Rodney Allen Rippy
 |
Rodney Allen Rippy | |
|---|---|
 Rippy in 1974. | |
| Born | July 29, 1968 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | California State University, Dominguez Hills |
| Occupations |
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| Website | www |
Rodney Allen Rippy (born July 29, 1968) is a former American 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.
Early career
In the Jack in the Box advertisements, Rippy was seen trying to wrap his mouth around the super-sized Jumbo Jack hamburger. The tag line "It's too big to eat!" (pronounced "It's too big-a-eat!") became a catch-phrase. Another spot showed Rippy 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.[1]
The 45 RPM single (b/w "World of Love") appeared on the Billboard magazine "Bubbling Under" chart in October 1973, peaking at #112. At the age of five, Rippy became the youngest person ever to make any Billboard music chart.[citation needed] He released an LP on Bell Records in 1974. Catalog #: BELL 1311.
Rippy subsequently had guest roles in many popular television shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Marcus Welby, M.D., Police Story, and The Odd Couple (Rodney played himself and was the owner of the building where Oscar and Felix lived). He also appeared frequently on talk shows such as The Tonight Show Starring 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.[2][3]
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."[2] 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!"[4]
Later career
Rippy graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1995 where he majored in marketing.[5][6] In 2000 he opened his own marketing firm which he named Ripped Marketing Group. He worked on campaigns such as promoting leisure wear and country music,[6] among other projects. 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 1990s, appearing in the 1997 independent film, Former Child Star and the 2003 David Spade comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.[2]
Rippy is a partner in the film production company Bow Tie Productions, and spokesman for Hurricane Housing Relief. He 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 (Rippy's mother died of cancer in 1986).[7] He was at one time a national director of marketing with Metro Networks (Westwood One).[8]
Political candidacy
The Washington Post reported on April 26, 2013, that Rippy was a candidate for mayor of Compton, California. He decided to bow out of the race after finishing 10th out of 12 candidates in the election's primary.[6]
Partial filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | Bart - Age 5 | Uncredited |
| 1980 | Oh, God! Book II | Charlie | |
| 1997 | Former Child Star | Himself | |
| 2003 | Checking the Gate | ||
| 2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Himself - cameo | |
| 2015 | Flowers in the Snow-FTP | ||
| 2016 | To the Top |
References
- ^ Discography, discogs.com; accessed August 14, 2015.
- ^ a b c Rodney Allen Rippy at IMDb
- ^ "It's A Blast from the Past with Rodney Allen Rippy". Black Press USA. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Peanuts". July 3, 1974. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Distinguished Alumni". California State University, Dominguez Hills. Archived from the original on August 23, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
- ^ a b c John Rogers, AP (April 27, 2013). "Rodney Allen Rippy, child star, bows out of Compton mayor race". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Rodney Allen Rippy Interview". youtube.com. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- ^ "Rodney Allen Rippy, '70s Child Star, Running for Mayor of Compton". E Online. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
External links
- 1968 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- Male actors from Long Beach, California
- African-American male actors
- Film producers from California
- American male child actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Bell Records artists
- California State University, Dominguez Hills alumni
- People from Carson, California
- Jack in the Box