John Ratzenberger's Cameo in Soul: A Pixar Tradition

John Ratzenberger's Pixar Legacy

Soul made its Disney+ debut on Christmas Day of 2020, and on first viewing, it seemed as though seasoned Pixar voice actor John Ratzenberger didn't have a part in the film - but he does. Many voices in Soul are easily recognizable, but it's somewhat difficult to make out Ratzenberger's signature gruffness anywhere. After several fans commented on not being able to discern his voice, director Pete Docter confirmed in an interview with CinemaBlend that Ratzenberger does indeed make a very brief appearance in Soul, but declined to give specific details.

Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), the jazz pianist and music teacher in Soul, looking disappointed in the mirror

While older generations remember John Ratzenberger as Cliff the mailman on the television classic Cheers, younger generations may know him best from his roles - both major and minor - in 23 Pixar films. He's been lending his voice to the studio since 1995's Toy Story, in which he played Hamm the piggy bank. Since then, he's played a ringmaster flea in A Bug's Life, John in Wall-E, Yeti in the Monsters, Inc. movies, and construction worker Fenwick in Onward, among others. That's why viewers were concerned when Ratzenberger was seemingly absent from Pixar's latest feature.

John Ratzenberger cameo in Soul

Ratzenberger's legacy with Pixar is unparalleled, and his absence in Soul initially raised eyebrows among fans. However, the mystery of his presence in the film has sparked much discussion and speculation.

Pixar's Soul Joe with a cat on his shoulder

The Mystery of Ratzenberger's Appearance

Though it remains unconfirmed and uncredited, there is a character in Soul whose voice sounds very similar to John Ratzenberger's. Of course, actors can mask and alter their voices to fit their onscreen characters, but Ratzenberger has a very distinctive cadence that remains unchanged in many of his roles. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in Soul occurs when Joe bumps into a fellow passenger on the subway.

The passenger, a quintessential annoyed New Yorker, shoots, 'Hey, take it easy, eh?' The character sounds like John Ratzenberger, and it may very well be him. Because it remains unconfirmed, there's no way to definitively know if it is actually him. If it is though, it's the smallest part he's had yet in a Pixar film. There are other characters John Ratzenberger might have voiced throughout the course of the movie, like 22's famous mentors or people Joe encounters on the street. It is unlikely though, considering none of them sound even remotely like Ratzenberger.

Furthermore, Soul has a character that looks like John Ratzenberger as well. The character can be seen wearing a tie in one of Soul's scenes in a New York subway station. According to Pixar Post, co-writer and co-director of Soul, Kemp Powers, has confirmed that it was indeed supposed to be Ratzenberger.

The Tradition and Future of Ratzenberger's Cameos

Ratzenberger's cameo in Soul broke a 22-movie Pixar tradition, as he had a confirmed voice cameo in 22 Pixar movies straight, making it one of Pixar's most exciting Easter eggs. The last movie that featured Ratzenberger's voice was 2020's Onward, where he played a construction worker. Since then, Ratzenberger has not been confirmed to have had a voice cameo in Luca, Turning Red, Lightyear, and Elemental. It was never confirmed why this cameo streak happened, but there is speculation that it was because of corporate shake-ups at Pixar. At this point, it seems that Toy Story 5 is the best chance to restore the tradition, as Ratzenberger could reprise his role as Hamm.

The absence of Ratzenberger's voice in several recent Pixar films has left fans wondering about the future of his cameos. Will he continue to be an integral part of Pixar's movies, or will the tradition come to an end? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain - John Ratzenberger's legacy with Pixar has left an indelible mark on the studio's films, and his appearances are eagerly anticipated by fans of all ages.