to the town out back there. But I didn't want to leave that office, have him think I was some kind of momo, you know, just some, some, some, some guy, some actor. Because I knew what I was doing. But I needed to make them laugh before I left to regain my dignity. Because at the, it was just in shatters all over the carpet from my audition. So that's the only reason I did it. Two days later I get a call. Did.

[John Ratzenberger]

Wait. But did you get laugh? Did they laugh?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

So you knew you.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I went into a whole character. Yeah, because it's those characters always, you know, the eyebrows go, you know, you know, you got the, there's all kinds of convoluted motion that goes with it. And there's a cop who was a father of a buddy of mine growing up and he was like that too. And I always used to make fun of him and so, you know, mixed them all up and boom, ba boom, Johnny.

[John Ratzenberger]

It was a brilliant character. It truly was. You made me laugh so hard. I can go back and reruns and you make me laugh.

[Woody Harrelson]

I. I just, I love those types of that, you know, it's sort of the pompous individual. Everybody knows he's full of it, but yet you. Okay, let's listen to him and pretend he's right now.

[John Ratzenberger]

Another influence, because you told me this and you actually got me to start watching his movie, Jacques Tati.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, Jacques Tati. Yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

Tell me first a little bit about him.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, there's just. After Second World War, he started making movies. But he's the reason that I had the wardrobe guy. Cheers. Lift up my pant. Like the cuffs. You can see the white socks. It's because of Jacques Tati. Jacques Tati. And a lot of us, he didn't hardly talk, but he just walked across the room and just his body language and the way he looked at other people would stare and, you know, Chad reaction would start. I could knock, you know, drink down on the dog and the dog would. And just a whole. It'd be chaos.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And all he had to do was walk, walk through a room. I just thought how brilliant that is. But as a matter of fact, I was thinking about him last night. I'm in this hotel up here in Hollywood and they got all these knobs and buttons and I couldn't turn off the light. I was like, what the hell? But Jacques Tati did a movie called Monon. What's all that? There's all these modern doodads and squiggles and spigots and. But it's funny you've mentioned that. I was just thinking about that last night.

[John Ratzenberger]

We haven't talked a lot about. I mean, we have talked a lot about Cheers, but these are some silly questions like, do you have favorite moments? Do you have favorite episodes? Do you have anything.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, but Cheers. Yeah, I. I can't think of a time that a day that wasn't favorite. It just seemed like it just got better and better. I really enjoyed the read through of the scripts. Like they would send us a script, what, on Friday or the weekend, so that we would have it in front of us Monday. I never opened it. I would go in to work with you guys, not having read the script. And so I Could just. So every time you turn the page, it was like a little Christmas present.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Because I love the way the writing. You never saw it coming.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Whereas most sitcoms, you can see it a mile away, you know what's going to happen. But with Cheers, you just. You didn't. You didn't see it coming.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And so I just thought I got kicked out of that. But that was one of my favorite moments. Every week was.

[John Ratzenberger]

I'm gonna tell you some of my favorite moments. Squeaky shoes. Oh, I was thinking about that, too.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, that was one. Yeah. That was directed. That I did. Yeah.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

But that was one of my favorites, too. Yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

An entire bar walking around looking at their feet with squeaker. Little handheld squeakers to make the shoe look.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, I had those prop guy cut the squeakers out of toys. So each actor had his own octave. Because I knew if they did it in post production, it'd be the same octave, the same sound. Not funny. But the actors were in charge. If you look at the right hands of all you guys, you'll see some people squeezing it.

[John Ratzenberger]

What else did you direct?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, a lot of half hour. Yeah, a lot of half hour. And then I made the great career move of moving my family up to an island in Washington State. Yeah, the agents didn't like that because I was getting a lot of offers to direct. I mean, a lot. And so I was with William Morris at the time. I said, well, I'm gonna move in my family up to start a little farm up in Washington on an island. He said, what? Well, yeah, I mean, just call me. I'll come down. And, you know, I thought it was easy. You know, just call. Oh, okay, yeah, I'll be there. But it doesn't work like that. You actually have to talk to people. But so that's kind of. When.

