Rodney Allen Rippy
Encyclopedia
Rodney Allen Rippy is an American former child actor
. He appeared in TV commercials for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box in the early 1970s, as well as in numerous roles in television and movies.
In the advertisements, he was seen trying to wrap his mouth around the super-sized Jumbo Jack hamburger
. The tag line "It's too big to eat!" became a catch-phrase. Another spot showed Rodney giggling while singing the song "Take Life A Little Easier," which was released as a single by Bell Records
in the fall of 1973 in the wake of the commercial's popularity. The 45 (b/w "World of Love") approached Billboard Magazine's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart in October 1973, peaking at #112. At the age of five, Rippy became the youngest person ever to make any Billboard
music chart.
Rippy subsequently had guest-roles in many popular television shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man
, Marcus Welby, MD, Police Story, and The Odd Couple
(where Rodney played the owner of the building where Oscar
and Felix
lived). He also appeared frequently on talk shows such as The Tonight Show
with Johnny Carson
and Dinah's Place with Dinah Shore
. Rippy also had a co-starring role on the CBS
Saturday morning children's show The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine
.
Rodney made his big screen debut (uncredited, filmed before the Jack in the Box spots) in the Mel Brooks
comedy Blazing Saddles
in 1974. He portrayed a young Sheriff
Bart aboard his parents' buckboard wagon after a brutal Sioux
nation attack. When the Sioux chief, portrayed by Brooks, allows the pioneers passage (for being darker than the Sioux are), Rippy says his only line, "Thank you."
In a Peanuts
newspaper comic strip dated July 3, 1974, Snoopy
awakens from a dream in which he "had been invited out to dinner by Rodney Allen Rippy!"
in 1995. He has taken on a few acting roles since his childhood stardom, filming a few episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose
in the early 90s, appearing in the 1997 independent film Former Child Star and the 2003 David Spade
comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
.
Rippy is a partner in the film production company, Bow Tie Productions, and spokesman for Hurricane Housing Relief. He also worked at KABC-TV
in Los Angeles, California.
A resident of Carson, California
, he has served as Master of Ceremonies for the Carson Relay For Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jzApvQvcGo&feature=related (Rippy's mother died of cancer in 1986). As of December 2007, he is also a national director of marketing with Metro Networks
.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
. He appeared in TV commercials for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box in the early 1970s, as well as in numerous roles in television and movies.
In the advertisements, he was seen trying to wrap his mouth around the super-sized Jumbo Jack hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
. The tag line "It's too big to eat!" became a catch-phrase. Another spot showed Rodney giggling while singing the song "Take Life A Little Easier," which was released as a single by Bell Records
Bell Records
Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 by Arthur Shimkin in New York, the owner of children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny Bell who used the Bell name to issue risque novelty records. A...
in the fall of 1973 in the wake of the commercial's popularity. The 45 (b/w "World of Love") approached Billboard Magazine's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart in October 1973, peaking at #112. At the age of five, Rippy became the youngest person ever to make any Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
music chart.
Rippy subsequently had guest-roles in many popular television shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
, Marcus Welby, MD, Police Story, and The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
(where Rodney played the owner of the building where Oscar
Oscar Madison
Oscar Madison is a character in The Odd Couple, which began as a Broadway play, then was a film and then a television series.In The Odd Couple, Oscar Madison is the everyman, and is a sportswriter for the New York Herald...
and Felix
Felix Unger
Felix Unger was one of the principal characters in Neil Simon's play The Odd Couple. Felix was portrayed in the original Broadway production of the play by Art Carney, in the film by Jack Lemmon, and in the television series by Tony Randall.-Character overview:Felix is a divorced, middle-aged man...
lived). He also appeared frequently on talk shows such as The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
and Dinah's Place with Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
. Rippy also had a co-starring role on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Saturday morning children's show The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine
The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine
The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine was a Saturday morning variety show featuring players from the basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters singing, dancing, and performing comedy sketches...
.
Rodney made his big screen debut (uncredited, filmed before the Jack in the Box spots) in the Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
comedy Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
in 1974. He portrayed a young Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Bart aboard his parents' buckboard wagon after a brutal Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
nation attack. When the Sioux chief, portrayed by Brooks, allows the pioneers passage (for being darker than the Sioux are), Rippy says his only line, "Thank you."
In a Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
newspaper comic strip dated July 3, 1974, Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
awakens from a dream in which he "had been invited out to dinner by Rodney Allen Rippy!"
Later years
Rippy graduated from California State University, Dominguez HillsCalifornia State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, Dominguez Hills is a public university located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County and was founded in 1960...
in 1995. He has taken on a few acting roles since his childhood stardom, filming a few episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris...
in the early 90s, appearing in the 1997 independent film Former Child Star and the 2003 David Spade
David Spade
David Wayne Spade is an American actor, comedian and television personality who first became famous in the 1990s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and from 1997 until 2003 when he starred as Dennis Finch on Just Shoot Me!. He also starred as C.J...
comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring David Spade and Mary McCormack.- Plot :...
.
Rippy is a partner in the film production company, Bow Tie Productions, and spokesman for Hurricane Housing Relief. He also worked at KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
in Los Angeles, California.
A resident of Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, he has served as Master of Ceremonies for the Carson Relay For Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jzApvQvcGo&feature=related (Rippy's mother died of cancer in 1986). As of December 2007, he is also a national director of marketing with Metro Networks
Metro Networks
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/files/2011/04/Metro_Logo_bigger.jpgMetro Networks is a broadcasting outsourcing company based in Houston, Texas. It was a subsidiary of Westwood One until its sale to Clear Channel Communications in 2011...
.