Willard Scott
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. (born March 7, 1934) is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.
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"Ronald McDonald" character
Willard Scott as Ronald McDonald, from one of the first three pre-recorded television advertisements to feature Ronald. Note the "food-tray hat".
Another television role he performed regularly from 1963–1966 and occasionally as late as 1971 was Ronald McDonald for a McDonald's franchise in Washington, D.C.. Scott wrote in his book, The Joy of Living, that he originally created the Ronald McDonald character at the fast-food restaurant chain's request.
In Morgan Spurlock's documentary film Super Size Me, Eric Schlosser claims that McDonald's replaced Scott on account of his weight, supposedly concerned about McDonald's image.
The Today Show
Scott was tapped by NBC in 1980 to become its weatherman for The Today Show, replacing Bob Ryan, who replaced him at WRC-TV until 2010. After being inspired by a viewer request, Scott began his practice of wishing centenarians a happy birthday on-air in 1983.
During the 1980s, Scott routinely did weather reports on the road, interviewing locals at community festivals and landmarks. He also periodically did the program from Washington D.C., which he still considered his home. During this time, NBC executives told the bald Scott to wear a hairpiece. He complied when in New York, but refused when outside of the studio, resulting in a strange dichotomy on the air.
In 1989, The Today Show co-host Bryant Gumbel wrote an internal memo critical of the show's personalities. The memo was leaked to the media. Gumbel said Scott "holds the show hostage to his assortment of whims, wishes, birthdays and bad taste ... This guy is killing us and no one's even trying to rein him in." This garnered enough of a backlash that Gumbel was shown making up with Scott on the show.
Although he is no longer The Today Show's full-time weatherman, Scott continues to appear twice a week on the long-running morning program to wish centenarians a happy birthday and to substitute for regular weatherman Al Roker during his absences. He appears from the studio lot of WBBH, the NBC affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida. He is also currently the commercial voice—taking over the job from the late Mason Adams—of Smucker's jellies which sponsors his birthday tributes on The Today Show.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_Scott
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