[John Ratzenberger]

What did you do, though, up there? Did you. Were you farming? Were you?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, like I said, I grew up in and around boats. So we always had boats. And my son and I remember the first fish he caught. We were. Isn't this a boat? Cape Cod cat boat I had built. Anyway, he's reeling it in. Reeling. He looks over and it's a shark, but it's like a sand shark, not a big deal. And he was like, five, six. He was dead. It's a shark. And I remember that scene from Bambi where Bambi's father's. Get up, Bambi. When the fire's coming. You can do it, son. You can. That's what I did with my son. Reel it in, Jim. You can do it. He wanted me to reel it in for him, but I remember the look of pride on his face when he reeled it in himself and held it up like that. So that's the reason I went. Because you can't do that here.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I got this set of skills that don't translate to raising children here. So I had to bring them to a place that I knew well, you know, like crab age sailing and, you know. Oh, I remember going to pick up my kids at school and Jim jumps in the car and where's Nina? So I don't know. I look and about 20 yards away, there's a huge pine tree with a lot of kids under the pine tree looking up. And I said, I think I know where she is. She was at the. It was like 80ft in the air. Wow. Nina. Just four or five years old. This is the start of the climb, the pine tree, you know. But that's the reason.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, that's to expose them to that.

[Woody Harrelson]

Just. There it is. Don't do it.

[John Ratzenberger]

Hey. Now that we're talking boats a little bit and we have the major culprit sitting next to me, Woody Harrelson. Come on, let's revisit the story just one more time.

[George Wendt]

I don't know from Johnny's perspective, but it was irritated.

[John Ratzenberger]

We were dying and you were irritated up.

[Woody Harrelson]

I was a little afraid.

[John Ratzenberger]

Let us back up just for a second. Decided. All the boys at Cheers decided to play hooky. First bad thing we'd ever done, you know. Yeah. And it was like, I think our fifth year or something like that. And we weren't heavy in the script. It was Shelly and Ria. And we called Ria that night and said, heads up, we're going to play hooky. And we all decided to meet down.

[Woody Harrelson]

This is Long beach where the boat was.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah. And it was a Boston Whaler that you had or something?

[Woody Harrelson]

No, no, Boston Wheel is a little. This is a Grand Banks.

[John Ratzenberger]

Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

It's a 42 foot trawler.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, it was very impressive. So we go. We go there. I think Woody and I are stoned already on marijuana. And we stopped by to pick up Kelsey, who had been up all night. And then we all piled in a. To the. To the doc. We got to a telephone booth and we called Jimmy Burrows, the director, and said, jimmy, I'm not feeling good. I'm not coming in. Hold on one second. Then you pass it to the next guy in line. He was not amused. And then we got on the boat by now, having no breakfast. I'm hungry. And Woody says, have you ever had mushrooms? Would you like some mushrooms? And I thought, yeah, I mean, we're going to be on a boat.

[Ted Danson]

Boat.

[John Ratzenberger]

We're not answerable to anybody.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[John Ratzenberger]

And in my kind of hunger, I remember it was two or three handfuls that tasted pretty good. Hard cut to, I don't know, half hour later. And we were at the tail end of weather that had come up from Mexico. Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was on the way back.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, but it was. Well, that was on the way back. But it was bumpy. Not bumpy.

[Woody Harrelson]

No.

[John Ratzenberger]

Okay.

[Ted Danson]

My mushrooms were bumping.

[John Ratzenberger]

Let me put it that way.

[George Wendt]

Something was bumpy.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, yeah. They're called waves. The ocean has them a lot.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, so you should have told me that before you go on. Anyway, I look at Woody and Woody stretches out and I think, oh, my God, he's so used to this. He stretches out in a bunk and I am dying. I have trouble breathing and I am just dying. So I go up to where you and George went. Were sitting, you were piloting, and you both looked at me and went, oh, you know, what did you do? Some mushrooms. And I sat next to George and every 30 seconds he would go tap me. Go, breathe. And I go. Because I would forget.

[George Wendt]

Just be holding your breath. I remember that you were like holding your breath for long periods and I.

