As the only actor to voice a role in all seven of Pixar's film, asking John Ratzenberger to pick out his favorite would be like asking him to name his favorite child. But he does admit that there's a father-son connection in the company's latest production, "Cars," that makes this voice role more special than the others.

"This one is a homage to my father," Ratzenberger told me in a recent @ The Movies interview. "(Director) John Lasseter knew that my father drove a Mack truck and that's why he gave me this character. The truck was one of my first loves because I used to ride around with him in it from time to time."

The truck in "Cars" is appropriately named "Mack," a 1985 Mack Super-Liner who's charged with the responsibility of safely transporting hotshot rookie racecar Lighting McQueen (Owen Wilson) around the championship circuit.

But since the celebrity racer is so impressed with his own flash and pizzazz, he ignores the wellbeing of everyone around him, including Mack -- forcing the 18-wheeler to push the limits and drive on little or no sleep. It results in Lightning taking an unexpected detour on Route 66 to the dustbowl known as Radiator Springs, where he learns life lessons from a colorful collection of cars (voiced by the likes of Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin and Tony Shalhoub).

"Cars" keeps pace with the other Pixar films that preceded it in that it evokes real emotions. Sure, it's computer-animated, but somehow the objects on-screen, which happen to be motor vehicles this time around, leave you with the feeling that they are living, breathing things.

Ratzenberger credits the film's ability to connect emotionally to Lasseter (who also wrote "Cars"), the film guru who won a Special Achievement Oscar for directing "Toy Story" -- and the creative force behind "Toy Story 2" and "A Bug's Life."

"John Lasseter puts so much love into his characters," praised Ratzenberger. "He does it the old-fashioned way. Even the minor characters have some sort of story arc. There's depth with all the Pixar films. In 'Finding Nemo' for example (where Ratzenberger played a school of fish), even the minor characters were interesting in a lot of ways. It wasn't about our two stars being up front, hip and cool."

That's why Ratzenberger, no matter how large his role is in a Pixar movie, gives it all he's got when he's in the sound booth.

"You can't help but put your heart into a Pixar film because that's what they're all about," Ratzenberger explained. "I wish more people could witness John in the sound booth when he's instructing actors because he brings such passion to the characters. All you have to do is watch and listen to what he says, because you can't go wrong."

"Cars," of course, has a racing element to it, and Ratzenberger assured me that Lasseter took great care to ensure that NASCAR fans won't be disappointed.

"He's been working on the project for four years and he was a NASCAR fan before he started on the film so he knows what he's writing about," Ratzenberger said. He spent time with Richard Petty and the people at NASCAR and got an education on the things he didn't know about so he could go into detail. He's a true artist. He's not there just for the paycheck. He's there for the love of the art and what he can bring to it."

Cheers To A Legend
An icon in his own right because of his portrayal of mailman Cliff Claven on the television classic "Cheers," Ratzenberger has also worked with several film greats over the years -- and he's thrilled every time he gets the opportunity.

"I was actually in 'Ragtime' with James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, and was able to meet Jimmy Stewart and Bette Davis early in my career. I played a young cop in one of their last movies together. It's like being a young gunfighter and meeting Wyatt Earp. Wow."

In the case of "Cars," he can now say he's at least shared the screen with a film legend in Paul Newman, who plays the pivotal role of Doc Hudson -- a wise, 1951 Hudson Hornet that locks bumpers with the haphazard Lighting McQueen.

Since all of the voice actors record their dialogue separately, Ratzenberger said he didn't meet Newman at all during the voice sessions. His first meeting with several cast mates, in fact, was set to take place after our interview.

"I met Paul Newman when I was a junior in high school, when I was the houseman in a billiard parlor in Westport, Conn.," Ratzenberger recalled. "He came in to shoot pool one night. I met him that one night and never saw him again, so I'm going to remind him of that when I see him."

The Road Ahead
Given his track record with Pixar, "Cars" won't certainly be the end of the road with the computer animation wizards. And until the next time he steps into the recording booth for them, he'll keep driving ahead with his Travel Channel series "Made in America," which is featured in depth on his new Web site, Ratzenberger.com.

The actor is passionate about the site because it serves as a valuable resource for parents with children with diabetes (one of his own children has been a diabetic since age 4). On the site, it details his work as the chairman of ChildrenWithDiabetes.com and work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation .

Ratzenberger also told me that the site's the home where he's encouraging parents to get their kids outside to play in the sandbox. It's place to learn, a place to let your imagination run wild and a place where kids can play with, well, "Cars" -- and let's not forget trucks.

"As I'm traveling the country with 'Made in America,' I'm realizing a lot of kids now don't get to get dirty," Ratzenberger said. "So with this Web site, I'm encouraging parents to bring things to their home to educate kids on common sense. And that's where you learn it -- in the sandbox."