In 1992, Cheers star John Ratzenberger saluted the Cliff Clavins of the world
Everyone needs a friend like Cliff Clavin in their life. He was the socially awkward, friendly guy at the local bar who just wanted a friend to have a beer with.
Don't believe us? Just ask John Ratzenberger, the man who played Cliff in the 1982 series Cheers. He said he could've used a friend like Cliff during the days when he frequented bars with little money and even lower chances of landing a role early in his acting career.
According to a 1992 interview with the Anderson Independent-Mail, Ratzenberger said he was proud of his success in the role of the drink-slinging, loner mailman.
"I sit in a bar and crack jokes, which is exactly what my guidance counselor said I was good for," Ratzenberger said.
Although Ratzenberger said his character was at the bar in hopes of finding a friend, Cliff had millions of people watching him each week—an estimated 30 million. Little did he know, he had all the friends a guy could want across the country, some of which dreamed of sharing a beer with him.
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Fans loved Cliff Clavin for his quirky, endearing personality. In fact, Ratzenberger was one of the reasons Cheers became one of the best-known watering holes in TV comedy.
According to the interview, Ratzenberger based his character on a friend he knew growing up in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
"I actually believe that about the Cliff Clavins of the world—if they stopped doing what they do, there would be some kind of great collapse, perhaps our transportation system," Ratzenberger said. "The Cliff Clavin may be the true voice of America.
For a total of 11 seasons, spanning 12 years, Cliff sipped beer, recited meaningless trivia, and exchanged the occasional joke with George Wendt's character, Norm.
The character quickly became incredibly popular among fans, along with his best drinking buddy, Norm. So, what made these two buddies fixture at the iconic bar in almost every episode?
"Cliff's there for the companionship; Norm's there for the beer," Ratzenberger added.
Ratzenberger said he felt there was a lot of untapped potential in his character, and he wanted to explore and capitalize on that popularity. His goal was to develop a backstory and deeper storyline for Cliff.
"There's a lot more to show than an aging Lothario and bumbling bar managers," Ratzenberger said.
He truly believed that everyone deserved to have someone like Cliff in their life, and he was lucky enough to call the character his. Guess neither of them would be lonely again.
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