[John Ratzenberger]

Thought you were fine, but you. You finally came up because you were afraid you were contemplating jumping off the back of the boat. Anyway, woof. Never had a mushroom again.

[Woody Harrelson]

Good.

[John Ratzenberger]

Worst experience.

[Woody Harrelson]

And Kelsey was down below. He was. He was wrecked.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, he was sound asleep.

[Woody Harrelson]

He was sound asleep.

[George Wendt]

Catching some Z's.

[Woody Harrelson]

So you two, George, Kelsey and me.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Going to Catalina.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah. I enjoyed the ride back. The ride back was fun. Not for you because you were fighting some weather.

[Woody Harrelson]

But this. Yeah. Coming back. I remember we were on Catalina and I had my radio carry my radio station. I knew there was weather coming. I just wanted to keep an eye on it. Here's. And when they said, yeah, it's turning and it's going to be coming right down the channel, I. That's. I said to you guys. I remember we're in a Mexican restaurant. I'm not sure.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

I said, look, we gotta stay the night just to be safe.

[John Ratzenberger]

Just now you're gonna make this next part up, I can tell, but go on. You laying this on me?

[Woody Harrelson]

No, I was. I wasn't gonna do that.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, thank you.

[Woody Harrelson]

And one of the members said, oh, no, I gotta get back because I gotta go to a wedding and my wife's gonna come by. And then it was a whole litany of. I said, all right, we gotta leave right this second. So he scurried down to the tender that took us out to the boat, started the engines and got underway. And it was horrible because the weather was coming broadside to the boat. And as a captain, what you do is you go this way, the way the waves are going. So I said, well, we can put into, you know, go up to Ventura or Oxnard or. Just because that's where the wind's blowing us. And it's. That's safer because then you're just going like that. That's fine. Because that boat would take it. It's built for heavy weather. And no, couldn't. Cars were there in Long beach. But. So the boats. I remember the props cavitating, that it was because there's two engines, two props and the boats. And you can hear the props spinning out of the water. And I remember thinking, tomorrow's papers are going to say Cliff kills. Cast of cheers that we were going under and we obviously made it back, but that was something good.

[George Wendt]

Good navigating.

[John Ratzenberger]

Well, you asked me to sit up in the prow.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, yeah, towards the end there when we were coming in, just to keep an eye out for buoys and things for make sure we. We were in the right spot. And. Yeah, yeah, that was. Oh, and one of the members of the crew had opened the refrigerator but forgot to latch it.

[John Ratzenberger]

Woody, was that you?

[Woody Harrelson]

Was it Woody? I forget who it was, but when the boat pitched everything, everything went on. All the bottles broke. Beer bottles. And so is now got glass and broken glass and beer like this. And so I'm stuck at the wheel. And so if anything happened, I can't even walk. It's all broken glass slushing behind me.

[John Ratzenberger]

We're a mess.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was something. It was different.

[John Ratzenberger]

I think it was the last time you invited us on any of your boats.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, absolutely.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

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[John Ratzenberger]

Have you ever been scared for your life on a boat?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

Coming?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, there's once I. The one that comes to mind when I was a deckhand on a oyster boat and went out, it's like farming oysters. You got the small oysters, you dredge them up and you put them somewhere else. But it was in the winter and there was a storm, and I had to go out on the outside of the boat to open up what's called the scuppers. And you rinse this, the oysters out. Anyway, my hand missed the thing and I was going. I had my full oilers on, the raincoat, rain gear, boots. So I was like this. And my entire life flashed in front of me. I had never.

[John Ratzenberger]

You're about to fall off the side.

