Rodney Allen Rippy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rodney Allen Rippy
Rippy in 1974.
Born	(1968-07-29) July 29, 1968 (age 57) Long Beach, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	California State University, Dominguez Hills
Occupation	Child actor television personality producer marketing director politician

Rodney Allen Rippy was born on July 29, 1968. He is an American who became famous as a child actor. He also worked as a television personality, a marketing director, a producer, and even a politician. Many people remember him from TV commercials for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box in the early 1970s. He also appeared in many TV shows and movies.

Early Acting Career

Becoming a TV Star

Rodney Allen Rippy became well-known because of the Jack in the Box commercials. In these ads, he tried to eat a very large Jumbo Jack hamburger. It was so big that he couldn't get his mouth around it! His famous line, "It's too big to eat!" (which sounded like "It's too big-a-eat!"), became a popular saying.

Another commercial showed Rodney laughing while singing a song called "Take Life a Little Easier." This song became so popular that it was released as a single in 1973. He even released an album with the same name in 1974.

TV Shows and Movies

After his commercials, Rodney appeared in many popular TV shows. He had guest roles in shows like The Six Million Dollar Man, Marcus Welby, M.D., and Police Story. He even played himself on The Odd Couple, where he owned the building where the main characters lived.

Rodney also appeared on talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was a co-star on the CBS Saturday morning children's show The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine.

In 1974, Rodney made his first movie appearance in the comedy Blazing Saddles. He played a young version of the character Sheriff Bart. His fame was even mentioned in a Peanuts comic strip!

Later Career and Education

Life After Child Stardom

Rodney continued his education after his childhood acting career. He graduated from Cerritos College in 1990. Then, in 1995, he earned a degree in marketing from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

In 2000, Rodney started his own marketing company called Ripped Marketing Group. He worked on different projects, like promoting clothing and country music.

Returning to Acting

Even though he focused on marketing, Rodney took on a few acting roles as an adult. In the early 1990s, he appeared in some episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose. He also acted in the 1997 movie Former Child Star and the 2003 comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, where he played himself in a small role.

Rodney is also a partner in a film production company called Bow Tie Productions. He has worked at KABC-TV in Los Angeles, California. He has also been a spokesperson for Hurricane Housing Relief.

Community and Politics

Helping His Community

Rodney is a resident of Carson, California. He has been involved in his community, serving as the master of ceremonies for the Carson Relay For Life. This event raises money for cancer research, a cause important to him because his mother passed away from cancer in 1986.

Running for Mayor

In 2015, Rodney decided to run for mayor of Compton, California. He was one of 12 candidates in the election's primary. He finished 10th, which meant he was not chosen to move on to the next round of the election.

Film and TV Appearances

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Rodney Allen Rippy has appeared in: