John Ratzenberger is not new to the world of voice-overs. Before he became the piggy bank in "Toy Story," he did a number of background voices for films. Go rent "Superman II" and fast forward to the Niagara Falls scene. Just about every voice is his.

Something else you might not know about Ratzenberger is that his well-honed improvisational skills landed him the "Cheers" role that allows him to live forever in late-night syndication. Though Cliff Claven wasn't formally in the cast, ten minutes of Ratzenberger's improv created the role and made it his. And Ratzenberger makes no bones about the fact that there are similarities between Hamm and Cliff. He describes Hamm as "a know-it-all New Englander" and acknowledges that "it's pretty much Cliff in a pig suit."

Ratzenberger has had guest-starring roles on "Hill Street Blues," "Wings," and the Masterpiece Theatre production of "The Good Soldier," and made his motion picture debut in 1974 in "The Ritz." Since then he's appeared in over 20 feature films including "Yanks," "Ragtime," and "Gandhi." Oh, and of course, "Toy Story."

In addition to his acting career, Ratzenberger is especially proud of his work as a writer and director. He has writing credits on "The Golden Dreamboat," "Friends in Space," and "Crown Court" for British Television, and he made his American directorial debut in 1989 with "Cheers."