[Woody Harrelson]

Knowing that because it was winter, it was a storm, it was just me and the skipper on the boat, and he couldn't hear me because of the engine. So I could yell and scream all I wanted, but there's no way. It'd take like half hour until he says, where the hell is that guy? You know? Then he, you know, wouldn't be able to find me. But I was gone. I was dead. Because I knew as soon as I hit the water. I knew enough that because with what I had on it, I'd sink like a stone cold water, all that. But God in his wisdom sent a wave on the other side of the boat that tipped the boat more my way. And I was able to grab the boat. But it's like God's hand tipped the boat just enough for me to grab on, jet on. And then I went down below just to sit at a bunk. And the skipper came, this old grumpy guy said, what the hell you doing? Oh my God. Because apparently I was white as that sheet of paper. So he poured me a shot of whiskey and I knocked it back. But that. Yeah, I was almost gone then. That happened a few times. Different scenarios. Roof of a building and stuff like that.

[John Ratzenberger]

Motorcycles.

[Woody Harrelson]

Motorcycle crash.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, tell us about the motorcycle crash.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I drove a Harley here in Los Angeles. And I wasn't really a biker, just something to do. And I was asked by a fellow who became a good friend of mine, Butch Starnes, down in Florida. He was a president of the NOM Nights. Vietnam veterans on Harleys, basically. They were having a big fundraiser to raise money for diabetes research. And as you may or may not know, I was a big part of that nationwide. And so then he picked me up at the airport and he says, you want to go out for a drink or something? Yeah, sure. I didn't know it, but he had owned like six strip clubs in his former life. So we had to go to each one. And anyway, it wasn't until the fourth.

[John Ratzenberger]

Or fifth one that you caught on.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, it wasn't until when the sun was coming up. I was just getting to bed, and then he wakes me up a couple hours later. Okay, we've got to go pick up your bike. Because they had rented one identical to the one I drove here for me to lead off this procession. Yeah, okay, sure. You know, I didn't want to say I want to sleep. Okay. Yeah. And got on the bike and my head is still spinning. I shouldn't have been on a bike at all. But we get on the highway and he takes off. He had to be going 125, him and some other guy. And I'll catch up to him. And I came around and go and hit the gravel. Bump a da Bump, bump. And I remember thinking of my kids. My last thought was just a picture of both of my kids. I'll never see them again. Anyway, so now I'm laying down and I gotta make it to the side. Cause there's traffic coming behind me. And I make it to the little grass area, and a woman, who I think someone told me later that she was a nurse, she'd come over, and she looked down at me and see if she could help. And she. She came like this far from my face, went, ah, ah.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, wow. Encouraging.

[George Wendt]

That's not what you want.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I remember saying to her, thanks for stopping by, ma'am. I'll take it from here. So anyway, my friend Butch, he had seen my bike up in the air in his rearview mirror, and so he circled back around, and then ambulance showed up, and he said, and they're foot meeting on the stretcher, and one of them looks down, says to the other guy, you know who this is? And now they're talking about favorite Cheers episodes, right? I'm this close to bleeding to death, right? So Butch, God bless him, said, you know, put him in the ambulance, get him out of here. And then woods said, where you take them? They said, we're taking him to County. Now, county is where they use old rusty can openers, and you don't want to go to county anywhere in the world. And he says, no, take them to Orlando Regional. And the guy said, don't tell me what to do. We're taking him to County. It's closer. And I wasn't in any shape to argue, so they shut the doors and we're going down the highway. And the radio crackles. It's the chief of the fire department saying, where are you taking them? They said, county. And then the chief says, did Mr. Starnes tell you to take him to Orlando Regional?

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes, sir, he did. He says, will you do whatever Mr. Starnes tells you? So we go across the verge again. And I was so lucky again. The hand of God was there with me that there was a symposium or a convention of the top ankle surgeons in the state or in the country. And so I had top people working on my. Because my foot was. If I hadn't been wearing boots laced up, I would have lost my foot. So they patched it all together and went down to the hardware store, got some metal and bolts and stuff. And so, yeah, I was in the hospital for a while.

[John Ratzenberger]

Let me back up again. I'm jumping around. Who do you think had the most impact on you from growing up? Your father, your parents, whoever, to make you be this John Ratzenberger, if you could.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wow. I've never been asked that before. That's a big question. You know, later on in life you learn, you know, it's not the falling down, it's how you get back up. And I think in my time in Europe, because there was no. Except for my buddy Ray and his girlfriend at the time. There was no backup. There was no, you're on your own. There's no going home and get your laundry done. You're completely on your own. And that goes a long way in forming somebody.

