Rodney Allen Rippy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rodney Allen Rippy
Rippy in 1974.
Born	(1968-07-29) July 29, 1968 (age 56) 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 (born July 29, 1968) is an American who was a famous child actor. He later became a television personality, a marketing director, a producer, and even tried to become 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 Days

Rodney Allen Rippy became famous in the early 1970s because of commercials for Jack in the Box. In these ads, he tried to eat a very large Jumbo Jack hamburger. His funny line, "It's too big to eat!" (said as "It's too big-a-eat!"), became a popular saying, also known as a catchphrase.

Another commercial showed Rodney giggling while singing "Take Life a Little Easier." This song became so popular that it was released as a single record in 1973. An album with the same name came out in 1974.

TV Shows and Movies

After his commercial success, Rodney appeared in many popular TV shows. These included The Six Million Dollar Man, Marcus Welby, M.D., Police Story, and The Odd Couple. In The Odd Couple, he played himself and was the owner of the building where the main characters lived.

Rodney was also a frequent guest on talk shows. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Dinah's Place with Dinah Shore. He also co-starred in 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. He was so well-known that he was even mentioned in a Peanuts comic strip! In the comic, Snoopy dreams that Rodney Allen Rippy invited him to dinner.

Later Career and Work

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. He also took on a few acting roles as an adult. He appeared in TV episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose in the early 1990s. He was also in the independent film Former Child Star (1997) and the comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).

Rodney is also a partner in a film production company called Bow Tie Productions. He has also been a spokesperson for Hurricane Housing Relief, helping people affected by hurricanes. He worked at KABC-TV in Los Angeles, California. Rodney lives in Carson, California. He has served as the host for the Carson Relay For Life, an event that raises money for cancer research. His mother passed away from cancer in 1986.

Political Aspirations

In 2015, Rodney Allen Rippy decided to run for mayor of Compton, California. He was one of 12 candidates in the election's first round. He finished 10th, which meant he was not able to continue in the race.

Partial Filmography