JOHN RATZENBERGER (Yeti) roars again as the voice of the lonely Yeti, exiled from Monstropolis to the cold, harsh high Himalayas. Ratzenberger, the only actor to voice a role in all four Pixar films, brings the same charm and wit that he exhibited as Hamm the piggy bank in the two "Toy Story" films and as P. T. Flea, the (somewhat charred) flea-circus ringmaster in "A Bug's Life."

"Yeti is a cuddly character without any horns or spikes," observes Ratzenberger. "He's made a nice life for himself out there in the Himalayas. He's got some yak friends and every Thursday night they get together to play charades. He doesn't hurt anybody. He just terrifies them a little bit. Actually, he's a bit lonely because everybody runs away from him.

"As an actor, it's a joy to be working with the Pixar team. They always start with a strong story and won't even start to think about designing characters or starting to animate until the story is solid. Usually in Hollywood, they say, 'we've got an actor, we've got a location, let's throw something together and people will come to see it.' The Pixar characters have more depth and even the body language, the tilt of the head, the arch of an eyebrow has such painstaking detail.

"Pixar has said that I'm their lucky charm but I feel like they've been mine," adds Ratzenberger. "It's really refreshing to work with people who know what they're doing and I hope this relationship continues for a long time. I've already put my application in as a custodian at their new building."

Following a hugely successful stint in the role of Cliff Clavin, mailman extraordinaire and trivia king, on the hit television show "Cheers," Ratzenberger has moved on to producing, directing and writing.

Born in Bridgeport and raised in Black Rock, Connecticut, Ratzenberger attended Sacred Heart University where he was an English major, studied karate and was an archery instructor. In his spare time, he joined the drama club where he made his stage debut in "Summer and Smoke." He followed up that part with ubsequent leading roles in "West Side Story" and "Waiting for Godot."

He left school after four years taking a job on an oyster boat until he discovered a group of his former college chums waiting at the dock. His pals had tracked him down to replace the lead actor in their production of Murry Schisgal's comedy "Luv" at the Stowe Playhouse. He stayed on with the playhouse and performed in various one-man shows before he decided to take a job as a blacksmith and carpenter in North WolcWott, Vermont. After almost two years there, he took a trip to England for a three-week visit and remained there for ten years.

In London, he formed an improvisational theatre group, Sal's Meat Market, for which he co-wrote, directed and acted, portraying as many as 15 characters per show. After attracting the attention of the British Arts Council, he and a partner were given a grant to tour clubs and theaters throughout Europe.

He signed for his first motion picture role in 1974 in "The Ritz," which starred Rita Moreno. He has since appeared in 22 films including "A Bridge Too Far," "Yanks," "Superman," "Superman II," "Ragtime," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Outland" and "Gandhi."

On his return to the U.S. in 1981, Ratzenberger became more involved in television series and telefilms such as "Hill Street Blues," "Code Red," the NBC television movie "Wedding Bell Blues," and of course, "Cheers."

He has directed various films and television series including "Sister Sister," "Madman of the People," "Evening Shade," and "Cheers," to name a few.

Ratzenberger serves as Chairman of childrenwithdiabetes.com, the world's largest internet venture dealing with research and information exchange in connection with Juvenile Diabetes. He is part of an effort which has raised over $100 million for the cause. Also an avid environmentalist, he created Eco-Pak Industries, a manufacturer of environmentally safe packaging materials that now are sold worldwide.

Along with his wife and two children, he resides in the Los Angeles area. In 1996, he was named Father of the Year.