[George Wendt]

But Ray from the Sows Meat market. Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Because he had already been over there working as a social worker, but also growing up. Again, it's after World War II, and a lot of these guys, my father included, came back with ptsd, but nobody knew because they didn't call it ptsd. They called it shell shock. And you were supposed to just get over it, like, just shake it off.

[John Ratzenberger]

Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I remember stepping over friend's fathers bars on the way to school in the morning. You know, I remember one was sprayed across the curb just as you got to the crosswalk. And kids are stepping over them, you know, to go to school. But most of the fathers in the neighborhood were. Yeah, I mean, that's. The bar was their clubhouse. And so you had a, you know, that forms your personality, you know, dealing with that. And it was the kind of time you kind of had to have eyes in the back of your head, you know, and, you know, the nuns just. I remember seeing a nun knock a kid out, but it's just. She came up from her toes and an uppercut and this kid went over a desk. But he deserved it. He really did deserve it. I saw the whole thing. So did you grow up? Yeah. Well, okay, so he got knocked out. That's no big deal. But I don't know how to answer that.

[John Ratzenberger]

Was your mother a big ingredient in all of that, in your life?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, yeah, she was. She was a cuddly one. But what she would do, she'd buy old radios or appliances. What do they call them back then? White elephant sails or.

[John Ratzenberger]

Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

Something cut off the electrical cord given to me. And I'm four years old, five years old, a couple of screwdrivers, parties take it apart.

[John Ratzenberger]

This is your mom. That's incredible.

[Woody Harrelson]

And that was just so. To me, that was a toy that I graduated to Erector sets. And I was always fascinated with that. But again, it was a background and stuff that I probably should have been an engineer because I could do all that stuff. But I didn't know what an engineer was. I thought he was the guy who drove a train. But there's nobody in the whole school system said, you know what? You should be an engineer. I Wouldn't have known what the hell they were talking about. My guidance counselor in high school though, I'll never forget that. I walk in her office and she said, what do you want? Guidance counselor. I guess I must have been a senior, junior. I said, well, I just wondered, you know, after high school what I should be doing. And there was pamphlets and it was Tufts University and you know, Princeton. I said, I'm not sure whether I should be going to Tufts or be a doctor or Princeton. And I'm just busting her chops because I know I'm not going to Tufts. So she said, get out of my office. She's now she's screaming and she's standing up and she had veins. Oh, get out of my eyes. Vice principal was running in, what's the matter? Anyway, that's what it was. But there was a new university opening up nearby and they needed butts for seats. So I applied there and got in. I think as long as your socks matched, you know, they let you. I mean it's a big deal university now. They actually did it right. It's a very well known place. But my, I forget year, what year it was maybe my junior year. My. One of my professors had to go do something family related out of state. He said, john, will you take over my class for a couple of weeks? And because, I mean, after all it was said and done, once I dusted everything off, I had a brain. So he said, could you take over my class for a couple weeks? I said, sure. So I remember going out and getting a three piece suit and a briefcase and now I was going to be a college professor. Oh, this is after I graduated. That's right. So I think the suitcase had a bologna sandwich in it. That was great. And so walk in the amphitheater. It was, you know, I stood at the podium and I looked down and there's my high school guidance counselor.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

Who told me, Ratzenberger, get a job in some factory, find somebody to marry you if you can and try to stay out of jail. That was my guidance. Seriously, that's my guidance.

[George Wendt]

Those are three good guide posts.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was my high school, okay? It wasn't like, you know, you're going to be great out there, you know you're going to. But there she is now and I'm her teacher in college. So I say, hey Mr. Soza, how you doing? And she looked up, her eyes got wide. I think she started to sweat and maybe cry. But she never saw her again. She didn't come back to another Class.

[George Wendt]

So when did you find out? Like, along the way, like high school or whatever. When did you find out you were funny? Like, were you ever like the class clown or.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, but I was surrounded by guys like that. Bobby Garamella, Gil Zawatsky. It's just. I mean, even in high school, we. Before the teacher came in, make up stuff, I said to one of the guys, go downstairs, third floor, go down the parking lot, get on top of the car and splay yourself like you jumped out of the window onto the car. So he did. Teacher comes in and there's a bunch of us at the window. Oh, my God. He jumped. Oh, my God. And she. What? What? And she looked down and she screamed, Ah. Runs down, out, probably you got the principal. And so. Hey, come on. So he jumped off and came back up another stairway and. Yeah, just stuff like that. It just. It seemed harmless. Hey, might as well. Something to do, sort of, you know, just stuff. I love.

[John Ratzenberger]

You are a bundle. Like we all are. But one thing that I love is I always. Because sometimes we're so different in many ways. I did not. I had an easier upbringing. You know, I think in some way.

[Woody Harrelson]

Your father was an archeologist. Right?

[John Ratzenberger]

Right. Yeah. And all of that stuff. But what I'm driving is whenever I. Whenever I see you and I haven't seen you for a while, there's that. I mean, I grab you, I hug you, and we both laugh and giggle over just all the fun we had on Cheers and all the memories. You've got that soft giggler inside of you.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

Which I love. I mean, you're a cream puff.

[Woody Harrelson]

Even raising kids, I would look for ways to embarrass them in public. I would.

[John Ratzenberger]

Just to make them laugh. Just to make yourself laugh.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, no, just. Well, they deserve this. I'm picking up my daughter from high school. The door to the high school's like that wall. Everyone's coming out of there. So I pull the car up right here. I'm no more than 25ft. I get out of the car, stand there. Everyone's coming out. Here's my daughter with her friends right there. I would. I go, honey, honey, I'm over here. I'm right here. There's no other parent anywhere. And there's no way she can miss me. Honey, can you see? I'm here? I'm here by the car. You see the car. Come on, honey. And she just. She'd go like this.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, no, that's my fault.

[Woody Harrelson]

But her friends would go. They'd be hysterical. Laughing. I really enjoyed that.

[John Ratzenberger]

I noticed with my grandkids all my silly jokes that worked great when they're five, six.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

So phew, man, I can't get the 11 year old to laugh at any of my stupid jokes anymore.

[Woody Harrelson]

Male or female?

[John Ratzenberger]

Female. I'll find another way, don't worry.

[Woody Harrelson]

But the embarrassing them at school helps.

[John Ratzenberger]

I'll try that.

[Woody Harrelson]

Try it.

[George Wendt]

I embarrass my daughter all the time.

[Woody Harrelson]

How old is she?

[George Wendt]

Sitting right over there. She's 17. Hi.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, I'm one of your dad's old buddies from the old days. We were in the army.

[George Wendt]

But she really, she has done some serious eye rolling for me like many a times. I've given her eyes immense amount of exercise. I don't know, I embarrass her, but.

[Woody Harrelson]

Not intentionally, you know, I always do it intentionally. I think they need it.

[John Ratzenberger]

Mary follows behind me in life going, he was kidding. That was a joke. He was kidding. What he meant was, you know, because you do love to kind of push the envelope and say the most slightly inappropriate thing you can find in this situation.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, yeah, that's true.

[John Ratzenberger]

That's a good point.

[Woody Harrelson]

I remember picking my daughter up since she was in a. It was a high end middle school where the kids are picked up. It's either by the chauffeurs picking them up or a maid or, you know, limousine or. I mean it was high end stuff. Well, I had the, I was putting in a basketball court at our house and I decided to take the truck that I had, the, what do you call it? Bobcat, you know, little small bulldozer. So it's a big diesel flatbed. So I picked her up between that from school. She still remembers Mercedes, Porsche, blah blah, blah, diesel truck. And she just looked at him.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, dad.

[Woody Harrelson]

But she jumped up, you know, rode home in it. I think at the end of the day they were kind of, they liked it.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah.

[George Wendt]

Switch gears one second because I want to talk about Pixar. You've just had an astounding kind of run with Pixar. How do you, I mean, how do you feel about all that?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, it's just I, you know, showed up and, and did it and, and became good friends with them. So they asked me to do everyone.

[George Wendt]

And you like their good luck? Your talisman for them?

[Woody Harrelson]

Not anymore. I don't work with Pixar anymore.

[George Wendt]

Oh really?

[Woody Harrelson]

I think because once you made them big they just, yeah, who needs a lucky charm? No, I think, well, because it was a change of hierarchy and I guess the new guys didn't want the lucky charm, but I still work with John Lasseter over at Sky Dance. Yeah, that's the company that makes Jack Reacher, Mission Impossible and all that stuff. So they have an animation wing and John's running that wing, so I work with them there. Just doing voices.

[John Ratzenberger]

I cannot get arrested in any kind of voiceover work. I'll come in and audition. They go, that's great, man. You should be doing this a lot then. I never hear from them. It's kind of. I kind of love it because it feels like I'm starting over in one area, but I cannot get arrested.

[Woody Harrelson]

See, I find that strange.

[John Ratzenberger]

Thank you.

[George Wendt]

She's got a great voice.

[John Ratzenberger]

Great voice.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. Well, yeah, Both of you. I'll put a word in.

[John Ratzenberger]

Please.

[George Wendt]

Would you talk to John? Now, what about the. I remember when you were first doing the Sizzle Pack.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, my.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, let's talk about that. That's great.

[George Wendt]

That thing, that, that. And then I saw it everywhere. I still see it everywhere.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, it's all over the world.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

Sizzle Pack. Describe it. It's instead of Styrofoam and all that horrible stuff that doesn't go away.

[George Wendt]

You can describe it better.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, it's the same paper. That paper bag is made from craft paper. You take a strip of it and then fold it back on itself, accordionize it and papers. The memory wants to get back to its original shape. You put a lot of them together. They interlock, so it's perfect medium for shipping fragile items. And I started that company up in Seattle and then sold.

[John Ratzenberger]

But that included, like, a factory making all this, so.

[Woody Harrelson]

Walk us through. Oh, Made the machines even.

[John Ratzenberger]

You helped design the machines. Oh, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you, Mom.

[John Ratzenberger]

Thank you, Mom.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, really? Really. But it was just, you know, then I sold the company, and then they sold the company and they sold because. So it's. Somebody is. I don't know who's in charge now, but it's. Yeah, it's worldwide now.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah, yeah, it was brilliant. I remember that. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. I don't get paid a cent anymore, so whatever work you guys can throw my way, I appreciate it.

[John Ratzenberger]

We are.

[George Wendt]

We're counting on that now, you know, when the. The other thing you taught me that I. I'll never forget was one day you came in and you were saying that you'd been up north or something and. And. Or in Montana or somewhere, and you said, you know, that those national parks have, like, a scenic strip that's maybe a hundred yards and the rest is just fricking clear cut. And that they were clear cutting our national forest.

[Woody Harrelson]

Remember? Oregon?

[George Wendt]

Yeah, Oregon. And. And I was like, I. Well, nobody wanted to believe that. None of us wanted to believe that. But then I went up there and I was like, oh, my freaking God.

[John Ratzenberger]

Is that when you sat in a tree for a week or something? Didn't you do that?

[Woody Harrelson]

He climbed the Golden Gate Bridge.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, well, that was. Yeah, that was for the redwoods. But.

[John Ratzenberger]

But.

[George Wendt]

But I had never. I had never. I mean, you. You can't even imagine that the United States government is selling for, like, I don't know, $8 a tree, these giant, beautiful, amazing fucking trees to the big companies. And, you know, you can go into the guy's office. And I went into the office of one of the guy who was the head of the interior. Anyway, there's like a message from Reagan saying, congratulations on cutting so many bored feet out of the forest. You know, And I'm like, you know, unbelievable. It just. Everything.

[John Ratzenberger]

And it didn't create the same jobs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think a lot of wood then got shipped to be milled overseas.

[Woody Harrelson]

Right, Right. The law was you can't ship a whole tree. It has to be milled. So what they would do to get around that law, they'd just cut this wide of a patch down the side of the tree. So now legally you can ship it. And they would ship it to Japanese building ships just out off the coast here. After the 12 mile, they would turn it into wooden boards and sell it back to us.

[John Ratzenberger]

Yeah. So we were creating no jobs, except for the.

[George Wendt]

No, and one other thing I wanted to mention. You said you got the place in. In, out or out near Palm Spring? Mirage.

[Woody Harrelson]

Rancho Mirage.

[George Wendt]

Rancho Mirage. And why did you say you wanted to get that place?

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. So when they come to visit, you know. He's not answering. Look at him. What's that smell?

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, that's.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. So, you know, somebody find the body. Otherwise I'll be there for months.

[George Wendt]

I love that morbid humor.

[Woody Harrelson]

Just stick it up the place. Yeah. No, it's important because it's just. I was just with my daughter and two granddaughters this weekend. They came out to the hotel I was staying at out in Westlake. And it's just.

[George Wendt]

I.

[Woody Harrelson]

You know, it's the best just watching them and listening to them and them at night going out on the balcony, pretending they were dogs, you know, barking at the people in the swimming pool. It's great. That's what they should do. Yeah. And, oh, also my daughter, she was saying how much she enjoyed your Christmas cards. Oh, you danced. Remember this? We sent out the cards and he and Mary and the family dressed as a dance troupe.

[John Ratzenberger]

We didn't actually dance.

[Ted Danson]

We did dance poses.

[Woody Harrelson]

Right?

[John Ratzenberger]

That's what we were famous for.

[Woody Harrelson]

And then the next year, you sent out the CD of the backstory.

[John Ratzenberger]

This is my wife, Mary. We actually had full on wardrobe department and catering for that particular shoot.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, yeah. Nina said the thank you. She got a big kick out of that.

[John Ratzenberger]

I am so appreciative of that compliment. Please tell her thank you. Now tell the truth on this one. Do you ever watch Cheers episodes?

[Woody Harrelson]

Not when we were making them, no. Now if I can find them. Why do they do that? Why do they have our show on at 4 in the morning? And you got King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond. You know, Friends, bum bum bum all day long, one right after the other. But for us it's 4:30 in the morning.

[George Wendt]

Is that why I ain't been seeing any residuals on this delio?

[Woody Harrelson]

Probably, yeah, probably. But really that's, that's because again, you know, the. I just did 4,000 miles and hotels and stuff. There's no chairs anywhere. But all those other ones, you know, So I was. I always wondered that. Why.

[John Ratzenberger]

I think you can still find it, but it's. It's getting hard.

[Woody Harrelson]

But you shouldn't have to search that hard for it.

[John Ratzenberger]

I agree.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I was wondering why they did that. If there was a reason, you would know.

[John Ratzenberger]

I think that's when that age group gets up to pee and they're hoping the TV will be on and they'll notice.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, probably.

[John Ratzenberger]

Oh, look, there I am. Johnny, much love.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[John Ratzenberger]

Much appreciation.

[Woody Harrelson]

God bless you both.

[John Ratzenberger]

Cannot tell you how many times you've made me laugh since my job. I mean, just watching old episodes. You are one funny, funny, funny man. Funny man.

[Ted Danson]

That was the great John Ratzenberger. Thank you, John, so much for spending that time with me and Woody. We appreciate you so much. That's it for this episode. Thanks to our friends at Team Coco. Once again, you can subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast app and you can give us a great rating and review on Apple Podcast. If you have some time. If you don't have time, don't. And if you like watching your podcast, don't forget you can watch this episode in its entirety on YouTube. See you right back here next week. Where everybody knows your name.

[Nick Leow]

You've been listening to where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson. Sometimes the, the show is produced by me, Nick Leow. Executive producers are Adam Sachs, Colin Anderson, Jeff Ross and myself. Sara Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Our senior producer is Matt Apodaca. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez Research by Alyssa Grohl Talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Bautista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Anthony Genn, Mary Steenbergen and John Osborne. Special thanks to Willie Nelson Abraham. We'll have more for you next time, where everybody knows your name.

[Sara Fedorovich]

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